Witty, clever and creative are just three of the words that could adequately describe Channel’s 4 latest comedy offering on a Monday night, Raised by Wolves. The ever talented Caitlin Moran and her sister Caroline have crafted the series set on a Wolverhampton council estate, which explores the lives of one slightly deranged yet extremely endearing family.
The series is strongly influenced by Caitlin and Caroline’s childhoods, which they have then transcribed into a modern day scenario, exploring all the trials and tribulations of a single parent household with several teenage girls, all with extremely different personalities and trademarks. While all the children are considered extreme social outcasts, from their hand-me-down clothing choices to their lack of official schooling, they are all incredibly intelligent and ingenious in their own ways. It’s this dysfunctional set up that has kept people gripped right from the very first pilot episode back in 2013, to the six part series on our screens at present.
Although all of the characters are key to the show’s success, one stand out character has to be Germaine Garry and her ridiculous remarks and warped mind. She’s the typical tongue in cheek, cringe-inducing individual that in real life you’d probably try to avoid for fear of either what she’d say to you or just the embarrassment she’d cause to herself. However, in the TV world she’s a character you can’t fail to love. Her outspokenness is inspiring and the fact she literally says everything she thinks is reflective of many a teenage girl’s inner thoughts in one way or another.
Aretha Garry’s character is also an interesting one. Although the younger sister to Germaine, she’s clearly a lot more sensible and despite her lack of schooling, she’s far more intelligent than her years. From looking after the family to helping Grampy with his latest technological woes, it would be little wonder that without her the family would fall apart. Her and Germaine’s sisterly relationship is also crucial to many comedic moments throughout each episode.
That’s not to disregard the other siblings, Yoko, Mariah and Wyatt, who are all key to this set up (not only for continuing the pop star inspired name theme). Their characters are bound to develop as the series continues. It’s safe to say this sitcom is a breath of fresh air, and leads the viewer to both relate to the weird family situations we’ve all encountered, while also breathing a sigh of relief that your childhood upbringing seems a hell of a lot more civilised in comparison. For a show that’s guaranteed to make you laugh and allow you to escape for half hour, Raised by Wolves is a safe bet.
Emily Willson