Ever since Sharon Horgan teamed up with Rob Delaney for their hilarious sitcom Catastrophe in 2015, we’ve kept a close eye on whatever she’s working on next. There was Channel 4’s This Way Up where she played the sensible(er) older sister of Aisling Bea’s Áine and co-created, produced and starred in Apple TV’s Bad Sisters as one of five sisters intent on murdering the abusive husband of one of them.
Now the production company she co-founded, Merman, is back in gear for a project which will see Lily Allen make her TV debut and, if the Isle of Thanetlocal newspaper is to be believed, ‘put Margate back on the map’ in it's latest comedy/drama venture, Dreamland.
Long known as one of the original holiday resorts in the UK thanks to it’s beaches and famous amusement park, Margate has become something of a hotspot for hen parties these days and with an aging local population, it’s fertile ground (literally) for boundary breaking new female lead comedy.
Intrigued? Here’s what we know so far.
What is Dreamland about?
Dreamland is the story of three sisters, their mum and their grandma who’s lives are upended when a fourth sister, Mel, (played by Lily) returns to their sleepy seaside existence and threatens the stable family dynamic they’d crafted. Eldest sister Trish is expecting her third child and desperate for a girl, while tearaway Mel also learns she’s pregnant for the first time. Naturally, chaos ensues.
It's based off of Sharon’s 2018’s Bafta-winning feature film of the same name.
What else has Lily Allen been in?
Lily’s obviously best known for her music career but has appeared on TV a couple of times before; once with her dad Keith Allen in the late 90s film The Yob, and she played Elizabeth Taylor in the dramatisation of Caitlyn Moran’s autobiographical Novel, How To Build A Girl.
In 2021 she made her West End acting debut in 2:22: Ghost Story, where she played suburban mother Jenny convinced her new home is haunted when she hears footsteps around her baby's room every night at the same time. She was described as 'gleaming' by The Guardian, acting opposite EastEnders' Jake Wood and West End star Hadley Fraser. The role of Jenny has since gone to Cheryl Tweedy.
Who else is in Dreamland?
There’s nothing we quite love more than a cast full of accomplished and hilarious women, and Dreamland promises aaallll the female-lead lols. Trish is played by Freema Agyeman, who’s perhaps best known for playing the starry-eyed companion of David Tenant’s Doctor in the tenth series of Dr Who. There’s also Gabby Best and Aimee-Ffion Edwards as middle sisters Clare and Leila and – the best bit – Sheila Reid as their nan. Frances Barber plays their long-suffering mum.
Dreamland trailer
The trailer has just dropped and you can watch it below.
Dreamland release date
Filming wrapped last summer but there’s currently no confirmed start date, although it looks like we won't have too long to wait.
Where can I watch Dreamland?
All six episodes will be available to stream on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV, although no word on whether they’ll be available to watch in one go or will be released weekly.
Who's in the female-lead team behind Dreamland?
The series is executive produced by Clelia Mountford for Merman with Jane Bell as Producer and Emma Jane Unsworth as Showrunner and Associate Producer. Alex Moody serves as Executive Producer for Sky Studios. Written by Emma Jane Unsworth, Gabby Best, Sharma Walfall and Sarah Kendall, the series will be directed by Ellie Heydon.