Avalon Developing Martin Freeman Comedy ‘Breeders’ For BBC & FX

Martin Freeman is heading back to the small screen. The Sherlock and Fargo star has created and is starring in parenting comedy Breeders, which is being piloted by the BBC and FX. I hear Last Week Tonight with John Oliver producer Avalon Television is producing.

I understand that the show mines the comedy of parenting and is in the same ballpark as Catastrophe, which Avalon also produces for Channel 4 and Amazon. Harry Potter star Michael Gambon and Daisy Haggard, who starred in Showtime’s Episodes, are also set to star. Veep writer Simon Blackwell, who recently created Channel 4 and Sundance’s David Mitchell and Robert Webb pub comedy Back, is writing with The Inbetweeners director Ben Palmer is directing.

A pilot for the show was recently filmed in London and I gather that both broadcasters are deciding whether to proceed to a full order. If commissioned, it would be the latest co-production between the two networks, which last teamed for Tom Hardy drama Taboo.

Freeman, who recently starred in Marvel’s smash hit superhero movie Black Panther, told Jocks and Nerds magazine that the idea is based on a dream he had. “It was sort of true, true about the way I feel about something. So, I’m getting together with a very good writer and a very good director and we’re hammering that out at the moment.”

Freeman is also set to star in Sony’s Jason Winer-directed comedy Ode To Joy later this year.