The Baby is a quirky dark comedy about a woman landed with a baby that has deadly powers. After launching on HBO in the US earlier this year, this eight-part series arrives on Sly Atlantic in the UK and stars comedian and The Duchess star Michelle De Swarte. She plays Natasha, a woman who unexpectedly finds herself with a baby she doesn’t want. Her new bundle of joy may look cute but it has deadly powers that soon turn Natasha’s life into a surreal horror show and force her to experience parenting at its most challenging.
So here's everything you need to know about The Baby...
The Baby release date
The Baby is an 8-part series that starts on Sky Atlantic in the UK on Thursday July 7 2022. It will also be available to stream as a box set on NOW in the UK. In the US, this comedy horror drama was shown weekly on HBO from April 24 2022.
Is there a trailer for The Baby?
Yes there's a trailer for The Baby. It looks great! You can watch what happens below...
The Baby plot
The Baby follows Natasha (Michelle De Swarte), a 38 year-old, single, chef who feels furious that her closest friends are suddenly all having babies. But then one day, one literally lands in her arms. However, despite its cuteness, this child is definitely not one she wants to nurture as it turns out to be controlling, manipulative and, worst still, deadly. As Natasha learns the full extent of the Baby’s powers, she makes increasingly desperate attempts to get rid of it. But while she may not want a baby, the baby most definitely wants her. So how far will Natasha have to go to get her life back?
"There are a lot of twists and turns," reveals Michelle. "You're rooting for Natasha but, then when you see some of the consequences of rooting for her, you're like, 'I've changed my mind!'"
The Baby cast — Michelle De Swarte on playing Natasha
The Baby's mum Natasha is played by comedian Michelle De Swarte, who says: "It's a dark comedy horror about motherhood and about being a sibling and friend an how complicated those things can be. I was with a baby in every scene, which was a joy. I don't want to do anything else now without a baby strapped to me! This is only my second acting job, so I really didn't know any different. so maybe with the next job I'll think it really easy!
"Other more seasoned actors looked at me and said acting with the babies would probably do me the world of good. Twins Albie and Arthur were playing the baby. They're lovely and I still see them now after filming. It's their second birthday soon. I didn't think I'd see them again after filming but then two months later you're like, 'How are they doing?'
"We had an almost fully female team on the show, which was nice!"
Michelle De Swarte previously starred in The Duchess on Netflix, alongside Katherine Ryan. She was also in the TV series Free Speech and has appeared on Comedy Lab and I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! NOW!.
Speaking to WTW Michelle explains how she came to play Natasha: "I got the role by chance. During the third lockdown I was doing stand-up corporate gigs over Zoom — a gig over Zoom is as awful as it sounds! Luckily, one of them was watched by the casting director’s husband and she [Aisha Bywaters] happened to be sat in on it.
"When I read the script I was like - I have to get this role. Natasha ticked so many boxes for me, because they were asking for a mixed race woman, late 30s, with a West Indian dad and a white mum, from London, didn’t have any kids, and a certain way of speaking. I felt I could do the character justice. Natasha is the kind of character you really have to sink your teeth into — she's complex."
Who else is starring in The Baby?
The Baby also stars Amira Ghazalla as Mrs Eaves, a 70-year-old woman who lives out of her car and mysteriously appears whenever 'The Baby' is close by. Amira has had roles in The Honourable Woman, Holby City, No Offence and Hatton Garden. Amber Grappy, star of the TV series Wrecked, plays Natasha’s younger sister Bobbi, who is desperate for a baby herself. Also look out for former Bad Education, Hollyoaks and EastEnders star Charlie Wernham as a police officer.
Other stars among the cast include Shvorne Marks (Endeavour and Breeders) and Isy Suttie (Peep Show and Man Down) as Natasha’s friends Mags and Rita, and Sinéad Cusack (Marcella, MotherFatherSon and upcoming TV thriller North Sea Connection) as her estranged mum Barbara. Former Emmerdale and Happy Valley star Karl Davis plays Jack, while Divian Ldawa is Fooze.
Hinting at the importance of Amira's role of Mrs Eaves, Natasha teases: "Natasha and Miss Eaves are a complicated double-act. They’re two people that have been pulled together and have a really hard time accepting that they need each other!"
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