Who is Funny Woman based on and is the 60s drama inspired by a book?

Funny Woman is the most recent hit series from Sky that focuses on the life and career of Barbara Parker who pursues her comedy career as Sophie Straw. 

Starring Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace, St. Trinians) the series is set in the 60s and takes on a familiar style established by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, about a woman looking to establish a career in comedy and struggling in the male-dominated industry.

Funny Woman launched on Sky Max and NOW on Thursday, February 9, 2023 at 9 pm and fans are already desperately awaiting the next episode. Here is everything you need to know about the show, including whether it is based on a book or inspired by real events... 

what is funny woman about?

Funny Woman is about a beauty queen in Blackpool named Barabara Parker who decides to swap her pageants for a life in comedy television in London. The series is set in the 60s and the sexist society poses challenges to Barbara's budding career in comedy.

The synopsis from Sky reads, "It’s the height of the swinging 60s and Barbara Parker has just been crowned Miss Blackpool – but there’s got to be more to life than being a beauty queen in a seaside town, right? She wants to be… someone. The bright lights of London are calling, and our determined hero sets off to find out who that someone is."

"The London she encounters is not as quite as swinging as the one she’d read about and seen on TV. However, after a series of setbacks Barbara finds herself in unfamiliar territory - an audition for a TV comedy show. Barbara’s uncompromising northern wit proves to be the X factor that the show has been missing. She gets the part and becomes part of a ground-breaking new sitcom which will have an impact on British comedy for decades to come," the synopsis concludes.

How many episodes of funny woman are there and when is it on TV?

Funny Woman is a limited six-part series and each episode will be released on a Thursday night, starting on February 9. This means that fans can expect the series to conclude on Thursday, March 16, 2023. 

At present, a second series has not yet been commissioned, but if the first series is a success and leaves more to be explored, perhaps the producers will commission a second season.

Who is funny woman based on?

The show is based on the book Funny Girl by Nick Hornby which was first released in 2014. While the book is fictitious and Barbara was never based on a person in real life, her character's idol is Lucille Ball who faced similar difficulties establishing herself as a woman in the comedy industry just decades before.

Nick Hornby is the author behind other successful novels which have been adapted into TV shows and films. This includes Juliet, Naked, High Fidelity, and About a Boy.