Based on Nick Hornby’s 2014 novel, Funny Girl, this comedy drama follows the misadventures of Barbara Parker (Gemma Arterton) who in 1964 attempts to emulate her hero, Lucille Ball, to become a star of the small screen. Leaving behind her Blackpool roots, she sets off for London where she falls into a job at a department store managed by the formidable Miss Sykes (Doon Mackichan). Somewhat implausibly, Parker’s recalcitrance to authority, coupled with her stoic northern wit, is no barrier to success. She forges ahead in a male-dominated television industry after being taken under the wing of outré theatrical agent Brian Debenham (Rupert Everett hamming it up under prosthetics and a comb-over).

Driven by a steely ambition, Barbara works her way into the joint lead role on an incipient sitcom where she finds contentment in a surrogate family of writers. These scenes, with the cast and crew working through script and personal issues (the two frequently overlap) are nicely sketched thanks to an easy chemistry between Barbara and her brash co-star Clive (Tom Bateman) and sensitive producer Dennis (Arsher Ali).

Sixties London is painted as a gaudy metropolis in stark contrast with the north: neon signs cast deep shadows on its seedy streets, and a fug of tobacco hangs over every room. Arterton, who appears in practically every scene, is deft at physical comedy and convincing in the more serious moments. It’s a shame that the women around her are given short shrift. Barbara yearns to make her dad proud, and to settle down with a nice man, while her female companions only endure to propel the plot, not enrich it. Although sexual, racial and class politics of the era are addressed, conflicts are wrapped up a bit too neatly. Arterton is a charming lead but the comedy and drama are both rather slight for such a complex historical moment. 

Starts on Sky Max/Now on Thursday 9 February.