The programming is being broadcast across TV, radio, iPlayer and BBC Sounds, and features both archival and original content.
The First Folio compiles 36 of Shakespeare’s plays, 18 of which had never been published prior, including such major works as Macbeth, Julius Caesar and Twelfth Night. As such, it is often credited with preventing these works from becoming lost to time.
The third series is currently underway and winning plaudits, starring Daisy Haggard and Martin Freeman as the titular breeders: a modern day mother and father at their wits’ end.
The story is set just days after series two ended, as the Worsley family reels from troubled teen Luke (Alex Eastwood) hitting his dad, Paul (Freeman).
Paul has moved out to go and stay at his mother-in-law Leah’s (Stella Gonet) house, and although his life should be lonely, the peace and quiet does have its appeal. Sooner or later, however, he must make peace with Luke.
Once again exploring the challenges of modern parenting, the third series of Breeders picks up days after season two ended, with the Worsley family reeling from teenager Luke (Alex Eastwood) punching his dad, Paul (Freeman).
Paul has moved out to his mother-in-law Leah’s (Stella Gonet) house, and while he should be feeling put out by the loneliness, the simpler life is proving to be more appealing. Eventually, though, the father and son must make amends.
For drama to arise, the hero’s intention must meet an obstacle, and what better obstacle than an arch-rival.
But rivalries come in all forms, from the most petty to the most fierce, and are therefore wellsprings of drama and hilarity that can be found in series of all genres.
Here are some of the greatest to have graced the small screen.
Icon of photography, Rankin, mentors six amateur photographers from around the UK in a four-part masterclass series.
Freeman stars as Chris, a crisis stricken and morally compromised urgent response officer working a series of night shifts in Liverpool.
As Chris struggles to keep both his personal and professional life in line, he is forced to take on a new rookie partner, Rachel (Adelayo Adedayo, Timewasters).
After getting off to a rocky start, the pair must learn to work together if they have any hope of surviving in the high-pressure, relentless world of Liverpool’s criminal underbelly.
I opened the door and f****** exploded.” Dreams can be wild – stories that our minds involuntarily create as we sleep. While most of us forget them the next morning, Martin Freeman had one five or six years ago that became the inspiration for a TV series.
“I knew I had gone through this many times in real life… I was going up the stairs to go and shout at my children,” he recalled. “With each step, I was talking myself down: ‘You know you’re better than this, and they won’t respond positively.’
Martin Freeman, Simon Blackwell, Daisy Haggard and Chris Addison discuss the making of Sky's original comedy series Breeders.
Breeders is produced by Avalon and FX Productions for FX Networks and Sky Originals. The online RTS panel event was chaired by Edith Bowman.
The dream occurred five or six years ago. “I knew I’d gone through this many times in real life. I was going up the stairs to shout at my children,” he recalls.
“With each step I was talking myself down ‘You know you’re better than this and they won’t respond positively.’
“I thought I’d got the better of my temper before I opened the children’s bedroom door, but I opened the door and exploded.”
Ten of the original monologues will be remade and two new ones, written by Bennett last year, will also be showcased.
Produced by Nicholas Hytner’s London Theatre Company and Kevin Loader, filming will take place at the BBC Elstree Studios using current sets.
The monologues tell stories that are important and timely, all while allowing the actors to perform despite the coronavirus lockdown.
