Motherland: in conversation with Tanya Moodie, Helen Serafinowicz and Holly Walsh

Join us as we meet some of the on and off-screen talent behind the new series of Motherland. 

The Nation’s favourite gang of Mums (and Dad) is back for a new series of Motherland on BBC Two. In this Q&A for WFTV members, we’ll hear from actress Tanya Moodie, co-creator and co-writer Helen Serafinowicz and co-writer and Executive Producer Holly Walsh, in conversation with film and TV journalist Ellen E Jones. The panel will discuss bringing to life the pitfalls of middle-class parenting and complicated politics of the school gates, plus how the characters grapple with major life changes including divorce, returning to work, health issues and caring for ageing parents.

Members can watch the first episode of Motherland, series three on Monday 10 May at 9pm on BBC Two.

Motherland is created by Sharon Horgan, Graham Linehan, Helen Serafinowicz and Holly Walsh. Series three is written by Holly Walsh (Dead Boss), Helen Serafinowicz (Motherland series one and two), and Barunka O'Shaughnessy (Lethal, Timewasters) and the Story Editor is Sharon Horgan. Executive Producers are Clelia Mountford, Sharon Horgan and Holly Walsh. The series was produced by Caroline Norris and directed by Simon Hynd. Motherland is a Merman Production with Twofour. The worldwide distributors are Lionsgate.

Helen Serafinowicz is a comedy writer, producer and mum. She is co-creator and co-writer of Motherland.

Tanya Moodie won the Royal Television Society’s Breakthrough Award for the role of Meg in the hit BBC comedy Motherland.

After graduating from RADA, Tanya secured her first television role in BBC comedy-fantasy show So Haunt Me. Following this, Tanya played the character Hunter in Neil Gaiman and Lenny Henry’s cult classic Neverwhere. Other TV roles include in BBC Television movie Archangel opposite Daniel Craig, Sherlock, Dicte, Amazon’s The Feed and The Majorca Files. She can currently be seen in Sky Original fantasy-drama, A Discovery of Witches and in Sky Atlantic drama Tin Star. Film roles include General Bellava Parnadee in Star Wars Ep IX- The Rise of Skywalker.

In theatre she is a two-time Olivier nominee for Outstanding Achievement In An Affiliate Theatre for her performances in Intimate Apparel and The House That Will Not Stand. Her several Best Actress nominations include What’s On Stage (for August Wilson's Fences opposite Lenny Henry), the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards, and the UK Theatre Awards.

Holly Walsh is an award-winning comedian and writer. As well as co-writing and Executive Producing the hit sitcom Motherland, produced by Merman for BBC Two, she is also the creator and writer of The Other One, which aired last summer on BBC One.

Holly’s stand-up credentials were established with her 2008 Best Newcomer win at the Chortle Awards and with an Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination three years later for her debut Fringe show, Hollycopter. The show also enjoyed a sell-out run at the Soho Theatre in 2012. Holly returned to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2014 where her sold-out show Never Had It was warmly received by audiences and critics alike. She then brought the show to London for a critically acclaimed run at The Soho Theatre.

Holly has featured on many of the top TV comedy shows including Live At The Apollo, QI, 8 Out of 10 Cats, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Would I Lie To You?, QI and Mock The Week, as well as hosting the Channel 4 series TNT alongside Jack Whitehall. She is often heard on radio and has appeared on shows such as Just a Minute, The Unbelievable Truth, The Now Show, The News Quiz and Charlie Brooker’s So Wrong It’s Right for Radio 4. As well as these appearances, Holly is much in demand as a writer for TV and radio and has written widely for both. 

On top of her TV and radio commitments, Holly’s live work remains a key element of her career and sees her perform at the best comedy clubs in the country. She was one of the founders of Popcorn Comedy and the Happy Mondays comedy night in London.

Ellen E Jones is a film and TV journalist. Formerly chief TV critic at The Independent and a columnist for the Evening Standard, she now writes mostly for The Guardian, Empire magazine and Radio Times and appears on BBC Radio4 and BBC One. She is the host of the Barbican ScreenTalks podcast and is currently writing a book on race in film and TV to be published by Faber in 2022.

Event Schedule:

17:55: Please join the webinar waiting room

18:00: Ellen to lead discussion

18:45: Attendee Q&A opens

19:00: Finish

How will the online event work?

This event will be live streamed via Zoom.us. Viewing details below.

Attending participants will not be visible to others and will be muted throughout the session. After the talk, there will be an opportunity for audience members to ask their questions to the panel by using the Q&A feature.

This event is for existing WFTV members only.

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