Breeders: Season 1

"The credits for Breeders (Sky One) say “based on an original idea by Martin Freeman”, but I’m buggered if I know what it is."

"“Breeders” doesn’t necessarily need to find more fascinating things to say about parenting in order to work, but it would be more interesting, at least, to watch it try."

"The death of a family pet, among other events, leads to an offbeat but earnest meditation on grief (and the bizarre forms it can take), making it clear that the writers are much more adept at exploring darkness with candor and a splash of whimsy than introducing hollow edge to the parenting sitcom."

"Technically a comedy, but it hits so many pressure points so hard in such rapid succession that if you do laugh it will be through some quite considerable anxiety and pain. I mean that as a compliment."

"By Episodes 4 and 5, the selectively hidden parts of not just Paul and Ally’s relationship but their past individual histories do float to the surface. The question is if audiences will stick around long enough for those breadcrumbs to guide their way out of the cold."

"In each of the episodes screened for this review, we see that even when the relationship is tested, a strong foundation of love remains. Each episode feels like a slice of life, complete with laughs, tears, sarcasm, and life’s mundane chores and routines."

"It’s not easy for good people to raise good people. As “Breeders” has it, child-rearing is a process filled with failure and frustration and joy and humor, and it often leads to moments of great self-understanding."

"Haggard and Freeman’s lightning-strike chemistry fuels their supersonic banter and warm, softer exchanges."