Daddy Issues on BBC3 and BBCiPlayer is an odd-couple comedy series about a pregnant young woman with no one to rely on but her useless father.
Made by the team behind White Gold and The Inbetweeners and written by Brassic’s Danielle Ward, the six-parter stars Sex Education’s Aimee Lou Wood as Gemma, a woman who falls pregnant after a meaningless hook-up and has nobody to turn to except her father Malcolm (Sherwood’s David Morrissey), a kindly man with zero life skills.
"It had been a very long time since a script had made me laugh out loud. Danielle’s did exactly that,” says Aimee Lou Wood. “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."
David Morrissey adds: "I’m delighted to have worked with Aimee Lou Wood as she's someone I've admired for a while now. She’s a truly unique and gifted talent. Danielle has crafted such a funny and heartfelt piece and I’m so excited to be part of it,”
Here’s everything you need to know about Daddy Issues on BBC3 and BBCiPlayer...
Daddy Issues release date
Daddy Issues airs on BBC Three from Thursday, August 15 at 9pm, and the whole season will be available to stream on BBCiPlayer.
How to watch Daddy Issues online: stream comedy from anywhere
Daddy Issues plot
In Daddy Issues, Gemma (Aimee Lou Wood) is a carefree, party-lover from Stockport, near Manchester, who becomes pregnant after joining the mile-high club with a random hook-up on her flight home from Portugal.
The news couldn’t have come at a worse time and Gemma has no one to turn to other than her dad Malcolm (David Morrissey), a man who can’t even boil an egg or load a washing machine. Malcolm moves in with Gemma at a time when they are both in desperate need of support but, along the way, they face dating disasters, failed romances, a psychotic antenatal teacher, family politics and toxic friendships.
Daddy Issues cast — Aimee Lou Wood as Gemma
Pregnant Gemma is played by Aimee Lou Wood. For Aimee, one of the key draws of starring as pregnant Gemma in Daddy Issues was having David Morrissey play her dad, Malcolm.
"I’ve loved David since I was a kid in everything he’s done," enthuses the Bafta-winning 29-year-old. "This part is so silly and he went beyond anything I could have ever expected. We had great chats and I hope he’s in my life forever."
And Aimee was equally captivated by the sweet bond that develops between Gemma and Malcolm as the series progresses.
"Gemma’s independent and finds it hard to let people in and to accept help" she shares. "But she learns how to be vulnerable and open up. At the beginning, she and Malcolm feel like strangers but they start to see each other as humans and love each other through it all."
Aimee Lou Wood is best known for her role as lovable Aimee Gibbs in the smash hit Netflix series Sex Education. She’s also starred in Living, Alice and Jack, On The Edge and The Electrical Life of Louis Wain.
David Morrissey on playing Malcolm
Gemma's father Malcolm is played by David Morrissey who says. “I adore him! He's a man-child and downtrodden and has lost his way and has to play catch-up. But he doesn't have the manual that everybody else has to operate in the world. He is behind the curve. And he blames other people, particularly his ex- wife Davina (played by Susan Lynch), for where he is. I don't think he's got a mean bone in his body though."
Daddy Issues star David Morrissey on whether there will be a second season of the comedy
* David Morrissey had a long and hugely successful career, with roles in hit dramas such as Sherwood, The Long Shadow, Britannia, The Singapore Grip and The Walking Dead. He’s also starred in Doctor Who, Robin Hood, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Basic Instinct 2, Poirot, South Riding and The Missing.
Who else is starring in Daddy Issues?
The remaining cast of Daddy Issues includes Susan Lynch (Sex Education) as Malcolm's ex-wife Davina, plus Tom Stourton (Stath Lets Flats), Susannah Fielding (This Time with Alan Partridge), Lauren O'Rourke (Henpocalypse), Cyril Nri (The Bill), Cora Kirk (Your Christmas Or Mine, Grantchester), Perry Fitzgerald (Line of Duty), Claire Keelan (The Trip), Damien Molony (Brassic), Sherrie Hewson (Corrie, Benidorm), Humphrey Ker (Welcome to Wrexham) and David Reed (Ghosts).
Is there a trailer for Daddy Issues?
Yes! In the trailer you can see Gemma trying to come to terms with becoming a mum, while Malcom turns out to be no use whatsoever! Take a look below.
Behind the scenes and more on Daddy Issues
Daddy Issues is a six-part series written by Danielle Ward (Brassic, In The Long Run) and is a Fudge Park production for BBC Three and BBC iPlayer. It was commissioned by the BBC's Jon Petrie (see below).
The directors of Daddy Issues 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 produced by 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.
Jon Petrie, who is Director of Comedy Commissioning at the BBC, says: “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.”
