Motherland - BBC2 Sitcom - British Comedy Guide

TV sitcom
BBC Two / BBC One
2016 - 2022
20 episodes (3 series)

Comedy about middle-class parenthood and juggling kids, school, and other parents. Stars Anna Maxwell Martin, Diane Morgan, Paul Ready, Lucy Punch, Philippa Dunne and more.

Series 1, Episode 6 repeated at 10pm on BBC2
Streaming rank this week: 158

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Motherland. Image shows from L to R: Julia (Anna Maxwell Martin), Liz (Diane Morgan), Meg (Tanya Moodie), Kevin (Paul Ready), Anne (Philippa Dunne), Amanda (Lucy Punch)

Genre

Sitcom

Broadcast

2016 - 2022

Channels

BBC Two, BBC One

Episodes

20 (1 pilot + 3 series)

Creators

Sharon Horgan, Graham Linehan, Helen Serafinowicz and Holly Walsh

Stars

Anna Maxwell Martin, Diane Morgan, Paul Ready, Lucy Punch, Philippa Dunne, Tanya Moodie, Ellie Haddington, Oliver Chris and more

Writers

Sharon Horgan, Helen Serafinowicz, Holly Walsh, Barunka O'Shaughnessy and Graham Linehan

Directors

Juliet May and Simon Hynd

Producers

Richard Boden, Sam Pinnell, Caroline Norris, Graham Linehan, Sharon Horgan, Clelia Mountford, Holly Walsh, Ben Caudell and more

Companies

Motherland is a show all about navigating the trials and traumas of middle-class motherhood, looking at the competitive and unromantic sides of parenting - not the cute and acceptable public face of motherhood.

We meet the 'Alpha Mums' headed by Amanda, who is very much the Queen Bee: everything is organised, clean and sparkly - even the kitchen cork board is a statement of success. Yet at the other end of the spectrum, we meet Liz, who's totally chaotic and feels the kids should enjoy free expression.

Somewhere in the middle is Julia, who, when she forgets it's the school holidays, realises her organisational skills are nowhere near the level of the 'Alpha Mums'. Also in the mix is Kevin. He's the stay at home dad, who, rather than fighting against that, is embracing it with gusto - much to the irritation of the other mothers.

Motherland isn't the public face of motherhood, it's unromanticised parenting: competition, cafes full of kids, dog-poo bags standing in as replacement lunchboxes...