Back (TV series)

Back is a British sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. It was filmed and is set in and around Stroud, Gloucestershire. The Channel 4 series was created by Simon Blackwell, and its first series was broadcast from 6 September – 11 October 2017.

A second series of six episodes was announced in November 2017; filming was scheduled to begin in October 2019. On 19 September 2020, Webb announced that the second series' shooting had concluded. Series two began airing on 21 January 2021. The series premiered on Sundance Now in December 2017 before premiering on Sundance TV in the US in September 2018. The second season premiered on 31 March 2021 on sister network IFC in the US a week later after it premiered in full on Sundance Now on March 24.

Plot
After the death of his father, Laurie, 42-year-old Stephen is set to take over the family business, the John Barleycorn pub, in Stroud, Gloucestershire. His plans are interrupted when Andrew, a former foster child briefly raised by Stephen's parents, returns to his life eager to renew his relationship with the family. While Andrew quickly charms the rest of Stephen's family – including his mother Ellen, sister Cass, and uncle Geoff – Stephen resents Andrew and views him as "a glib, dangerous sociopath who's about to steal his family, his business and his life". Andrew fondly remembers the time he spent living with the family as happy, whereas Stephen remembers the same time as miserable.

Reception
The first season received a Rotten Tomatoes of 97% rating based on 20 reviews, summarising the season as, "Intriguing, intelligent, and dripping with searing social satire, Back proves a welcome return for collaborators David Mitchell and Robert Webb."

The second season also had a positive reception, with Metacritic giving a score Rotten Tomatoes reporting a 95% approval rating from 19 reviews.

The review aggregator website Metacritic reported a combined score for both seasons of 85 out of 100 based on 12 reviews.