One of my favourite shows airing at the moment is Showtime’s dramedy series The Big C, a heart warming and genuinely funny show (despite what some critics think) that it is perfectly deserving of its Comedy category nominations at the Emmys.
It stars the always brilliant Laura Linney as Cathy who has stage 4 melanoma and it deals with her family life as she comes to terms with the disease that will eventually kill her.
With the second season coming to a close, Showtime have announced that The Big C will return for a third season, which to me comes as a blessing but also has a concern attached to it. And it is the same concern I had with Breaking Bad (before it announced its final season), how long can you make a show last where your main character has terminal cancer?
In the interest of realism, it is an important issue. It can’t last too long otherwise it risks that. One of the great pleasures of The Big C is the accuracy of emotion it has of someone going through cancer and that emotional resonance would be lost if it lasted much longer.
However, because it is a quality show, I am happy for it to stay on air. It is one of the few shows which manages to make you laugh at one moment and cry the next without upsetting the balance of drama and comedy.
The third season of the show will begin production next year for a debut later in 2012. The second season of The Big C is currently airing on Showtime.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
