We loved the pilot, now there's a series : Motherland

[Optimist1]

Remember Anna Maxwell-Martin playing the heroine who's trying to negotiate her way through motherhood, school gate cliques etc? Diane Morgan playing her plucky new friend, and SAHD Paul Ready? Written by Graham and Helen Linehan, Sharon Horgan and Holly Walsh?

The pilot is being shown again on BBC2 on Monday at 10:00pm with the series to start next week, according to Radio Times.

Anne was really irritating in the pilot but much better this time round. I liked her a lot.

I really felt for her in the car pool/mum friend episode.

This is shit. Tragic

I love this show

I find it uncomfortably close to RL - particularly the absent husband who always plays lip service to 'being right behind her'

I don't have children, so I'm not quite the target audience, but I've been really enjoying this. I agree that the pilot was a bit better than the first episode of the full series, but I think it was all quite strong. To me, though, it's completely obvious that you're supposed to think Julia is pretty terrible - you're definitely supposed to be in her mum's side, not her's! For me a dislikeable central character isn't a bad thing, and indeed is present in some of my favourite TV programmes (eg Breaking Bad). I'm always surprised by how many people have a 'likeable' main character as a prerequisite of enjoying TV, films or books, but I can see that if that is a necessity for you you won't enjoy Motherland.

Enjoying it now. Didn't expect Anna MM to be as funny, she usually plays such intense roles, but she is really good. And the human cloakroom was hilarious!

It’s the Bridget Jones school of motherhood - oh look I keep falling into pot plants.

Why do female characters always have to be so caricaturistically (non word) crap?

I quite enjoyed Outnumbered, but the parents were irritatingly wet.

Watched all the eps somehow on Sky. It’s brilliant.

Why do female characters always have to be so caricaturistically (non word) crap?

Because a sitcom where the main character did everything entirely efficiently and correctly would be as boring as watching paint dry? I also can't think of many male comedy characters who are universally competent. Motherland has plenty of female characters who are much more competent than Julia - that's sort of the point!

It’s very unimaginative to think the only alternative is efficiency.

Just as it’s very unimaginative to think that they only comedy can come from crapness.

Well I'm sorry I don't share your tremendous imagination. Have you considered writing your own comedy scripts as you find everything available not up to your standards?

Sadly crapness just is funny to human beings always has been look at the earliest comedies.

A sensible up together mother going about her day just isn't particularly funny. When you're with friends telling stories of amusing crapness is more fun than recounting a dull uneventful parents evening or something. My forgetting to collect my own dd and 3 others from guides is quite amusing. My collecting 4 girls from guides...isn't.

Shakespeare is some our earliest comedy. Some of his comedy features crapness but that’s only part of a massive range. Clearly I’m not expecting sitcom writers to be Shakespeare, but it gives an idea of the possibilities.

And there’s different ways of being crap. Comedy often revolves around things going wrong - but that’s not the same as being incompetent to start with.

I think some people watching it are finding it uncomfortable viewing - maybe taking it too seriously and not for the massive piss-take that it is.

I don’t find it uncomfortable just rather tiresome.

It's not uncomfortable at all, just tedious and unfunny.

All the posters moaning about it remind me a LOT of Alistair Campbell being made to watch The Thick Of It and snarling "No, it's not that it's too close to home, it's JUST NOT FUNNY".

It is funny. New fan here.

Whisky

I watched 6 episodes back to back and laughed out loud several times. My toes also curled up several times. There were also several moments of excellence, particularly Anne.

I have t watched a sitcom for literally years, but I will watch this series.

I must lack an imagination then as well as kids cause I think it's an absolute hoot! The blonde queen bee type is deliciously vile isn't she, I'm enjoying hating her enormously.

All in all it's a bit like Mumsnet come to life

Ive watched the pilot and first two episodes so far. Enjoying it because it makes me feel like I have my shit together when the rest of the time I most certainly don't feel like that!

I don't find Mrs Brown's Boys funny either. Must be because i find it "too close to home."