“You can’t over emphasise how unusual it is to find actors of their age to do those things”: The cast and creatives of Breeders discuss Season Three

Season three of Breeders is the latest instalment in this contemporary comedy series exploring modern parenting. This time, the show follows the family of four as they navigate their path into the teen years. The prevailing dark humour is awash with tender moments of fragility, love and full-scale frustration as the ever-changing story unfolds.

Ahead of the release, The Upcoming had the pleasure of hearing from the cast and creatives, Daisy Haggard (Ally), Martin Freeman (Paul) – who also serves as executive producer – Sally Philips (Gabby) and writers and series creators Simon Blackwell and Chris Addison at the exclusive Q&A screening at the Curzon, Soho.

Talking us through the loose infrastructure of the series, Addison explains: “You’re always trying to move towards something interesting. In season one Luke falls ill with meningitis. Then we had this punch scene in season two, but the only structure the three of us thought about was imagining it as three seasons that were all five years apart.” adding, “It was a very different experience putting together this season than the other two because with those we were moving towards a ‘thing’ and everything had to build up to that, but with this one we were moving away from it. It was like finding and figuring it out as we went along.”

He also talked about the setup: “We put a lot of effort into figuring out each scene – whether the camera would be static or handheld, a steady-cam, depending on the mood and energy we wanted to put into that scene. It’s a mixture of styles, which suits the show as it is a sit-com but it’s very dramatic and dark, so we mixed the way we captured it.”

With regards to the storyline, in this season we see Luke (Alex Eastwood) punch his Dad at the end of season two and then use his anxiety to push Paul away from staying in the family home. That arc, Blackwell explains, “came from the writing, because previously he’d been staying away with Alex and Leah because he couldn’t be in the house with Paul.”

Freeman expands, “It was a logical conclusion of where we’d left off. It’s nice to see Paul somewhere else; it was helpful to play because being in a different physical space sparks something else. It’s such a clever idea that Simon put in. It’s very funny and very true that he wants to genuinely be back with his family but also he quite likes sitting at home drinking whiskey in his socks. Those two things are both true at the same time.”

Haggard then talked about her role in this series and new aspects to her character: “She’s really struggling in this series. She’s be great if she had more time and brain capacity, but she’s human so she lets thing slip. She’s also run out of her HRT!” before stating it’s not like having another set of kids other than her own because “they’re more grown-up than me. It’s like having new parents!”.

Addison then tells us that the team of writers were predominately female in the writers’ room, “talking about experience they or their friends have had.” She points out, “Ally is feeling at the end of her womanhood, whilst Eve is at the beginning. We were putting their relationship under strain for this season.”

Sally Phillips tells us about joining as a newcomer in this season: “It didn’t feel like a challenge, it felt like bliss because the writing is so fantastic. There’s so much hidden in the lines; it avoids clichés. It’s joyous playing Gabby because, at every stage, you’re avoiding an easy path. It’s not always obvious what happens… you can see them both deciding if it’s ok or not. He says he’s lonely so she invites him to lunch, but it’s with someone else so it’s ok. Then it’s a ‘work’ lunch and then a bad film.” Freeman understands the delicate balance of this emerging friendship, musing, “Someone slightly turns his head and shines a light on him, and he’s happy to shine it back. It’s ambiguous what sort of light it is, probably naively kidding himself that it’s not a big deal – she makes me laugh, yes she makes me feel complete!”.

Explaining the casting and performance of the two younger actors, who play their children, Luke (Alex Eastwood) and Ava (Eve Prenelle), Addison says: “They’re two very excellent actors who don’t need anything other than the direction you’d give to a mildly to fully competent adult! They’re great. Luke and Paul’s story, last time, felt like there was loads of drama for Alex to play, which we could really explore in this season, and also Ava and what she’s going through.” Also talking us through the two scenes where “it’s Ava holding up the emotional centre of a scene, which is such a big ask. One of them she’s not even acting against anybody, she’s just talking to a camera. And when Luke is in the art gallery with his dad, that conversation he has on the phone, it’s so nuanced what those kids are doing. You can’t over emphasise how unusual it is to find actors of their age to do those things”.

Ezelle Alblas

Breeders: Season Three is released on Sky Comedy on 13^th July 2022.

Watch the trailer for Breeders: Season Three here: