Filming is underway on Daddy Issues, a brand new six-part comedy from the team behind White Gold and The Inbetweeners.
The show follows Gemma (Aimee Lou Wood), who lives for the weekend when she can party hard in Stockport, Greater Manchester. But after joining the mile high club with a random hook-up on her way back from a holiday to Portugal, she’s pregnant, and it couldn’t come at a worse time.
The only person Gemma has left in her life is her dad Malcolm (David Morrissey), who is kind hearted but useless – he can’t load a washing machine, boil an egg or change the Wi-Fi password. Malcolm is suffering from the collapse of his family and living in a bedsit for divorced men.
Which is how Gemma and her dad end up living in Gemma’s flat. She needs support at a critical time in a woman’s life, he needs help microwaving rice without it exploding.
At its heart Daddy Issues is a classic odd couple comedy about two funny, deeply flawed characters, who just happen to be father and daughter. Along the way there will be dating disasters and failed romances, toxic friendships and messy family dynamics, plus a dangerously sociopathic antenatal teacher.
The show is written by Danielle Ward (Brassic, In The Long Run) and stars Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education, Living) and David Morrissey (Sherwood, The Walking Dead).
Jon Petrie, director of comedy commissioning at the BBC said: “In Daddy Issues, Danielle has created a genuinely laugh out loud sitcom. We’re delighted to be working with her, and the Fudge Park team, on the show. Having Aimee and David cast as the co-leads was the cherry on the cake.”
Star Wood added: “It had been a very long time since a script had made me laugh out loud. Danielle’s did exactly that. Then when I heard David was involved, I was even more excited. He’s someone I have admired throughout my life. Watching shows like Blackpool and Red Riding when I was younger fuelled my interest in acting and so it feels surreal and amazing to be working with someone I class as a legend and inspiration.”
Full casting and scheduling will be announced in due course.
Daddy Issues (6 x 30) is a Fudge Park production for BBC Three and BBC iPlayer commissioned by Petrie. The directors are Catherine Morshead (The Full Monty, No Offence) and Damon Beesley (White Gold, The Inbetweeners 2). The producer is Lynn Roberts (Man Like Mobeen, I Hate You) and executive producer is Phil Gilbert (Count Abdulla, White Gold) for Fudge Park Productions, alongside Aimee Lou Wood, David Morrissey, Danielle Ward and Damon Beesley. The commissioner for the BBC is Seb Barwell. Fremantle is handling global sales.
