Katherine Parkinson talks ‘awkward sex scenes’ on Significant Other

ok.co.uk:

If you don’t like traditionally romantic comedies, this “unromantic romantic comedy” might be just what you’re looking for. Starring The IT Crowd’s Katherine Parkinson and Home’s Youssef Kerkour, Significant Other tells the story of two neighbours who are thrown together by unusual circumstances.The six-part drama sees Sam, played by Youssef, waiting to die, after swallowing a cabinet full of pills, when he’s interrupted by his neighbour, Anna, Katherine’s character.

Anna is having a heart attack and needs to wait with him until help arrives. From this ill-fated first encounter, these two lonely neighbours embark on a hilarious and unique relationship. “They’re a very unlikely pair, who come together at a point in their lives where they are each in a sort of extreme place,” explains Youssef. “All the obstacles in their life blind them to the fact that maybe the right person for them is living right next door.” “It’s essentially a ‘will they, won’t they?’” explains Katherine. “But it’s quite bleakly funny and it feels to me like a very original show.

It feels very truthful.” While Sam and Anna have a tough time navigating their newfound relationship, Katherine and Youssef definitely didn’t. “I would happily work exclusively with Katherine for years and years,” says Youssef. “There are some people you meet with and click.” “We were lucky, we both had our partners and daughters on set a lot as well and everyone was very tolerant of that,” adds Katherine. “They got on well too, and we quite quickly got to a place where we could talk a lot but we would be quiet together because it was quite intense and tiring and we both really appreciate proper coffee and really good cake.