Why I love Miranda ...

As she's flavour of the month, I appreciate my love for this woman is hardly surprising although I like to consider myself a fan of hers before she hit the big time. Here's my article of why I think she's so wonderful which is also in the next issue of The Founder.

Miranda-Mania

Why do we all suddenly love Miranda Hart?

Slapstick comic Miranda Hart swept the board at Channel 4’s annual British Comedy Awards. Her unique brand of humour, self depreciation and physical comedy proving to be a rare but astoundingly popular success for the Devon born comedienne as well as showing women can be funny.

So, who is this woman who, I think it is safe to say, two years ago no one had heard of in mainstream comedy? Miranda is unashamedly honest about her middle class upbringing, attending public school Downe House, where Claire Balding was a contemporary of hers, and despite studying politics at the University of West of the England she had always wanted to be a comedienne, crediting Morecambe and Wise as being her main inspirations. She is a fabulous example of someone who has battled for their career and persevered despite multiple knockbacks before rising to the top. She originally pitched a comedy to the BBC as early as 2002 and has been on the sidelines ever since, until 2008 where she recorded the pilot episode of the self-titled Miranda; she is quick to claim however that the main character is not a direct portrayal of herself.

Her comedy strikes a chord with women of all ages, socially awkward teenagers to those older who recognise the personal hang-ups and social traumas Miranda finds herself in. Everyone has experienced an aspect of the life she mocks in her sitcom and I believe that to be at the heart of the show’s success. Miranda plays a clumsy but intensely loveable thirtysomething, useless with men, intelligent but yet she has somehow wound up running a joke shop with her best friend – the irony presumably intentional. In addition she is consistently undermined by her ambitious mother played by the wonderful Patricia Hodge, the deliverer of one of the show’s best known catchphrases, “Such fun!” Refreshingly, Miranda does not for one moment take her success for granted, “This is what I’ve been working towards all of my life.” She enthuses in a recent interview.

I was lucky enough to attend two recordings of this award winning sitcom in December and was shocked by the almost cult-like following it seems to have amassed in such a short space of time. In the queue outside the BBC studios I met what were, in essence a selection of mini Miranda’s and mini me’s, some fans even going so far as to make their own Heather Small heads on sticks. (If you don’t watch, you won’t understand, don’t worry ...) It appears everyone can see a little bit of themselves in Miranda no matter how cool we all try to be.

Miranda’s victory at the Comedy Awards, winning the People’s Choice Award, Best New TV Comedy and Best Comedy Actress signals a significant change in the direction of British comedy. In the past years, the industry has seen it all from Frankie Boyle pushing the boundaries beyond belief to Miranda’s inoffensive yet still laugh out loud funny, slapstick. It may perhaps be worth noting then, that the former was not so much as even nominated for an award. Miranda’s victories are at the same time a triumph for female comedy, maybe soon, we can look forward to when women outnumber men on panel shows instead of being asked on as a somewhat token effort.

What’s next for the new Queen of BBC comedy, then? A move to BBC1 primetime has been rumoured and doubtless series three will have a lot to live up to. I only hope that Miranda continues to write to the best of her ability and enjoys her success. She is a genuinely lovely person who, most probably out of pity, high-fived me at a recording of her show because I was so thrilled to see her. She appeared to be equally thrilled by my excitement. If she continues to stay this grounded, she will be unstoppable and a role model for many who aspire to her honestly gained success.