Irish Dramedy Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope Set for BBC Three

LONDON: The Irish comedy-drama series Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope is headed to BBC Three for broadcast later this year.

This coming-of-age millennial dramedy was acquired from Content Media and is made by Deadpan Pictures, which is also behind the International Emmy Award-winning Moone Boy. Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope is created and written by playwright Stefanie Preissner in her first commission for television. The series stars Seána Kerslake (A Date for Mad Mary) and Nika McGuigan (Philomena) as two young women who are navigating life in Dublin and the perilous waters of adulthood.

Damian Kavanagh, the controller of BBC Three, said: “Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope is a laugh-out-loud series and I’m delighted that it’s coming to BBC Three.”

Sue Deeks, the head of program acquisition at the BBC, added: “Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope is the perfect mix of humorous, heartfelt performances and fresh, sharp writing that manages to be both laugh-out-loud funny and incredibly poignant. BBC Three viewers will find so much to enjoy in this gem of a series.”

Stefanie Preissner, the series’ writer and creator, commented: “The opportunity to bring the voice and experience of young Irish women to a larger audience is fantastic. The team on Can’t Cope did an amazing job capturing that voice and I hope that the BBC Three audience love it. The opportunity to see a whole new group’s reaction to Aisling and Danielle is as exciting as it is terrifying and I’ll be rocking with nerves when it goes out, just like I was the first time.”

Ailish McElmeel, company director of Deadpan Pictures, said: “BBC Three is the perfect home for our girls, Aisling and Danielle. [We are] delighted to showcase the work of our wonderful all-female creative team—fresh new writer Stefanie Preissner, award-winning director Cathy Brady and stars on the rise Seana Kerslake and Nika McGuigan.”

Jonathan Ford, the executive VP of sales and distribution at Content Media, said: “We’re very pleased to see Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope heading to BBC Three in the U.K. The team at Deadpan Pictures has delivered a fantastically original and warmhearted comedy-drama, offering a great mix of new talent—both on- and off-screen—and fresh, relatable humor, which we think will resonate very well with BBC Three’s viewers.”