Sharon Horgan is not mincing words about the kind of feedback women-led stories still receive behind the scenes.
Speaking at SXSW London, the BAFTA-winning creator, writer and star of Bad Sisters said studio executives often respond differently to female characters than male ones, particularly when those women are sharp, messy, angry or morally complicated.
Horgan said she has repeatedly had to push back against notes that seem designed to make women more palatable. Her point was blunt: when female characters have rough edges, the instinct from some decision-makers is still to sand them down.
Sharon Horgan on studio notes for female characters
Horgan reflected on the frustration of receiving feedback that questions whether a woman on screen is too hard, too cold, too difficult or too much. According to her, those kinds of notes rarely land with the same force when the character is male.
That imbalance matters because Horgan has built much of her career around women who are funny, flawed and often furious for good reason. From Catastrophe to Bad Sisters, her characters are rarely written to be tidy role models. They are human first, and that is exactly what makes them compelling.
At SXSW London, Horgan suggested that the familiar pressure is to “soften our edges” rather than let women behave with the same freedom and contradiction routinely granted to male antiheroes.
Why the Bad Sisters star’s comments are striking a nerve
The conversation has landed at a time when audiences are showing a clear appetite for complex women on TV. Shows built around difficult, funny and unpredictable female leads are no longer niche; they are driving awards chatter, streaming subscriptions and social media debate.
That is why Horgan’s remarks feel so relevant. Viewers may celebrate characters who make bad choices, hold grudges or refuse to perform niceness, but the development process can still be shaped by older assumptions about likability.
The word “likable” has long been a trap for female characters. It can flatten a role before filming even begins, turning a potentially memorable woman into someone safer, smoother and less interesting. Horgan’s work pushes in the opposite direction.
Bad Sisters and the rise of complicated women on streaming
Bad Sisters became a standout for Apple TV+ by leaning into exactly the kind of character work Horgan is defending. The series follows the Garvey sisters, a close-knit family tangled in grief, rage, loyalty and suspicion after the death of an abusive brother-in-law.
Its success shows that audiences do not need female characters to be softened to stay invested. In fact, the tension, bite and emotional messiness are part of the appeal.
Horgan’s comments also underline a wider industry question: if streaming platforms want distinctive global hits, they may need to trust creators when those creators write women who do not behave politely.
Where to watch Bad Sisters in the UK, US and EU
Bad Sisters is available to stream on Apple TV+. The platform is available in the UK and the US, and it is also accessible across many EU countries, though local availability and pricing can vary by region.
For fans of Sharon Horgan, it remains one of the clearest examples of her creative signature: dark comedy, emotional truth and women who are allowed to be every bit as complicated as anyone else.
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