The first series of Starstruck (BBC Three) was a pure delight, sewing together a fresh sitcom using patchwork pieces of old Hollywood and new romcom. It saw Rose Matafeo create, co-write and star in this story of “little rat nobody” Jessie (Matafeo), a New Zealander living in London, floundering around the city aimlessly, mostly happily. On a night out, she meets Tom (Nikesh Patel), goes back to his place, and the next morning discovers that he is a very famous movie star. So far, so Notting Hill, except that in this much less irritating version, Jessie is only vaguely bothered about Tom’s celebrity, a fame which complicates their blossoming relationship. It goes wrong as often as it goes right, and the imbalance between their lives leads to an epic and occasionally swoon-worthy will-they-won’t-they.
Series two is as much of a treat as the first. It picks up at exactly the moment where it left off, with Jessie half-heartedly on her way home to New Zealand, interrupted by Tom, who joins her on the bus en route to the airport. I don’t think it is a spoiler to say that he persuades her not to get on that flight, and if there are any concerns about how to take a will-they-won’t-they story forward when they very much do, it’s swiftly dealt with by the many reminders that Jessie has a tendency to act impulsively without always making the most sensible choice.
