Father doesn’t know best
Martin Freeman’s ‘Breeders’ returns to FX
In the early days of television,TV dads always seemed to know just what to do.They would calmly dole out wit and wisdom on shows such as “Leave It to Beaver,” “Father Knows Best” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” However, today’s TV fathers may not always know best, and one show is following a dad who’s admittedly far from perfect.
Emmy winner Martin Freeman (“Fargo”) reprises his role as Paul Worsley, a father of two who struggles to keep it together as his kids endlessly push his buttons, in Season 2 of the dark comedy “Breeders,” premiering Monday, March 22, on FX. A co-production of FX Productions, Avalon Television and Sky Original Productions, the series also stars Daisy Haggard (“Back to Life”) as Paul’s wife, Ally.
Martin is not only one of the stars of the series, he is also one of the show’s creators.The actor claims he had been inspired to create the show after having a dream about yelling at his children. He explained the premise in an interview with Variety when the first season of “Breeders” premiered in March 2020.
“It doesn’t tip over into being actually traumatic, but it should ring bells as far as the things that don’t make you proud as a parent — the things that you don’t even necessarily bring up at dinner parties,” Freeman said. “We decided to bring it up on TV instead.”
Chris Addison (“Mock of the Week”) and Simon Blackwell (“Veep”) are also credited as co-creators of the series, and Blackwell serves as the showrunner.The series has officially been in the works since March 2018, though it was originally attached to FX and BBC. By October of that year, Sky had replaced BBC, and “Breeders” received a 10-episode order.
According to the official FX website, the show is about “the parental paradox that you’d happily die for your children but quite often also want to kill them.” In the first season, Paul and Ally dealt with the very real pressures of modern-day parenting while trying to stay connected romantically, work full time and maintain their sanity, which, as just about any parent can attest, is no small feat. At the time, their son, Luke (George Wakeman, “The Secret Life of Brothers and Sisters”), was just 7 years old and their daughter,Ava (Jayda Eyles, “A Confession”), was 4. Although Paul and Ally were past the constant sleepless nights and endless diapering phase of parenting, there were still plenty of challenges in raising their youngsters.
However, as they will likely learn in Season 2 of “Breeders,” parenting older children doesn’t necessarily mean things get any easier. The show, which was renewed for a second season in
May 2020, features a time jump as the family fast-forwards a few years. Luke, now played by Alex Eastwood (“Creeped Out”), is 13 and has been suffering from anxiety. Ava, now played by Eve Prenelle (“To Olivia,” 2021), is 10 and is becoming more independent by the day. All the while, both children continue to test their parents’ patience.
To make matters worse, the new season presents Paul and Ally with a whole slew of challenges that have nothing to do with their kids.As their own parents age, they realize they will have to get used to the idea of looking after them as well. Joanna Bacon (“Love Actually,” 2003) portrays Paul’s mother, Jackie, while Alun Armstrong (“Penny Dreadful”) plays his father, Jim. Stella Gonet (“Holby City”) appears as Ally’s mother, Leah, and American actor Michael McKean (“Better Caul Saul”) stars as Ally’s estranged father, Michael.
Season 2 was filmed in London over the course of several weeks between late summer and fall of last year, but it was not immune to the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Like many other productions the world over, work on the show was delayed by the virus and even halted for a couple of weeks following a positive COVID-19 test result. Fortunately, the cast and crew persevered and the 10-episode season is now ready to go.
It maybe also be important to note that this isn’t the first time Freeman has found success on FX. He starred in the inaugural season of FX’s “Fargo,” a TV adaptation of the 1996 Coen brothers film of the same name, earning him widespread acclaim and numerous industry accolades for his portrayal of anti-hero Lester Nygaard. It was one of the rare times Freeman had not been cast as the “good guy,” having risen to fame for more clean-cut roles such as Tim in the British version of “The Office,” Hobbit Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit film trilogy and, more recently, in “Black Panther” (2018) as CIA agent Everett K. Ross. His role as Paul in “Breeders” is once again a departure from his previous milquetoast, Everyman image.
As weary parents around the world face mounting pressures of caring for their parents and/or their children during a pandemic, Freeman’s “Breeders” could find an even bigger audience this season.The show returns with back-toback new episodes, the first of which finds Paul and Ally wondering whether their parenting style will still work as their kids get older. In the second new episode, tensions are high as Luke’s anxiety becomes an issue and Ally’s mother, Leah, is robbed. Don’t miss the Season 2 premiere of “Breeders,” airing Monday, March 22, on FX.