Motherland (TV series)

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This article is about the British sitcom. For the Freeform drama series, see Motherland: Fort Salem.

Motherland
Written bySharon Horgan
Helen Serafinowicz
Graham Linehan
Holly Walsh
Barunka O’Shaughnessy
Directed byJuliet May
Graham Linehan (1 episode)[1]
StarringAnna Maxwell Martin
Lucy Punch
Diane Morgan
Paul Ready
Phillipa Dunne
Tanya Moodie
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3 + 1 pilot[2]
No. of episodes19
Production
Running time26–28 minutes
Production companiesDelightful Industries (Series 1–2)
Twofour (Series 3–)
Merman
DistributorLionsgate UK[3]
Release
Original networkBBC Two
BBC iPlayer
Picture format16:9 1080i
Audio formatStereo
Original release6 September 2016 (2016-09-06) –
present (present)
External links
Motherland

Motherland is a British television sitcom set in London, which examines the trials and traumas of middle-class motherhood.[4] It stars Anna Maxwell Martin as Julia, Diane Morgan as Liz, Paul Ready as Kevin and Lucy Punch as Amanda, amongst a range of supporting characters.

A pilot episode, written by Graham Linehan, Sharon Horgan, Helen Serafinowicz and Holly Walsh was first broadcast on BBC Two on 6 September 2016 as part of its "Sitcom Season".[5][4][6] The BBC subsequently ordered a full series of six episodes,[2] the first of which aired on 7 November 2017.[7] The second series was released in its entirety on BBC iPlayer on 7 October 2019. The third season began transmission on BBC2 on 10 May 2021 with all five episodes being released on BBC iPlayer the same day.[8] In the United States, the show is broadcast on Sundance TV.

Synopsis[]

When her mother decides to stop taking care of her children, middle-class Julia Johnson is forced to begin to pay attention to her children’s schooling and the concept of middle-class motherhood. Julia later becomes friends with other parents, working-class Liz and stay-at-home dad Kevin and finds herself in a world of "Alpha mums" including the superficially polite but acerbic leader, Amanda. The children do not feature prominently in the series, generally having non-speaking roles, and their names are only occasionally mentioned.

Cast and characters[]

  = Main cast
  = Recurring cast
  = Guest cast
Character Portrayed by Character Notes Series
1 2 3
Julia Johnston Anna Maxwell Martin The lead character who realises that her organisational skills are nowhere near the level of the "Alpha Mums". She has two children: Ivy and James, and is married to Paul Main
Liz Diane Morgan A chaotic and blunt-talking single mother who is unpopular with Amanda's clique and is part of the trio alongside Kevin and Julia Main
Kevin Brady Paul Ready A stay-at-home dad who unsuccessfully tries to ingratiate himself with Amanda's circle Main
Amanda Lucy Punch The superficially polite but acerbic leader of the "Alpha Mums" Main
Anne Phillipa Dunne A timid Irish mum with several children who seems to be perpetually pregnant. She is initially one of Amanda's friends, but grows closer to the trio as the series progresses Main
Meg Tanya Moodie The busy working mum with a remarkable capacity for partying who Julia is jealous of, she is diagnosed with cancer in the third series before later getting the all clear Main
Recurring
Paul Johnson Oliver Chris Julia’s uninvolved husband and the father of her two children. Paul only appears on the phone to Julia with the exception of the final episode of series three Recurring
Mrs Lamb Jackie Clune The school receptionist, she is moody and blunt towards many of the parents Recurring
Marion Ellie Haddington Julia's mother, who is no longer prepared to provide a free child minding service Recurring
Ivy Johnson Connie Wilkins Julia and Paul’s 9-year-old daughter. She usually appears in a non-speaking role Recurring
Lee Nick Nevern Liz’s ex and father of her children Recurring
Johnny Terry Mynott Amanda’s husband, whom she later separates from Guest Recurring
Sam Tom Meeten Liz’s new farmer boyfriend whom she meets when camping with the group Guest Recurring
Garry Robbie Gee Julia’s builder who she develops a crush on and flirts with awkwardly Recurring
Guest
Andrew Peter Singh Julia’s boss who is sometimes understanding of her situation before retracting himself Guest
Elizabeth Penny Ryder Paul’s mother, who arrives with her husband Geoff with the intention of "helping" Julia out with the children. She appears once again in the Christmas special Guest Guest
Geoff David Calder Paul’s father, who arrives with his wife Elizbeth with the intention of "helping" Julia out with the children. He appears once again in the Christmas special Guest Guest
Bill Anthony Head Meg’s husband Guest
Felicity Joanna Lumley Amanda’s mum who has a similarly acerbic personality Guest
Ms Vaughn Natalie Cassidy A teaching assistant who comes on a school trip to Fishbourne Roman Palace. She is dim-witted and constantly being sick. Guest
Ashley Martha Howe-Douglas The mother of a boy in the same year group as the other parents'. She also comes on the school trip. Guest

Production[]

Development[]

The show was originally a 2011 pilot on the American network ABC. However, comedian and writer Sharon Horgan reworked the script when the pilot wasn't picked up for a full season and collaborated with Graham Linehan on turning it into a British sitcom instead. Following its pilot on BBC, it was picked up for a full series in October 2016.

Filming[]

The show was primarily filmed in Acton and Chiswick in West London.[9] Scenes of the school where the children attend are filmed at Southfield Primary School in Bedford Park, London.

Episodes[]

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
Pilot9 June 2016 (2016-06-09)
167 November 2017 (2017-11-07)12 December 2017 (2017-12-12)
267 October 2019 (2019-10-07)11 November 2019 (2019-11-11)
Christmas special23 December 2020 (2020-12-23)
3510 May 2021 (2021-05-10)

Pilot (2016)[]

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
0"Pilot"Graham LinehanGraham Linehan, Sharon Horgan, Helen Serafinowicz & Holly Walsh6 September 2016 (2016-09-06)1.74[10][11]
Meet the alpha mums, headed by Amanda, very much the queen bee. Everything is organised, clean and sparkly; even the kitchen cork board is a statement of success. At the other end of the spectrum, is Liz, who is chaotic and feels children should enjoy free expression: if they want to do kamikaze jumps off the sofa, she drags a mattress round for safety. Somewhere between Amanda and Liz is Julia, she is organised and she has to be as she is a successful events organiser, but when her mother Marion decides she is no longer going to be the free child-sitter and school-run taxi, Julia finds her organisation skills are taxed and nowhere near the level of the alpha mums. Also in the mix is Kevin, who is the stay-at-home dad, who, rather than fighting against that, is embracing it with gusto much to the irritation of the mums.

Series 1 (2017)[]

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"The Birthday Party"Juliet MayGraham Linehan, Sharon Horgan, Helen Serafinowicz & Holly Walsh7 November 2017 (2017-11-07)3.2[10]
Julia is an anxious middle-class mother who lives in suburban London. Despite being an events planner, she finds organising her life difficult. She raises her daughter and son with little help from her estranged husband. She is encouraged by her lazy, irresponsible friend Liz to throw a party for her daughter Ivy's ninth birthday at home in order to gain party invitations for her daughter, giving her free childcare in the future. Julia wants her mother to help organise the party, but she refuses to. Julia asks her estranged husband to help, but he is attending a football match. Julia assumes that the party will be a drop-off, so she is horrified when the mothers stay at her house for the party, making it crowded and meaning that there is insufficient food and drink for the large number of attendees. One of the children's mothers is Amanda, a narcissist who patronisingly insults Julia. Ivy is ill and stays in bed upstairs as the party takes place downstairs. Julia has hired the "Animal Man" as the entertainer: however, he arrives late, and the only animals he brings are cats – yet he expects a tip.
2"Auction of Promises"Juliet MayGraham Linehan, Sharon Horgan, Helen Serafinowicz & Holly Walsh14 November 2017 (2017-11-14)2.3[10]
Julia meets a former colleague, Caroline, outside the gates of her children's primary school. She does not remember Julia. However, Julia is keen to impress her, so Julia becomes involved in a school fundraiser which Caroline is organising, despite Julia hating such things. Kevin becomes a "human cloakroom", wearing several coats simultaneously, causing him to become uncomfortably hot. Liz puts a great deal of alcohol in the punch.
3"The Pool Party"Juliet MayGraham Linehan, Sharon Horgan, Helen Serafinowicz & Holly Walsh22 November 2017 (2017-11-22)1.89[10]
Julia plans to be at work for a war photographer's book launch, but turns up late with wet hair due to having attended a children's pool party. One of the fathers at the party had once asked Amanda out and she rejected him. She thinks that he will want her now, but he has forgotten about her. A man to whom Liz is attracted accidentally leaves his wallet in a newsagents. She picks it up and arranges to meet him and return it to him, expecting he will want to date her. She is disappointed when, after she returns it to him, he instead rides off on his motorcycle.
4"The Cavalry"Juliet MayGraham Linehan, Sharon Horgan, Helen Serafinowicz & Holly Walsh28 November 2017 (2017-11-28)1.61[10]
Paul is away on a stag do, so he sends his parents, Geoff and Elizabeth, to assist Julia. She does not want them, because their senility and deafness means that they are a burden rather than a help. Kevin tells Julia that he likes elderly people and will help her deal with them. Julia, her children, Geoff, Elizabeth and Kevin dine at a fish restaurant, where a misunderstanding leads Julia to pay for a large group's meals as well as their own. Elizabeth says that she and Geoff are moving back to London, which Julia is horrified by. Amanda is donating some of her clothes to a cancer charity; Liz buys one of her coats.
5"The After Party"Juliet MayGraham Linehan, Sharon Horgan, Helen Serafinowicz & Holly Walsh5 December 2017 (2017-12-05)N/A
Anne drives a people carrier which she is using for a carpool, which Julia unsuccessfully tries to join. Liz is angry with Lee, the father of her child, for cohabiting with Debbie-Louise, only 3 weeks after she believes he started his relationship with her. Liz is puzzled at how he and Debbie-Louise manage to keep his house so clean and tidy. Liz wants to meet her. Amanda tells Kevin that once a month, she has sex with a soldier, Bobby, who is based at Aldershot Garrison, because her husband Johnny enjoys watching her have sex with another man. An argument at a party between Liz, Julia, Anne and Amanda is ended abruptly by Kevin telling them that Amanda is having threesomes with a soldier.
6"The Caretaker"Juliet MayGraham Linehan, Sharon Horgan, Helen Serafinowicz & Holly Walsh12 December 2017 (2017-12-12)N/A
Julia hires Lyndsey (Sarah Kendall), a well-organised Australian nanny, apparently solving her child care problems. Unfortunately, she doesn't like her. Meanwhile, Amanda is keeping a low profile following Kevin's revelation.

Series 2 (2019)[]

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [12]UK viewers
(millions)
71"No Mum Left Behind"Juliet MaySharon Horgan, Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz & Barunka O'Shaughnessy7 October 2019 (2019-10-07)2.00
As a new school year begins, a new mum at the school gates attracts the attention of Julia, Liz and Kevin. Amanda has all the gossip and tells them Meg is a high-flying businesswoman with five children and a sexy silver-fox husband. Meanwhile, Julia is struggling to keep her head above water at work when she is offered the choice of promotion or redundancy. When Meg invites the gang for drinks, they go along against Julia’s better judgement and the evening takes a surprising turn, leading Julia to make a big decision.
82"Soft Opening"Juliet MaySharon Horgan, Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz & Barunka O'Shaughnessy14 October 2019 (2019-10-14)1.48
Having resigned from her job in PR, Julia tries to adapt to life as a freelancer and reluctantly agrees to help Amanda launch her new shop even though she believes it is nothing but a vanity project. The soft opening is a success but a careless online post threatens to destroy her good work. Meanwhile, Liz rails against the gentrification of the area and the loss of her beloved kebab shop and Kevin reveals he has written a Brexit-themed children’s book, which he wants Amanda to sell in her shop.
93"Mother's Load"Juliet MaySharon Horgan, Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz & Barunka O'Shaughnessy21 October 2019 (2019-10-21)1.60
Julia finds that working from home is impossible due to all the tasks she has to do for her family. Meg tells her this is her 'mother’s load': all the things that no one else will do but that need to be done to keep the home running. Julia removes herself to the cafe to work but even there finds that it is not that easy to get her work done. A possible solution presents itself when she shares a table with a fellow freelancer, but is Julia taking advantage of him?
104"The Purge"Juliet MaySharon Horgan, Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz & Barunka O'Shaughnessy28 October 2019 (2019-10-28)1.69
Kevin reluctantly agrees to host a last-minute Halloween party despite that he’s had no time to prepare. Meanwhile at the school gates the mums are impressed that actor Lee Mead has moved into the area. As this is Julia’s favourite programme she is determined to meet him and decides to take all the children trick or treating hoping that they will find his house. Liz tags along as she has been stood up by a date and Anne is in attendance trying to make sure that the children are safe. However by the time they reach Kevin’s one of the children is missing, Amanda’s little boy Manus. Despite that the happy teatime trick or treat atmosphere has now turned violent and terrifying Liz, Kevin and Julia must venture back out into the streets to search for him through terrifying hordes of teenage zombies and mutant nuns.
115"Le Weekend"Juliet MaySharon Horgan, Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz & Barunka O'Shaughnessy4 November 2019 (2019-11-04)N/A
The gang are delighted when Kevin books a holiday cottage for them and their children for half term. But it is not as nice as the pictures online, and Kevin seems to have miscalculated the number of bedrooms. When it transpires that Julia has failed to bring any booze, the atmosphere takes a turn for the worse. All hopes rest on Kevin’s plan to cook an event meal by roasting a whole pig in a pit he has dug in the garden. As the long night wears on, tempers begin to fray. Meanwhile, Liz catches the eye of a handsome shepherd.
126"Good Job"Juliet MaySharon Horgan, Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz & Barunka O'Shaughnessy11 November 2019 (2019-11-11)N/A
Julia struggles to abide by the rules and clashes with Mrs Lamb as she attends her first ever school sports day. Apparently it's no longer acceptable to cheer for individual children, and you can only offer generic support like 'good job'. Over at the Kidiverse soft play centre, Kevin is devastated that an important work presentation means he will miss the dads' race. Liz worries that her new boyfriend is ignoring her. Anne discovers something that leads to a nasty surprise for Amanda.

Christmas special (2020)[]

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
13"Christmas Special"Simon HyndSharon Horgan, Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz & Barunka O'Shaughnessy23 December 2020 (2020-12-23)3.01[13]
In Motherland, Christmas comes but once a year, and thank God for that, because it’s time for Amanda’s annual festive soiree (dress code: tinsel and tiaras). Nothing says Christmas like evil Santa, a 30-foot Christmas tree, Anne’s Christmas cocktails and very strict rules about where you can and can’t drink mulled wine. Only Meg has an official party invite, but Julia, Kevin and Liz tag along as her plus-threes. They struggle to fit in with the Alpha crowd, but for Julia, it’s still a welcome distraction from playing festive butler to a house full of in-laws. Meanwhile, Liz is trying to ignore Christmas altogether, whilst Kevin is single-handedly stuffing, wrapping, roasting, parboiling, laying up, washing up and decorating himself into an early grave.

Series 3 (2021)[]

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [14]UK viewers
(millions)
141"Nit Blitz"Simon HyndHolly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz & Barunka O'Shaughnessy10 May 2021 (2021-05-10)2.87
As a nit pandemic sweeps the school, Julia finds herself accused of triggering a second wave. Ostracised by the other mums, Julia needs to find a way back into their good books, so she throws a nit treatment party that brings everyone’s drama (and headlice) into her home. The party reveals that Anne has some big news, Meg is facing a crisis and Kevin has committed a terrible crime of passion. As Amanda super-spreads the gossip, Liz waits for news about a career move – will she beat that 17-year-old to a job in the local shoe shop?
152"Catchment Area"Simon HyndHolly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz & Barunka O'Shaughnessy10 May 2021 (2021-05-10)1.89[15]
The mums (and dad) join the merry go round of secondary school open days as they face the choice of where to send their kids at 11. Julia panics about which catchment area she lives in and even considers a fake religious conversion to beat the system. As Kevin’s divorce progresses, Liz helps him navigate the shark pool of lawyers and makes a worrying discovery about her own situation along the way. Meanwhile, queen bee Amanda struggles with playing second fiddle to Meg’s illness.
163"Mother's Day"Simon HyndHolly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz & Barunka O'Shaughnessy10 May 2021 (2021-05-10)3.11[16]
Mother’s Day leaves Julia feeling ignored while Meg gets spoilt rotten. Amanda endures a passive aggressive lunch with her appalling mother Felicity (Joanna Lumley).
174"School Trip"Simon HyndHolly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz & Barunka O'Shaughnessy10 May 2021 (2021-05-10)N/A
It’s time for the year 6 school trip and Julia, Liz and Meg find themselves on the coach journey from hell with humourless school secretary Mrs Lamb and clueless teaching assistant Ms Vaughn (Natalie Cassidy). It all kicks off when a boy banned for bad behaviour is allowed on the coach along with his mother Ashley (Martha Howe-Douglas) and Liz decides to play the hero. Meanwhile, Kevin takes his driving test and Amanda pivots her lifestyle brand Hygge Tygge online. She manages to persuade Kevin to help pack up the shop with unimaginable consequences.
185"Amanda’s FUNraiser"Simon HyndHolly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz & Barunka O'Shaughnessy10 May 2021 (2021-05-10)N/A

Amanda’s PTA charity FUNraiser is doubling up as her birthday celebration meaning everyone is dragged into a big event.

Mixing sponsored cycling with Anne’s lethal cocktails, results in a night of high drama and big revelations. Julia is ready to call time on her marriage to Paul and run off with builder Garry (Robbie Gee), despite his obvious lack of interest in her. Paul laughs about it and forgives her. Liz is thrown by the arrival of her farmer boyfriend. Meg rides high on her cancer all clear. Kevin’s attempts to clear the air with Amanda just make everything worse when their conversation is overheard, and a put upon Anne finally stands up for herself.

Reception[]

The first series was released to favourable reviews and holds an approval rating of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 22 reviews with critics. The websites critical consensus reads "Motherland pulls no punches, creating an honest and hilarious portrayal of parenthood buoyed by brilliant performances from its seasoned cast -- though for some viewers it may hit a little too close to home".[17] The second series later received a score of 83% based on 12 reviews, with the Christmas special following on with a score of 100% based on 8 reviews. The third series later received five out of five stars by Radio Times and was released to positive reviews.[8]

References[]

  1. ^ "Motherland (TV Series 2016– ) – IMDb". Retrieved 17 November 2020 – via www.imdb.com.
  2. ^ a b Martinson, Jane (6 October 2016). "BBC's Motherland to return as full series". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  3. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (21 March 2019). "'Motherland': Lionsgate UK Re-Ups For World Sales Rights To Second Season Of Sharon Horgan-BBC Sitcom". Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Sitcom Season: Motherland". BBC Media Centre. 17 August 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Motherland". BBC. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Motherland". BBC Writers Room. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  7. ^ Wilson, Benji (7 November 2017). "Motherland reaches similar comedy heights to Fawlty Towers". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  8. ^ a b Morris, Lauren (7 May 2021). "Motherland season 3 review". Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  9. ^ "TV Show On 'Yummy Mummys' Filmed in Chiswick". www.chiswickw4.com. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d e "Weekly top 30 programmes – BARB". www.barb.co.uk.
  11. ^ Dowell, Ben. "BBC orders a full series of middle-class mum sitcom Motherland". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  12. ^ "Motherland – Listings". Next Episode. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Most viewed programmes | BARB".
  14. ^ "Motherland". bbc. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  15. ^ "7-Day Ratings: 17-23 May 2021". tvzoneuk. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  16. ^ "7-Day Ratings: 24-30 May 2021". tvzoneuk. 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  17. ^ "Motherland: Series 1 (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 13 May 2021.

External links[]

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