Nick Hornby has been behind some of the nation’s best-loved books. From outlining our collective obsession with football in Fever Pitch to dissecting the adult man-child in About A Boy, Hornby has a knack for finding something that taps into our larger national identity in what still feels very personal to the reader.

His 2014 novel Funny Girl about a former Miss Blackpool who becomes a superstar in the 1960s British comedy scene was a nostalgic tribute (and gentle takedown) of the “golden age” of male-dominated light entertainment. It also seemed tailor-made for a TV adaption. We finally got our wish with last year’s brilliant Funny Woman.

It starred Gemma Arterton (The King’s Man, Summerland) as Barbara Parker, a working-class girl from Blackpool who aspires to be like her hero, US sitcom star Lucille Ball. So she moves to London, changes her name to Sophie Straw and plans to make it big. And she does – via a spell in retail – and soon has the world at her feet.

When we left her at the end of series 1 – available to watch in Sky Max on demand now (depending on your Virgin TV subscription) – she had broken off her engagement with her sitcom co-star Clive (Tom Bateman, Death On The Nile), bagged a new contract for a new sitcom and just kissed her dashing director, Dennis (Arsher Ali, Informer) who has finally confessed his love for her.

And as Funny Woman returns at 9pm on Friday 6 September on Sky Max HD (CH 111), when it will also be available in Sky Max on demand, we look at why you should tune in to series 2.

Hold on tight! Series 2 is an international rollercoaster ride

At the start of series 2, Sophie is the nation’s favourite TV comedy star; she’s got a group of good friends and her fledgling romance with Dennis is full of promise. But trouble is just around the corner: Dennis’s divorce will take three years; Sophie’s new sitcom flops and she uncovers a devastating family secret.

Sophie escapes the turmoil by taking a role in a film opposite a glamorous French heartthrob, resulting in an offer of a fresh start in Hollywood from her slick new US agent. But Sophie returns to London, determined to get the gang back together and to create a new show which reflects her real life and challenges outdated cultural conventions.

Sophie goes on an even bigger journey this time around

After Sophie goes from beauty queen to sitcom star, she has the world at her feet. She’s a proper celebrity now, and that means the stakes are bigger in series 2.

“Everyone knows she’s funny and she has a sitcom that’s very close to her and her personality,” says star Gemma Arterton. “In the new series, she broadens her abilities. She goes to do a French film and tries to be a serious actress before realising that her passion is in comedy. She starts to break new ground by writing a show called Flatbirds about two women.

“She does have some low moments too – she has issues with Dennis and has a falling-out with Marge – but with time, she manages to pull things back together and bucks societal expectation.”

And there’s a moment that will change everything

Arterton teases: “Something happens at the end of series 2 that will really change her life. In a nutshell, she’s doing it her own way, which is what I always hoped would happen. She doesn’t feel like she needs anyone else to tell her what to do.”

If you’ve read the book, we’ve got a fair idea of what she’s talking about. But show writer Morwenna Banks has been given a lot of creative freedom by Hornby to bring this adaptation to life. Colour us intrigued.

This second series tackles more societal issues

“You want to say something, but have it said in a way that is not too heavy-handed, and comedy is a really good way of doing that,” says Arterton. As such, series 2 will explore themes of love, gender equality, LGBTQ rights and representation in comedy, all against the backdrop of the cultural explosion of the swinging 1960s.

She continues: “The 1960s period was a time where we can show the differences to now, and how much we’ve progressed. A lot of the problems Sophie faces are ingrained sexism, classism, racism. There’s a lot of homophobia in this era – we have Bill, who’s gay in the show. He comes up against it, especially in this season.”

It also goes deeper into issues women faced in the era

Historically, this period saw a lot of change for women, particularly concerning birth control and abortion, in the UK. We see this play out as the events of the series hurtle towards the end of the decade with more freedoms won through the women’s liberation movement, which effected great change throughout the world.

“Sophie is thrown into a time of real change – she is part of it and is living it,” says Gemma. “We have that in this season with the characters of Marge and Diane. Marge is very involved with women’s rights and equal pay. We see Marge become more outspoken and militant about equal pay for equal work.

“We also see Diane, who really struggles, and I think it really reflects what it was like to be a Black woman in London at this time. [To be] a professional Black woman, trying to work in journalism, was particularly hard and we see her struggle to find her place.”

If you thought the first series was stacked with acting royalty, series 2’s new cast is even more impressive

The second run welcomes Steve Zissis (The Changeling), Marcus Rutherford (The Wheel Of Time), Tim Key (This Time With Alan Partridge), Gemma Whelan (Game Of Thrones), Roisin Conaty (GameFace), Rory Keenan (The Regime), Lydia Wilson (About Time), Lydia Leonard (The Crown), Jack Docherty (Scot Squad) and Josie Lawrence (Father Brown).

Alongside them are returning favourites from series 1, including David Threlfall (Shameless), Rosie Cavaliero (Code 404), Alexa Davies (White House Farm), Matthew Beard (Avenue 5), Leo Bill (Becoming Elizabeth), Clare-Hope Ashitey (Top Boy), Alistair Petrie (Sex Education), Olivia Williams (The Father), Emily Bevan (The Full Monty) and Doon Mackichan (Two Doors Down).

When can I watch Funny Woman on TV?

You can watch Funny Woman at 9pm on Friday 6 September on Sky Max HD (CH 111). The remaining three episodes will air every Friday thereafter and you can also catch it in Sky Max on demand.