What we're watching tonight: 'The Letdown'.

What do you do when there’s nothing on Australian television that tells the real story of the first few months with your first baby?

You write your own show.

Which is exactly what actor Alison Bell and writer Sarah Scheller did.

The Letdown is a fantastic piece of Australian television. It neatly straddles the divide between wildly funny and poignant.

It depicts the shocking first few months of a new mum with her first baby, a time where you are forced to navigate not only completely new person who doesn’t communicate especially well with you – your baby, but also your new identity as a mother.

The show’s creators, Alison and Sarah are both mothers; Sarah to two and Alison to one, a two year old boy.

Alison assures Mamamia that the show is not autobiographical, but rather it’s designed to counter the unrealistic portrayals of motherhood that abound on television; that it’s not all a bed of roses, that it’s tiring and hard work, that it can be isolating.

Amongst the new experiences thrown your way as a new mothers is the lottery that is mothers group, and The Letdown grapples with that perfectly.

Audrey, the main character we follow in the show, arrives (late, of course) to her first session. She’s flustered and tired. In the course of introducing herself, Audrey is caught up in a misunderstanding about the “right” way to give birth. A little later, as she tries to latch her baby to her breast, everyone has an opinion and when one well-meaning mother reaches her hand out to help, Audrey fiercely objects. She walks out halfway through in a bit of a state.

Alison Bell as Audrey, with baby Stevie Nicks. image supplied

Alison Bell, who plays Audrey, tells Mamamia that while her co-creater, Sarah Scheller didn't connect so well with her mothers group, she had a very different experience.

"The women in my group were all really lovely and I was sad I didn't get to more sessions because of work."

Alison, whose baby was born in the middle of pre-production, says she enjoyed her mothers group so much she was almost disappointed, hoping for material for the show that never materialised. "The women in my group were all really lovely and I was sad I didn't get to more sessions because of work."

There are some big name cameos in the show, not least of which is Noni Hazelhurst who plays the no-bullshit mothers group facilitator. Alison Bell tells Mamamia that Noni said yes to the project in about 24 hours, noting that Noni has had two children herself and saw great value in the project.

"We were shooting the mothers group scenes, and I thanked Noni profusely for being involved. She said, 'you're doing a very important thing.'"

High praise indeed.

Alison Bell won't tell Mamamia what the future for Audrey holds, but she does explain that the show will cover many of the themes that mother's experience in their every day lives; how to negotiate a changing relationship with friends, a crappy job, a changing marriage and a difficult relationship with your own mother.

All in all, watching The Letdown is a great way to spend half an hour. I found myself laughing hysterically while at the same time desperate to reach through my screen and give Audrey a hug to let her know everything was going to be alright.

It's part of the ABC's six pilot comedy series, The Comedy Showroom, in which the ABC is inviting viewer feedback on six potential new Australian comedy shows.

The Letdown airs tonight on ABC at 9pm (or you can watch it now on iView) and I strongly recommend you tune in. (And then, jump online and give your feedback here. Please give it the best review you can. I desperately want to know what happens to Audrey next.)