The final season of the Australian romantic comedy Colin From Accounts opens with a mortifying recap of Gordon's marriage proposal, followed by Ashley's devastating reply: “We can talk about this later.” The third and final season, based in a Sydney suburb, was released in Australia in July and is expected to launch on BBC2 and iPlayer next month.
A Chaotic Romance Begins
In the first season, trainee doctor Ashley and micro brewery owner Gordon meet when she impulsively flashes her breast at him while crossing the street. Distracted, he hits a stray dog with his car. They name the dog Colin From Accounts, and their forced interactions at the vet trigger a chaotic romance.
Season 3 opens three years after the proposal. Gordon (Patrick Brammall) and Ashley (Harriet Dyer) have split and both have new partners. But they meet unexpectedly when Gordon, who has sold his brewery, goes for a medical and encounters Ashley, now a practising doctor.
New Partners and Old Sparks
Neither of their new loves is easy to like. Ashley's new beau, David (Thomas Cocquerel), is allergic to dogs, while Gordon's girlfriend, Chelsea (Nikki Shiels), is totally over the top. Viewers are immediately invested in the will-they-won't-they tug of war, hoping the pair will get together again.
What makes the show convincing is that its stars are not just co-creators, writers and executive producers, but also a genuine husband and wife team. Asked if they are mirror images of herself and Patrick, Harriet says: “I think we’re both about 60% to 70%. They are certainly not us, but they’re not a stretch.”
Anxiety as the Comedy Engine
Harriet, 37, admits the show's comedy engine runs on anxiety and neuroses “a fair bit.” She says: “I think it speaks to the struggle that people have in Sydney to try and keep paying the bills. That’s definitely part of it and it is hard to be a micro brewery or craft brewery.”
Patrick, 50, adds: “There is a tension there. One of the reasons we picked Gordon to have a brewery is it’s a cool, romantic idea.” Harriet interjects: “It’s a bit of a Peter Pan idea.” Patrick agrees, adding: “It’s definitely Peter Pan, but it’s red lining as well. The business is never thriving. It’s never really doing well.”
Of the West Sydney setting, the couple say it’s “cool and aspirational.” Patrick continues: “You want to be there, but it’s expensive to be there. Similarly, there’s neuroses and anxiety for the Ashley character.” He says of her lengthy training period: “She’s eating cold cuts for dinner.” Harriet adds: “She’s 29 when you meet her and I think anxiety is like the modern epidemic. We were trying to speak to that - that modern life is a real headache.”
Real-Life Romance and Future Plans
While their lives are chaotic, the couple fall in love. Harriet says: “They slow each other down. I think that’s what everyone’s trying to get when they are falling in love with someone is an antidote to the noise.” In real life, Harriet and Patrick met on the set of the detective series No Activity in 2015, and in 2017 she moved to the USA to be closer to him. They married in 2021 and wrote the first season of Colin From Accounts, which launched in Australia in December 2022 and here in 2023. The couple have two adopted daughters, Joni and Mabel.
Harriet and Patrick tend to see eye to eye personally and professionally. Patrick says: “We are pretty much on the same page with stuff.” Harriet adds: “Paddy works harder, though.” They do have differences in the edit, but fans will be relieved to hear that while the third series may be its swansong, there are plenty of subsequent acts to come. Harriet says: “We’re definitely going to work together again because I wouldn’t want to write with anybody else.”
