Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard are to star in new comedy Breeders, created by Freeman alongside comedian Chris Addison and writer Simon Blackwell.

The 10-part series, which will be produced by Avalon Television and will air on Sky One, will expose the paradox of parenting that it is possible to love your child and be infuriated by them at the same time. Freeman stars as a caring father discovering he’s not quite the man he thought he was.

Martin Freeman said: “I’m excited to be making Breeders with a team that can make me laugh while we look at some of the less-discussed truths and challenges of being a parent. I really love this project and am delighted to be working with FX and Sky.”

Sky’s head of comedy, Jon Mountague, said: “Imagine a parent gazing lovingly into the eyes of their newborn – that’s how proud we at Sky are with Breeders. Brilliant scripts which see parenting through such an authentic and hilarious lens. Martin, Chris and Simon are an unstoppable comic force, but I can’t vouch for them as parents. Together they’re bringing the kind of premium quality comedy our customers have come to expect. We can’t wait to show the world our new baby.”

Breeders has been created by Academy Award®-nominee and double Emmy® Award-winner Simon Blackwell (Veep, Back, Peep Show), double Emmy® Award and Directors Guild of America-winner Chris Addison (Veep, The Thick of It, The Hustle) and Emmy and Bafta®-winning Martin Freeman (Sherlock - pictured – Black Panther, Captain America: Civil War, The Hobbit, Cargo)

The executive producers include Blackwell, Addison, Freeman and Michael Wiggs. Executive producers from Avalon Television (Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Catastrophe, The Russell Howard Hour) will be Richard Allen-Turner, Rob Aslett, Jon Thoday. The series was commissioned by Zai Bennett, director of programmes, and Jon Mountague, head of comedy, for Sky, with Josh Cole set to be the commissioning editor. Nick Grad and Eric Schrier, Presidents of Original Programming commissioned the series for FX Networks and FX Productions.

“I am very excited about making Breeders, to the point of being told to go to bed and stop showing off,” said Simon Blackwell.

Added Chris Addison, “It’s a treat to be cooking up stuff with my old comrade Simon Blackwell and the peerless Martin Freeman. We’re very excited that FX and Sky have agreed to finance what is effectively us working through some of our own issues in the form of ten half-hour sitcom episodes. Usually you have to pay for your own therapy.”

Breeders will air on Sky One and streaming service NOW TV in 2020.