Break Clause finds dark humour in a couple’s forced London cohabitation

Break Clause is a six-part comedy-drama about a couple who break up on the day they move into their first London flat together but must continue living as "friends" whilst bound by their tenancy agreement. The show captures post-university malaise in a way that is uncomfortably authentic, mixing dark humour with genuine emotional weight to explore themes of privilege, relationship breakdown and the awkwardness of forced cohabitation.

Created by Jess Bray and directed by Alice Snedden, the series stars Lara Ricote as Lil, an architectural graduate, and Samuel Bottomley as Ben, an unemployed writer. The narrative tension largely stems from class differences—Lil has family money and a stable job, whilst Ben struggles financially, skip-diving for groceries and participating in medical trials—creating a pointed commentary on post-graduation privilege reminiscent of the "sadcom" era of the late 2010s.