Breeders
Dark comedyFinding the laughs in grim and taboo material.This show: 9/10Contemporary lifeRecognizably the present day, ordinary life included.This show: 8/10British TVThe British television sensibility: tone, restraint and format traditions.This show: 8/10NaturalisticUnderstated, lifelike performances and look.This show: 7/10Dry humorDeadpan, understated wit.This show: 7/10Emotionally heavyDemands real emotional stamina from the viewer.This show: 7/10
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Starring
Martin FreemanDaisy HaggardAlun ArmstrongJoanna BaconPatrick BaladiStella Gonet
Starring
Martin FreemanDaisy HaggardAlun ArmstrongJoanna BaconPatrick BaladiStella Gonet
Ratings per Episode
Votes per Episode
Breeders Episode Ratings Heatmap
| Avg | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 7.4 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 7.7 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.7 | 7.8 | |
| S2 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 7.7 | |
| S3 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 8.1 | |
| S4 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 8.0 |
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About
"Parenthood stripped of its comforting lies"
Breeders follows a married couple navigating the daily chaos of raising two young children, then later older kids, without the sitcom gloss usually applied to parenthood. Martin Freeman anchors it with a performance that swings between exhausted rage and genuine tenderness. The tone is uncomfortably honest rather than warm and fuzzy, mining real anxieties about patience, resentment, and love for laughs that often catch in your throat. It's funny, but it's also a bit of a gut-punch if you have kids or ever plan to.
Watch it for
Martin Freeman's raw, unglamorous performance as a father losing his patience in real time.
Maybe skip if
you want a cozy, reassuring take on family life rather than an uncomfortably honest one.
Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.
All Seasons
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Season 12020
7.43K102h 55m
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Season 22021
7.62K1022m
Time has moved on in Season 2. Luke is now 13 years old and Ava is 10, serving up brand new parenting challenges for Paul and Ally. Luke’s increasing anxiety and Ava’s growing independence add some new and uncharted complications into the existing chaotic mix of stretched resources, lack of time and the fine art of winging it while looking like you know what you’re doing.
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Season 32022
7.72K101h 57m
Season 3 starts days after Season 2 ended. Paul has moved out and is staying at Leah’s house. He should be lonely, but the simpler life has its appeal. Eventually, though, amends with Luke must be made. Meanwhile, Ally has her own problems – with work, her early menopause and her increasingly strained relationship with her newly adolescent daughter, Ava. Gallows humor and large glasses of wine only go so far in quelling the angst…
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Season 42023
7.81K101h 50m
Five years since we last saw the Worsley family, season four brings the biggest parenting challenge that Paul and Ally have ever faced, as 18-year-old Luke drops a bombshell at Christmas dinner that will change everyone’s lives forever. No longer in Luke’s shadow, 16-year-old Ava experiences her own bombshell moment as she meets and immediately falls for the charismatic “Holly.” Paul and Ally continue to try, fail and try again as they face these latest parenting challenges, while also having to support the increasingly troubled Jim and Jackie.
Full Cast & Crew
Cast
Martin Freeman Paul
Daisy Haggard Ally
Alun Armstrong Jim
Joanna Bacon Jackie
Patrick Baladi Darren
Stella Gonet Leah
Alex Eastwood Luke
Eve Prenelle Ava
Jayda Eyles Ava, Young Ava
George Wakeman Luke, Young Luke
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