Trying
WholesomeKindness and decency at the core, with barely a trace of cynicism.This show: 8/10Warm humorAffectionate comedy that genuinely loves its characters.This show: 8/10British TVThe British television sensibility: tone, restraint and format traditions.This show: 8/10Contemporary lifeRecognizably the present day, ordinary life included.This show: 7/10Found familyUnrelated people slowly becoming each other's family.This show: 7/10Feel-goodReliably uplifting television that leaves you lighter than it found you.This show: 7/10
Rate this series
Starring
Rafe SpallEsther SmithSian BrookeDarren BoydOliver ChrisPhil Davis
Written by
Andy Wolton
Starring
Rafe SpallEsther SmithSian BrookeDarren BoydOliver ChrisPhil Davis
Written by
Andy Wolton
Ratings per Episode
Votes per Episode
Trying Episode Ratings Heatmap
| Avg | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 8.4 | |
| S2 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 8.8 | |
| S3 | 8.2 | 8.6 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 8.9 | |
| S4 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 7.2 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 8.4 | |
| S5 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 8.6 |
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About
"Adoption bureaucracy turned into tender, funny heartbreak"
A London couple, unable to conceive, decide to try to adopt, and the show follows them through the bureaucratic, emotional, and often absurd process of proving themselves fit to be parents. It's warm-hearted British comedy-drama that mixes genuine laughs with real ache about infertility, family, and found family among friends and social workers. The pace is gentle and episodic rather than plot-driven, leaning on chemistry between the leads and a strong supporting cast rather than big twists or cliffhangers.
Watch it for
the believable, lived-in chemistry between the two leads as they navigate heartbreak with humor.
Maybe skip if
you want fast plotting rather than a slow, character-driven slice of life.
Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.
All Seasons
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Season 12020
7.63K83h 44m
Series 1 starts with Nikki and Jason becoming devastated when they're told they'll never conceive a child.
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Season 22021
8.03K83h 47m
Having been approved by the adoption panel, Nikki and Jason now find that matching with a child is not as easy as they thought...
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Season 32022
8.22K83h 48m
Nikki and Jason wake up as new parents to two children they are still getting to know. Now they just have to keep hold of them, which proves to be trickier than they initially thought. Thrown straight into the parental deep end, Nikki and Jason’s relationships with each other and with their nearest and dearest are tested as they desperately try to navigate the ups and downs of parenting — while hanging onto their kids, and their sanity.
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Season 42024
7.82K83h 44m
We fast-forward six years to discover that Nikki and Jason are experienced adopters who have built a lovely little nuclear family, enriched by an extraordinary support network. However, as their teenage daughter, Princess, starts to yearn for a connection with her birth mother, Nikki and Jason find themselves confronted with the ultimate test of their parenting skills.
▶
Season 52026
7.987783h 48m
Nikki and Jason find themselves dealing with the consequences of Princess and Tyler's biological mother Kat turning up at their doorstep, and the whirlwind of chaos she brings into their settled family life.
Full Cast & Crew
Cast
Rafe Spall Jason Ross
Esther Smith Nikki Newman
Sian Brooke Karen Newman, Karen
Darren Boyd Scott, Scott Filbert
Oliver Chris Freddy
Phil Davis Victor Ross, Vic
Marian McLoughlin Jilly Newman, Jilly
Scarlett Rayner Princess
Cooper Turner Tyler
Roderick Smith John Newman, John
Crew
Andy Wolton
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