Catch Matthew Lewis in New Web Series, “Nutritiously Nicola”

by · January 30, 2019

It’s been over a year since it was announced that Matthew Lewis would star in the web series Nutritiously Nicola. Now the self-funded dark comedy, which offers an insight into online perfectionism, is available to view in its entirety on YouTube.

Spanning seven episodes, the series follows Nicola Woodford, a 20-something-year-old Londoner who tries to find success as a food blogger while in recovery for an eating disorder. The series is inspired by the experiences of creator Natalie Bray and is in part a response to the clean eating movement.

 I originally created Nutritiously Nicola! as an angry, cheeky response to the rise of the clean eating movement and my self-conscious frustration at how it was exacerbating my own eating disorder. It was when I started to receive messages from friends who had had the same experience, most of whom had never talked openly about their body image issues, that I knew it was an important story to tell.

Matthew plays a version of himself in the series, alongside his brother (and fellow actor) Anthony Lewis. The pair can be seen in Episodes 5 and 6, in which Matthew tries to hire Nicola in an attempt to become more “buff” than his wizarding world costar Daniel Radcliffe. You can catch a glimpse of Matthew in the trailer below.

 

 

The two episodes not only reveal a thoughtful underlying commentary about the body image expectations for men but are also crammed full of Harry Potter references and jokes!

 

 

As well as providing an interesting look into the perfectionism of online life, Nutritiously Nicola is making waves with its origin story. Not only was the project self-funded, but it is also the debut series produced by Double Yay Productions, an all-female, UK-based production company that creates female-led scripted comedy. Originally offered a deal from an established production company in spring 2017, Double Yay made the decision to self-fund and self-release Nutritiously Nicola in order to maintain creative control, and we’re so glad they did!

You can watch all seven episodes of Nutritiously Nicola on YouTube, but be aware that the series does contain profanity and references to eating disorders.

Press release

ALL FEMALE UK PRODUCTION COMPANY DOUBLE YAY PRODUCTIONS SELF RELEASES ITS DEBUT SERIES NUTRITIOUSLY NICOLA!

All seven episodes drop simultaneously on the official Double Yay Productions YouTube channel

Guest stars include Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter, Ripper Street), Rosie Day (Outlander)
Heida Reed (Poldark), and Christopher Ettridge (Goodnight Sweetheart).

Watch the brand new trailer here.

LONDON, Wednesday 9th January 2019: Double Yay Productions has today released its debut series, Nutritiously Nicola! on YouTube. A seven-part comedy about a health blogger with an eating disorder, Nutritiously Nicola! is created and written by Natalie Bray, directed by Osagie Samuel, and features guest stars such as Heida Reed (Poldark), Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter, Ripper Street), Rosie Day (Outlander) and Christopher Ettridge (Goodnight Sweetheart).

Nutritiously Nicola! [t]ackles the serious topic of body image with intense heart, humour and mischief. Inspired by Bray’s own 15-year battle with an eating disorder, it’s a dark comedy which follows Nicola Woodford who, having spent her early twenties in an NHS eating disorder inpatient facility, is discharged and re-joins the real world. Living in East London and in desperate need of a ‘real job’, things take an unexpected turn when Nicola finds herself trying to find success as a food blogger. As she battles for online success, she soon realises that trying to ‘live her best life’ on Instagram and her recovery may not be entirely compatible

“Nicola is one of life’s fighters.” Commented Natalie Bray, Producer and Creative Director at Double Yay productions. “She’s flawed and she’s had a really tough time but she’s muddling through and trying to make the best of her lot. I originally created Nutritiously Nicola! as an angry, cheeky response to the rise of the clean eating movement and my self-conscious frustration at how it was exacerbating my own

eating disorder. It was when I started to receive messages from friends who had had the same experience, most of whom had never talked openly about their body image issues, that I knew it was an important story to tell.”
The series underlying comments on disordered eating aren’t limited to Nicola herself. In the special Harry Potter themed two-part arch in episodes 5 and 6, “Nutritiously Nicola! and the Celebrity Client (Part One & Two), Matthew Lewis plays as a version of himself, obsessed with being “buffer” than Daniel Radcliffe. With a hint to his infamous topless spread in Attitude magazine and a comment on expectations for male actors in Hollywood, these two special episodes are laden with deep Harry Potter references and an interesting look at body expectations for men.
The series was created after the all-female London based Double Yay Productions formed and embarked on a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2017 which saw the fledgling production company exceed its financial target, raising over £16,000, 75% of which in the first 24 hours.

Double Yay Productions began working together after Bray took the decision to develop Nutritiously Nicola! originally a stage show which she performed herself, into a full-length pilot with which to approach production companies. In Spring 2017, Doubly Yay Productions was offered an option by a leading production company but took the bold decision to turn it down, instead opting to fund and release the project themselves and maintain creative control.
Double Yay Productions writes, develops and produces female-led scripted comedy for linear and digital television platforms. The team is comprised of Caroline Amer (Producer and Business Director), Natalie Bray (Producer and Creative Director) and Rebecca Tanwen Morgan (Producer and Operations Director).