Breeders

Unmatched cast, including the kids. Martin Freeman is brilliant and shows so much acting range. I wonder how much if any of the writing he contributed, how much based on his life. Has hilarious moments--the British humor (humour), it's just different from American humor -- but the family dynamics I am sure almost universal. I read a different actor was originally cast as Jim, Martin Freeman's father, but I've seen Alun Armstrong, the actor who replaced him, in several series and I think he's superb--there's lightness and seriousness in each episode. Highly recommend especially if you enjoy Freeman.

Yes, Ally and Paul are highly imperfect as parents, that is one of the main thrusts of the show, and what make it so real for those who relate to feelings of inadequacy, joy, frustration and even regret. As someone who grew up with a father who had significant anger problems, I've never seen parental anger and the associated guilt (and eventual growth!) portrayed in such a realistic manner. Is that part hard to watch sometimes? Absolutely, that is what makes it so cathartic and real. Not to mention that the many "funny" parts, which are character driven rather than cheap one liners, give true balance to the heart and depth that this gem of a series successfully pulls off. I understand that it may not be for everyone, but the plot lines are often profound, the family bonds are beautiful and real, the angst is truly reflective of life, and the ultimate perfection of imperfections made this a very fulfilling experience for me.

I agree with all the positive comments on here but just wanted to address the swearing at the kids.

I don't think this programme is saying swearing at kids is funny but is trying to relay what most parents want to say half the time, which is why it is funny. The thought of actually saying that to my kid never comes in to my head but my god my inner voice is often shouting it.

The drama in the final episodes is beautifully balanced with a light humour.

The acting from all the cast is spot on.

A real treat and emotional journey.

I think sometimes the genre descriptions on here can be misleading since when I first saw this show on IMDB I assumed it was just a straight up comedy about parenting and relationships, which it is not. Yes there are comedic elements, especially if you also have kids, but its way more dramatic than I expected and I mean that in a positive way. For me I was about 3 episodes in and couldn't decide whether I liked it or not(partly because I was expecting a comedy) but my advice is to stay with it, get invested in the characters and don't make any attempt to categorize the show. In general I would say this show is extremely unique and also very close to reality.

My husband and I are so so tired we barely know who we are anymore. We have a 6 months baby still waking up 4 times a night and a 3 years old not wanting to sleep alone anymore.

We watched the first episode and giggled constantly. So much recognition! And a relief to see we are not alone in this sleepless limbo...

It kind of added to the weird fun when we couldn't even watch the first episode uninterrupted because the baby woke up crying...