Dating can be hard enough without having to deal with any excess baggage if things get serious. But two singletons go from "keeping it casual" to "it's complicated" in Sky's new romantic comedy, Smothered.
The six-part series stars Black Mirror's Danielle Vitalis and Plebs' Jon Pointing as Londoners Sammy and Tom, 30-something singletons, who are both disillusioned with dating.
On a night out, the two strangers meet, and end up singing out their drunken souls in a karaoke booth and one thing leads to another... you get the gist!
With undeniable chemistry, the pair agree to a "no strings" affair for three weeks — on the condition they then delete each other's phone numbers and go their separate ways.
"Tom's a bit rusty, kind of stuck in his ways and takes life very seriously," says Jon. "Like Tom, I have a phobia of karaoke but, when he meets Sammy, Tom sees an opportunity to start having some fun again."
"Sammy is the complete opposite of Tom," adds Danielle. "She's just a whirlwind of emotions and energy, who talks at 100 miles per hour and says everything before she thinks. Sammy and Tom are like a yin and yang, battling against but also accepting each other’s quirks."
But it seems opposites do attract, as both Tom and Sammy struggle with being apart. Missing the fun they once had together.
That's when Sammy backpedals on their agreement and reaches out to Tom only to discover there's another woman in his life… his six-year-old daughter, Ellie.
"Tom has to take everything a little more seriously, because he's got the responsibility of his daughter," says Danielle. "I normally get cast as well-meaning, horny idiots. When I read the script, I was filming Channel 4 comedy Big Boys, playing a uni student. So it was nice to literally act my age!"
Smothered also stars ex-EastEnders’ actor Lisa Hammond as Sammy’s interior design boss Raina, This Way Up’s Aisling Bea, as their demanding client Gillian, and LA Law’s Blair Underwood, as Sammy’s father David. And one of those characters is a lot more involved in Tom's life than Sammy would like!
As Tom and Sammy become more involved, the couple have to navigate complex friendships, crazy ex-wives and, for Sammy, what it means to be a stepmother or, indeed, Smothered!
"Sammy's still young at heart, so the idea of having the responsibility of a small person is really absurd to her," says Danielle. "This show challenges the notion of 'the stepmum' and is a lot about setting your own rules for dating and not having to follow what other people say.
"There's lots that makes Tom and Sammy think: 'This relationship isn’t gonna go anywhere'. But it's beautiful to see people forming what works for them."
Smothered lands on Sky Comedy and Sky Showcase (box set, Sky Box Sets and NOW) on Thursday December 7 from 10pm.
