Starstruck (2021 TV series)

Starstruck is a comedy television series created by Rose Matafeo, co-written with Alice Snedden, directed by Karen Maine, and starring Matafeo and Nikesh Patel with Minnie Driver in a special guest starring role. A second series was commissioned before the first series aired. Series one premiered 25 April 2021 and series two was released on 2 February 2022. In June 2022, the series was renewed for a third season, and it was released on 28 August 2023. The series received positive critical reception.

Premise
A screwball comedy about Jessie, a 20-something New Zealand woman living in Hackney, London, working jobs in a cinema and as a nanny. After a one-night stand on New Year's Eve, she discovers she slept with famous movie star Tom Kapoor. The series explores Jessie and Tom's relationship over the years as they break up, reunite and attempt to see other people. Despite attempting to move on from each other and wanting different things, the two are repeatedly drawn back to each other.

Main

 * Rose Matafeo as Jessie, a New Zealander living and working in London who has a one-night stand with a stranger who turns out to be a famous actor. Jessie initially decides to leave London to go back to New Zealand after feeling stuck but Tom later convinces her to stay.
 * Nikesh Patel as Tom Kapoor, an A-list actor and Jessie's love interest. Tom is known to have only ever had three girlfriends before meeting Jessie, the last of which ended when his ex dumped him (despite Jessie's assumption that they are still together).
 * Emma Sidi as Kate, Jessie's best friend and flatmate in the first two series. She is a big supporter of Jessie and Tom's relationship and often tries to force them into situations where they have to interact with one another.
 * Al Roberts as Ian: Kate's boyfriend; Kate and Jessie meet Ian at a club on New Year's Eve.

Recurring

 * Joe Barnes as Joe: Jessie's manager and friend at the cinema. It is known that the two have previously slept together causing Joe to harbour unrequited feelings for Jessie
 * Nic Sampson as Steve: Jessie's friend and Sarah's boyfriend (later husband)
 * Lola-Rose Maxwell as Sarah: Jessie and Kate's irritable friend and Steve's girlfriend (later wife)
 * Minnie Driver as Cath: Tom's agent who does not approve of his relationship with Jessie
 * Jon Pointing as Dan (series 1, 3): Jessie's non-committal friend-with-benefits, whom Kate dislikes
 * Abraham Popoola as Jacob (series 1, 3): A friend of Jessie and Kate, introduced at the Murder Mystery evening
 * Sindhu Vee as Sindhu (series 1): Jessie's employer in the first series, who has employed both her and Shivani to look after her two children
 * Ambreen Razia as Shivani (series 1): A friend of Jessie's, who also looks after Sindhu's children
 * Alice Snedden as Amelia (series 1): A friend of Jessie and Kate, introduced at the Murder Mystery evening
 * Edward Easton as Ben (series 2): Jessie's ex-boyfriend, who comes back into her life in the second series after receiving a letter she sent when she had originally planned to leave London
 * Nadia Parkes as Sophie Diller (series 2): Tom's co-star in the film Siege on Olympus
 * Parth Thakerar as Vinay Kapoor (series 2): Tom's brother, a clinical paediatrician
 * Russell Tovey as Dave (series 2): director of a film Tom is starring
 * Constance Labbé as Clem (series 3): Tom's fiancée in the third series
 * Lorne MacFadyen as Liam (series 3): Jessie's love interest in the third series, introduced at Kate and Ian's wedding as the latter's electrician
 * Liz Kingsman as Liz (series 1)

Production
Sidi and Matafeo were real-life flatmates in London. The idea for the plot came in part from a group of Matafeo's Kiwi friends who one night in a London pub ran into a major Hollywood actor and hung out with him all night. Filming was due to begin in March 2020 but was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic until October 2020.

HBO Max announced that Starstruck was renewed for a second series on 10 June 2021, the day it debuted on the streaming network. Russell Tovey was announced as a new cast member for series two.

In June 2022 it was announced the series had been renewed for a third season. In January 2023 Matafeo uploaded photographs from the set to her Instagram.

Release
Starstruck series 1 started broadcast in the UK on 26 April 2021 on BBC One, with the whole series available from 25 April 2021 on BBC iPlayer. It screened on TVNZ in New Zealand, ABC TV in Australia. Series 1 was released on HBO Max on 10 June 2021. Series 2 was released online in its entirety on BBC iPlayer on 7 February 2022.

Series 3 was released on 28 August 2023 on BBC Three and started on 1 September 2023 on BBC One.

Reception
The series received critical acclaim. The Times described it as "expertly crafted old-school screwball comedy, crackling with wit and sexual chemistry." Series one holds a 100% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

Accolades
In January 2023 Matafeo received a nomination for Outstanding Comedy Actress for her work on Starstruck at the National Comedy Awards 2023.

Matafeo was nominated in the Comedy Performance (Female) category at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards in March 2023.