The 'best BBC drama' of all time that fans call 'refreshing and original'

Fans of BBC dramas will no doubt have heard of this excellent comedy drama. It has been hailed as the "best BBC drama" by Screen Rant and fans say it is "refreshing and original". Fleabag is a British comedy-drama television series created and written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who also stars in it. The series is based on her one-woman show, first performed in 2013 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Andrew Scott and Sian Clifford co-star. The protagonist frequently breaks the fourth wall, has internal monologues and running commentary to the audience throughout.

The series synopsis reads: "A dry-witted woman, known only as Fleabag, has no filter as she navigates life and love in London while trying to cope with tragedy. The angry, grief-riddled woman tries to heal while rejecting anyone who tries to help her, but Fleabag continues to keep up her bravado through it all. Comic actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge stars as the titular character on the series, which is based on Waller-Bridge's 2013 one-woman show of the same name."

The series is critically acclaimed and its 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes reflects that. The critics consensus states: "Clever and viciously funny, Fleabag is a touching, wildly inventive comedy about a complicated young woman navigating the aftermath of trauma."

A top critic said: "Hilarious, emotional and utterly surprising, the British comedy created by (and starring) Phoebe Waller-Bridge as a struggling young woman, deserves the hype (and all those Emmys)."

Emily Nussbaum of The New Yorker described the first series as "a precision black-humour mechanism, a warped and affecting fable about one single woman's existence."

Fans of the series have hailed it for its originality. One viewer said: "This is the most original, believable, beautiful story line I've come across in a long long time. Phoebe Waller Bridge is such an incredible gifted writer, and actor, and I am glad she's so young, that I'll be able to enjoy her rich talents for the rest of my life."

Another reviewer added: "This series is so refreshing, it's like a breath of fresh air. Not a big fan of forced comedies and that's why I love Fleabag. The best parts are when Fleabag tells you what's going inside her head."

Fleabag is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.