The BBC has ordered a full season of comedy Motherland, written by Catastrophe star and writer Sharon Horgan — who is also behind HBO series Divorce starring Sarah Jessica Parker — along with Graham Linehan, Helen Linehan and Holly Walsh.
The six-part half-hour series order for BBC Two comes after strong ratings for a half-hour pilot that starred Anna Maxwell Martin, Diane Morgan and Lucy Punch. Critics lauded the sometimes painful-to-watch, realistic portrayal of the trials of motherhood.
“Motherland is a show all about navigating the trials and traumas of motherhood, looking at the competitive and unromantic sides of parenting — not the cute and acceptable public face of motherhood,” the BBC said.
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Said Patrick Holland, channel editor for BBC Two: “How wonderful that Motherland is coming to BBC Two as a series. The pilot found a unique, confident voice that made for truly memorable comedy. It is savagely accurate writing, brilliantly brought to life.”
“I am thrilled and relieved to have finally found a good use for my 13 years of mothering,” said Horgan. “Apologies in advance to the brave women and men of the school run.”
Graham Linehan added: “I’m delighted to be working with such a gifted team. This is a world that seems to be brimming with comic possibilities and yet somehow under-explored, and I can’t think of better people, behind the cameras and in front of them, to be doing it with.”?
English-born Irish actress, writer, director and producer Horgan spoke at this summer’s Edinburgh Television Festival. “It’s the same. It’s just as hard,” she said when asked if having a critical hit like Catastrophe — which airs on Channel 4 in Britain while Amazon has it for the U.S. — has made it easier to sell show ideas. “People are nicer to me. I get more meetings.”
