Residence Pictures’ Colourist Vicki Matich on developing the grade for the second series of Roughcut’s comedy drama We Might Regret This for BBC2.
The approach to grading the second series of Roughcut’s returning comedy drama We Might Regret This for BBC2 was less about reinventing the show’s look and more about carefully developing it to reflect the evolving layers of the story. Working again with director Amanda Blue, we began to set the stage for the colour palette to reflect a key emotional shift of Freya and Abe’s story as we join them on their wedding journey at the start of this new series, where the emotional stakes have significantly shifted.
Amanda shared with me her clear vision for the tone of the series – there is a noticeable narrative change now that audiences are placed in the couple’s high-pressured world of wedding planning. This gave me a strong compass for crafting a grade that avoids over-used visual clichés often associated with contemporary comedy. As Freya and Abe navigate wedding planning but also their differing ideas about marriage, identity and the future, the grade needed to support that tension without losing the warmth and relatability audiences love about the show.
I’ve read somewhere the fantastic series creators Lee and Kyla call the first series ‘just the tip of the comedy iceberg’ and this is something we carried into the grade for the second series. We Might Regret This reflects a brilliantly skilled approach to balancing tone across comedy and drama requiring a biting point achieved in the grade and post but also the script, directing and the edit.
The corresponding visual identity needed to reflect this balance of genres and the mood shifts, while not pushing it into a sitcom box. It had to feel high end. Instead of bright, heightened treatments or amplified contrast, the aim was to keep the aesthetic grounded, closer to lived-in heightened dramedy rather than classic sitcom. We consciously steered away from what you might call a ‘comedy grade’, avoiding oversaturation or polish that could distract from the authenticity and depth of the performances or make the world feel artificial. We used subtle adjustments to saturation and contrast to maintain warmth and intimacy.
This process was supported by cinematographer Sam Goldie and his photography which provided a beautifully judged starting point for the series. In those images, naturalism outshone over-manipulation. Sam lights scenes in a way that already feels truthful to the space and therefore you’re enhancing texture and balance rather than imposing a look from scratch, which is always the most rewarding kind of work. You become so in sync with how the production team was feeling during the shoot, and can stay in line with each other creatively.
Filming across London introduced its own visual considerations and a changing environment to reflect through colour; soft overcast one moment, sharper contrast the next. Blacks were held soft, and scene shifts and tones became the emotional anchor of the grade.
Production design provided another key influence. The series’ sets reflect the characters and how they styled their homes with tactile materials, personal objects and interior decoration. All this needed a grade that reinstates this grounded and lived-in feeling, while supporting the story and the emotional atmosphere within each scene. Here the grade focused on preserving the natural, comfortable but imperfect lighting. For internal shots, we wanted colour to reflect the characters , who are layered and authentic.
This series is ultimately about relationships, boundaries, and the nuances of friendship and family, exploring important subjects like accessibility and representation. So it was always crucial that the visuals reflected that more serious emotional and narrative weight, while still allowing comedic moments to come through. Nuance in expression or moments of tension between characters had to feel genuine. The result is a grade that supports the storytelling subtly but with precision so that audiences experience Freya, Abe and Jo’s worlds through their eyes.
Roughcut’s Rebecca Murrell, Exec Producer of We Might Regret This says “We Might Regret This is a bold, laugh-out-loud comedy-drama that redefines disability representation. Series two raises the ambition even higher, with the show’s sharp tone and premium vision guiding every step of the production process”.
We Might Regret This Series 2 is available on iPlayer now and also airs on BBC Two at 10pm tonight.
Jon Creamer
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