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.
Both mother and son come of age in this new bawdy comedy series based on Tom Perrotta’s novel of the same name.
The broadcaster has released trailers for four of its upcoming original British series, including two new comedy series, the return of Save Me and a new series from Lucy Prebble and Billie Piper.
Speaking to the RTS he said: “It meant that people came to me with their ideas. Steve Coogan came to me with Philomena (Coogan and Pope’s screenplay was nominated for an Oscar and won best screenplay at the Venice Film Festival).
“Success gets you meetings, but it still doesn’t get something past the finishing line if it’s not good enough…It also means you can be more ambitious and more expansive.”
Although he assures me he’s “too old to play Tim [again]”, you can see the similarities he shares with his famous character.
He is affable and self-deprecating, joking that he thinks the real Steve Fulcher, who he plays in upcoming ITV drama A Confession, was happy for him to play him - although might have wished for “someone taller, maybe?”
With more than 80 film and TV credits to his name, Freeman has starred in everything from cult classic TV series to huge blockbuster franchises.
Created by Peep Show writer Simon Blackwell, comedian Chris Addison and Martin Freeman (Sherlock), Breeders will explore the complex feelings of parenting and the paradox of the love and hatred parents feel towards their children.
Co-creator Freeman (Sherlock) will also star in the sitcom as a doting father who discovers he is not the man he thought he was.
