Breeders. Image shows from L to R: Paul (Martin Freeman), Jim (Alun Armstrong), Jackie (Joanna Bacon), Ally (Daisy Haggard). Copyright: Avalon Television
Breeders

Breeders

  • TV sitcom
  • Sky One / Sky Comedy
  • 2020 - 2023
  • 40 episodes (4 series)

Dark comedy starring Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard as stressed parents. Also features Alun Armstrong, Joanna Bacon, Alex Eastwood, Eve Prenelle, Patrick Baladi and more.

  • JustWatch Streaming rank this week: 1,072

Press clippings Page 2

The week in TV: Breeders; Sneakerhead; Big Zuu's Big Eats

Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard raise a glass or 12 to the pressures of parenthood; and Big Zuu is a feast of fun.

Barbara Ellen, The Observer, 17th July 2022

Martin Freeman interview

The cuddly Bilbo and John Watson actor, 50, on squash, lefty politics, having a little faith and reserving the right to be difficult.

Rich Pelley, The Guardian, 16th July 2022

Breeders... Daisy Haggard's message for stressed parents

As a mum Daisy Haggard knows the difficulties of being a parent. Starring in comedy drama Breeders has given her a perspective on what it's like to have children; as well as scaring the life out of her.

Stevie Gallacher, The Sunday Post, 14th July 2022

Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard interview

"Show me a person who's not been screamed at by their parents and I'll show you a unicorn."

Morgan Jeffery, Radio Times, 8th July 2022

Daisy Haggard: 'Forget work. Let's just talk about Wotsits'

After a string of hits including Back To Life and Breeders, the actor and writer is hot property. So why does she only want to discuss crisps?

Tim Lewis, The Observer, 3rd July 2022

Read a dark script from parenting comedy Breeders

Simon Blackwell explains the episode contains a "pivotal piece of action" around which the entire second season was built, something the co-creator says is a "gamble" but "very satisfying."

Deadline, 27th June 2021

All of life can be found in a good sitcom

Highbrow dramas and earnest documentaries are often held up as mirrors but shrewd historians know to look at comedy.

Libby Purves, The Times, 31st May 2021

North London's angriest misunderstood father returned in an immensely welcome second series of Breeders (Sky One), the pitch-perfect observational comedy that has Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard united in an ongoing war against - well, it, might be their children one moment, the school the next, overposh or overaccomplished or just snotty rival parents, but mainly it's just against Life, and a little bit against ageing. It manages a rare piece of straddling, between being very sweary - goodness but young Master Freeman likes his plosives and fricatives - and, just when you think you've got its measure, suddenly subtly tender.

There are great little thumb-portraits of entire personalities. For instance, Paul (Freeman) is in therapy early on for anger issues, and the therapist asks: "You put 'strategies' in inverted commas there?" "I did, yes. I find most of this stuff belongs in inverted commas, to be honest." And, from just that, you've got entirely the man. Struggling with love for and frustration with children, struggling not to be his own father, and with the older Luke's troubled school problems, the reasons for which we will have to wait; above all struggling not to care about the fact nothing can be exactly as it was when Luke and Ava were young. The children are, unlike in Motherland, often given centre stage, and in turn the performances from them, and Freeman and Haggard, are in dreadful peril of raising the whole thing beyond comedy to, actually, rather fiercely fine drama.

Euan Ferguson, The Observer, 30th May 2021

Breeders, season two review

An angry parenting comedy somewhere between amusing and bemusing.

Sean O'Grady, The Independent, 28th May 2021

Review: Friday Night Dinner, Breeders

"Two brothers come home on Friday night, things happen" was the simple premise for a cult sitcom. Admittedly those things included the father of the house running round shirtless shouting "S**t on it!" while trying to hide a dead fox but come on, we've all done that, haven't we?

Aidan Smith, The Scotsman, 28th May 2021

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