'Absolute masterpiece': Babies viewers say you need to watch this 'amazing' BBC series with 100% Rotten Tomatoes score
"The best thing I've seen in years"
Babies is one of the best BBC dramas of the year – and, if you loved it, there’s another series with a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score you should check out.
Stefan Golaszewski’s work isn’t for everyone. For example, he made Marriage, a cringeworthy, deeply awkward, and uncomfortable (and, arguably, brilliant) drama starring Nicola Walker and Sean Bean.
Babies is his latest show, and it tackles a tough topic: pregnancy loss, via the story of Lisa (Siobhán Cullen) and Stephen (Paapa Essiedu), a couple who want nothing more than to have a baby.
Some have said it’s “brilliant”, while others think it’s “boring”. However, if you’re in the former camp, there’s another series you should watch.
Babies fans need to watch Mum
Mum, a comedy-drama also created by Stefan Golaszewski, is available to stream in its entirety on iPlayer. There are three seasons and a total of 18 episodes, each running around 30 minutes long.
It follows Cathy (Lesley Manville, famous for roles in Cranford, The Crown, and Phantom Thread), a recently widowed mother who tries to navigate life in the wake of her husband’s death.
The show also stars Peter Mullan (I Swear, Trainspotting) as Michael, a friend of Cathy’s late husband.
Compared to Babies, which is largely a rather sad, emotionally taxing drama, Mum is a sitcom that still represents Golaszewski’s comedic sensibilities. That isn’t to say it never gets emotional – because it does – but it is a lighter counterpart to Babies, and it’s not as much of an endurance test.
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Who else is in the cast?
- Sam Swainsbury as Jason Walker, Cathy’s son
- Lisa McGrillis as Kelly, Jason’s girlfriend
- Ross Boatman as Derek Evans, Cathy’s brother
- Dorothy Atkinson as Pauline, Derek’s partner
- Karl Johnson as Reg Walker, Cathy’s father-in-law
- Marlene Sidaway as Maureen Walker, Cathy’s mother-in-law
- Tanya Franks as Carol, Kelly’s mum
- Seline Hizli as Debbie, Kelly’s cousin
- Aaron Heffernan as Ryan, Debbie’s boyfriend
- Daniela Denby-Ashe as Claire
Is Mum worth watching?
Absolutely. Not only does Mum have a perfect 100% score for all three seasons on Rotten Tomatoes, but it’s been widely recommended by viewers after Babies’ release.
In response to a thread asking for shows like Babies, one Redditor wrote: “I love Mum – it’s an absolute masterpiece.”
“I’m obsessed with Stefan Golaszewski too and I’ve watched Mum a scary amount of times,” another wrote. “Mum is one of my favourite British TV shows,” a third commented.
In another thread, one viewer also wrote: “[It] was the highlight of the TV the other year, possibly the best thing I’d seen in years [and this is why UK tv is the best in the world, imo.] Did I cry? Yes I did.”
Don’t just take their (or our) word for it, either. The Guardian awarded it five stars, praising it for “having something beautiful to say about love and loss” as well as being funny.
In another rave review, Radio Times warned that it’s “observational comedy at its most painful”. In other words, prepare to cringe.
Read more: Babies cast includes Tom Hardy’s movie star wife and Harry Potter’s new Severus Snape
