One of the most striking elements of Fleabag was the fact she constantly broke the fourth wall, talking in asides to the audience and, alongside witty one-liners, expressing her dark innermost fears and desires. Since then, a number of shows have broken the fourth wall in a way that has evoked Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s creation – most recently Netflix university dramedy Vladimir, with Rachel Weisz. But this use of the device hasn’t always been a hit: the 2022 Netflix adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, was heavily derided for having its 18th Century heroine, played by Dakota Johnson, talk to the audience in what was seen as a Fleabag-esque “gimmick”. Indeed, O’Loughlin says that when pitching ideas to TV development execs now: “I’m always told, ‘Avoid the flashback and breaking the fourth wall as much as you possibly can'”.
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