Little Monster

Little Monster follows the fortunes of new mother Karen as she struggles to get to grips with her little monster. No really, he is literally a monster. Or should that be 'she is'? Or even 'it is'? To be honest it's all a bit of a jumble, but they're opted for the name Benjy for now.

Like all babies, Benjy keeps growing. Horns mainly. Scales. Fangs. Tail. Karen never quite knows what's going to greet her when she unbolts the reinforced door of his nursery and turns the padlock on his cot.

Not that he's dangerous, of course. Just very excitable. And strong. And surprisingly advanced for his tender age. While most babies lie in their cots looking sweet, Benjy is soon galumphing around the house and bringing in the remains of next door's chickens. And though he may be a monster, he's still Karen's monster. She loves him and she always will, no matter what he puts her through. And he's sometimes very well-behaved, especially when his Dad, Nick or Grandma are around.

While Karen has to cope with one very real monster, she also has to deal with her own 'monsters' - the monsters of guilt, envy and low self-esteem that gnaw away at her from the inside. She wants to be the best mother in the world and just ends up behaving like the worst.

Written by Gerard Foster (At Home With The Snails, Horrible Histories) this is a darkly comic look at modern parenthood, set in our child-obsessed world of big buggies and Little Einsteins.

In this pilot episode, Nick and Karen have planned their first night away since Benjy was born. But is it worth the trouble - and will they actually have the courage to leave him?