[[quoteright:342:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TheBigCTelevisionSeries_4523.jpg]]
''The Big C'' is an American comedy-drama series that aired on Creator/{{Showtime}}.

Cathy Jamison (Creator/LauraLinney) is a middle-aged woman like many others; she teaches English in a local high school, is a neat freak and has a peculiar family; a childish husband, an asshole of a son and an environmentalist to the pain brother.

But one day, her doctor gives her shattering news; [[YourDaysAreNumbered she has terminal melanoma, and a year to live]]. He tells her that she could do chemo, but she refuses.

That ends up being the catalyst for Cathy to break out of her shell and finally live her life to the fullest, including disciplining her son and befriending obese student Andrea.

But she doesn't tell anybody of her cancer…

[[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Has no connections whatsoever to]] ''Anime/TheBigO''.

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!!This show has examples of:

* AndStarring: (Season 3) Creator/GaboureySidibe
* AbortedArc: The Sean-Andrea romance. It looked like at the end of Season 3, Episode 3 that they realized they had feelings for each other. Since then, it hasn't been brought up.
* TheBear: Paul, as explained to him by Lee, who is fond of that sort of man.
* BirthDeathJuxtaposition: Rebecca finds out she's pregnant with Sean's baby at the end of season 1, and since every season of this show is an actual season (roughly three months) she will most probably give birth in season 4 or 5, which are most likely going to be the final seasons.
** Ultimately [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] when [[spoiler:Rebecca suffers a late-term miscarriage.]]
* BlamingTheMan: Sean's entire life is a crusade against this.
* CatchPhrase: Adam can frequently be heard saying "''JESUS!''"
* CaughtWithYourPantsDown: Andrea walks in on Paul during one such session.
* CloserToEarth: Cathy used to be, but she doesn't want to be anymore. Literally, Sean.
* DeadGuyJunior: Rebecca finds out she's having a girl, and decides to call her Cathy. Since the father's Cathy's brother Sean, she will have ''the exact name and surname as our leading character''.
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Marlene]]
* EmbarrassingTattoo: In college, Cathy and Rebecca agreed to get matching tattoos that said "a pair of freaks"...except Cathy backed out at the last second.
* ItsAllAboutMe: When Cathy tells her she has cancer, Rebecca answers that Cathy 'will be the first of her friends with cancer' and that she (Rebecca) will be forever changed. She didn't think once about how Cathy must feel.
* IWasJustJoking: Cathy tells Sean about her cancer...and then takes it back. Uh-oh.
** This is a RunningGag in the character relationship. Sean had already done this to Cathy a couple of times (including leading her to believe he was molested).
%% * {{Jerkass}}: Adam, and how. Even for a teenager.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Marlene, Baby Cathy, and Lee]]. And [[spoiler: Cathy herself]] [[ForegoneConclusion in the series finale]].
* NewAgeRetroHippie: Played with with Sean--he's certainly an environmentalist and against the establishment, but he's also foul-mouthed and lecherous and not exactly 'laid-back.' Could be said about [[spoiler:Liam Neeson's]] character. Lee is also a version of this, being a Buddhist, but he also eats meat, drinks, has anonymous sex and still has some anger/denial issues about his diagnosis.
* PlatonicLifePartners: Lee and Cathy seem to be becoming this, declaring themselves to be "[[IncrediblyLamePun mole-mates]]."
* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: Adam, when he thought his mom died. And again when he thought she was a ghost or a zombie.
%%* SecretlyDying
* SecretKeeper: [[spoiler: Marlene]].
** And also [[spoiler: Paul]] as of episode 11.
*** Cathy herself finds herself a SecretKeeper when [[spoiler: Marlene]] tells her [[spoiler: she has Alzheimer's]].
*** Rebecca is asked to be one for a short while by Cathy, since she wants to be the one to tell Sean she has cancer. Rebecca [[EpicFail fails spectacularly at this]].
* SexinessScore: During couples therapy, Paul confesses he was always insecure about his marriage to Cathy because [[UglyGuyHotWife she's a "10" and he's a "4"]]". Or a "6" if he's having a good day.
* ShockParty: In 'Happy Birthday, Cancer' Cathy's party goes fine... then she makes the mistake of saying that she hadn't been that happy in twenty years. Unfortunately, that's the amount of time she's known Paul. He's not happy with that. To his credit, though, he waits until the guests have left.
* ShoutOut: To Dexter. Playing a cruel prank on her son, Cathy lies in [[BloodBath a bathtub full of what looks like blood]], similarly to Rita. Except, with Rita [[spoiler:it wasn't a joke]].
** Practically a whole ''series'' shout-out to the 1950 movie ''No Sad Songs For Me''.
* StopBeingStereotypical: Played with--Andrea tells Cathy all about her terrible life in the ghetto with a crack-addicted mother and a murdered father, [[spoiler:except it all turns out to be crap and she's from a wealthy, wholesome nuclear family in the 'burbs.]]
* TechnicalVirgin: In Season 3, [[spoiler:Adam's new Christian girlfriend]] is saving herself (read: her vagina) for her future husband, but positively gleefully allows him the backdoor entrance
* TeensAreMonsters: Played with Adam, although he has occasional depth.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Cathy gives this to Andrea in the pilot.
%%* UglyGuyHotWife: Paul to Cathy.
* WhatTheHellHero: Paul in 'Happy Birthday, Cancer'. [[spoiler: Marlene]] joins in the fun in episode 10.
---> '''[[spoiler: Marlene]]''': Cancer doesn't give you the right to be a destructive bitch!
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