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T2 WHATS UP! March 21 - 27, 2021 BY KYLA BREWER TV Media I n the early days of televi- sion, TV dads always seemed to know just what to do. They would calmly dole out wit and wisdom on shows such as "Leave It to Beaver," "Father Knows Best" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show." However, today's TV fathers may not always know best, and one show is follow- ing a dad who's admittedly far from perfect. Emmy winner Martin Free- man ("Fargo") reprises his role as Paul Worsley, a father of two who struggles to keep it together as his kids endlessly push his buttons, in Season 2 of the dark comedy "Breed- ers," premiering Monday, March 22, on FX. A co-produc- tion of FX Productions, Ava- lon Television and Sky Origi- nal Productions, the series also stars Daisy Haggard ("Back to Life") as Paul's wife, Ally. Martin is not only one of the stars of the series, he is also one of the show's creators. The actor claims he had been inspired to create the show af- ter having a dream about yell- ing at his children. He ex- plained the premise in an in- terview with Variety when the first season of "Breeders" pre- miered in March 2020. "It doesn't tip over into be- ing actually traumatic, but it should ring bells as far as the things that don't make you proud as a parent — the things that you don't even necessari- ly bring up at dinner parties," Freeman said. "We decided to bring it up on TV instead." Chris Addison ("Mock of the Week") and Simon Black- well ("Veep") are also credited as co-creators of the series, and Blackwell serves as the showrunner. The series has of- ficially been in the works since March 2018, though it was originally attached to FX and BBC. By October of that year, Sky had replaced BBC, and "Breeders" received a 10-episode order. According to the official FX website, the show is about "the parental paradox that you'd happily die for your chil- dren but quite often also want to kill them." In the first sea- son, Paul and Ally dealt with the very real pressures of modern-day parenting while trying to stay connected ro- mantically, work full time and maintain their sanity, which, as just about any parent can attest, is no small feat. At the time, their son, Luke (George Wakeman, "The Secret Life of Brothers and Sisters"), was just 7 years old and their daughter, Ava (Jayda Eyles, "A Confession"), was 4. Although Paul and Ally were past the constant sleepless nights and endless diapering phase of parenting, there were still plenty of challenges in raising their youngsters. However, as they will likely learn in Season 2 of "Breed- ers," parenting older children doesn't necessarily mean things get any easier. The show, which was renewed for a second season in May 2020, features a time jump as the family fast-forwards a few Alex Eastwood, Martin Freeman, Daisy Haggard and Eve Prenelle in "Breeders" continued on page T10 TV FEATURE 5 x 5 Family matters Your subscription includes full access to the digital replica with all of its great extra features! INTERACTIVE PUZZLES! Available on the digital replica. Subscribe today and receive an iPad with your subscription*. *iPad must be returned within 30 days of termination of account. Call 479-684-5509 or go to nwaonline.com/nwaipad