Last week saw the debut of The Duchess – Katherine Ryan’s first Netflix sitcom focusing on a stylish single mum who contemplates having a second child with her estranged ex Shep.
Those of you who’ve binged all six episodes already will know that the series ended (spoilers!) with Katherine (Ryan) becoming pregnant with Shep’s (Rory Keenan) baby, dumping her boyfriend Evan (Steen Raskopoulos) after he reacted badly to the news, and giving birth nine months later to the tune of Robyn’s Dancing on My Own – but according to the Canadian comic, that surprising ending wasn’t always set in stone.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com at a press roundtable, Ryan said that she toyed with three alternative finales for The Duchess before picking the ending we saw.
“I think I wrestled with the ending a lot, I had three different endings,” she said. “I wasn’t sure how that was going to go but I was really satisfied with the way we settled on wrapping it up because she’s dancing on her own and that song was really important to me as well – that Robyn song.”
She continued: “The ending is always the hardest part I think and I left a very satisfying ending for me but I think a lot of people will have wished for a different ending, maybe a fairytale ending, but they’re not going to get it!”
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When asked what would have happened in the other endings, Ryan said: “It’s sort of the way that Katherine’s story begins – how will she expand her family, what shape will it take, will she have another baby with her enemy, will she move on and try to have a relationship with this current boyfriend or will she use a sperm donor?”
“So there were different endings like that, and also an ending where actually in real life, you don’t get a baby that easily at all – so yeah, without any spoilers, it was the same ending as options in the beginning of her journey. I didn’t want to commit to one ending, I still don’t. Why should we commit to one ending.”
Various comedy up-and-comers are including in The Duchess cast including Michelle de Swarte (Bev), Sophie Fletcher (Jane), Katy Byrne (Olive) and presenter Maya Jama, who makes a cameo as Evan’s date and colleague Sandra.
Speaking about how Jama came to be involved in the series, Ryan said: “That is the worst hell you could imagine for yourself – the worst nightmare is that your boyfriend moves on and he moves on with Maya Jama. I just thought it was so funny.”
The comedian also revealed that a number of scenes were left on the cutting room floor, including a moment which saw Ryan expose herself near Buckingham Palace.
The Duchess is available to stream on Netflix. Check out our lists of the best TV shows on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix, or see what else is on with our TV Guide.