# This Way Up (2019)

> A young Londoner pieces her life back together after a nervous breakdown, leaning on her sister and a wry, warm sense of humour.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/77704

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 12
- Episode runtime: 23 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, drama
- Created by: Aisling Bea
- Network: Channel 4
- Cast: Aisling Bea, Sharon Horgan, Tobias Menzies, Indira Varma, Kadiff Kirwan, Aasif Mandvi, Chris Geere, Ricky Grover
- TMDB rating: 7.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8430356/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: wry, gentle, melancholic, warm, funny, bittersweet

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series positively, praising its warm, honest handling of mental health recovery and its sharp comedy.

## Synopsis

This Way Up (2019-2021) is a British comedy-drama series created by Aisling Bea for Channel 4. Aisling Bea also stars as Aine, a young Londoner who, after a nervous breakdown, tries to put her life back together while living with the support and sharp commentary of her sister Shona, played by Sharon Horgan. Around them orbit Tobias Menzies as Richard, Indira Varma as Charlotte, and Aasif Mandvi as Vish, whose presence pulls Aine back toward ordinary routines of work, friendship and romance. The engine of the show is small and concrete: a rehab-style return to everyday tasks, awkward dates, a job that feels impossible to face, and the slow work of admitting what is wrong. Each brisk twenty-three-minute episode is built from these modest moments rather than a single crisis, and the two seasons across twelve episodes form one continuing emotional arc. Set in contemporary London, the series carries a dry, observational tone that is funny without ever mocking its protagonist. Its mix of tenderness, melancholy and absurdist humour recalls Fleabag and Miranda, and fans of intimate, character-led British comedy will find the same warmth here.

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