Series synopsis
Motherland is a British sci-fi & fantasy drama action & adventure television series that premiered on BBC Two on November 7, 2017. It ended on June 7, 2021. It was created by Sharon Horgan, Graham Linehan, Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz. It stars Anna Maxwell Martin, Diane Morgan, Paul Ready and Lucy Punch.
Set in an alternate America where witches ended their persecution over 300 years ago by cutting a deal with the government to fight for their country, the series follows three young women from basic training in combat magic into early deployment.
Premise
Set in an alternate America where witches ended their persecution over 300 years ago by cutting a deal with the government to fight for their country, the series follows three young women from basic training in combat magic into early deployment.
Premise: Born witches. Made warriors.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Anna Maxwell Martin as Julia
- Diane Morgan as Liz
- Paul Ready as Kevin
- Lucy Punch as Amanda
- Phillipa Dunne as Anne
- Oliver Chris as Paul
- Ellie Haddington as Marion
- Tanya Moodie as Meg
Supporting cast
- Himesh Patel as Mr. Glencuddy
- Michael Abubakar as Leon
- Michael Ballard as Policeman
- Patrick Regis as Bus Driver
- Corinne Skinner-Carter as Meg's Mum
- Melanie Wilder as Sam
- Jackie Clune as Mrs. Lamb
- Anthony Stewart Head as Bill
- Margaret Cabourn-Smith as Mrs. Banbury Hughes
- Nick Nevern as Lee
- Robbie Gee as Garry
- Terry Mynott as Johnny
Guest cast
- Himesh Patel as Mr. Glencuddy
- Michael Abubakar as Leon
- Michael Ballard as Policeman
- Patrick Regis as Bus Driver
- Corinne Skinner-Carter as Meg's Mum
- Melanie Wilder as Sam
- Jackie Clune as Mrs. Lamb
- Anthony Stewart Head as Bill
- Margaret Cabourn-Smith as Mrs. Banbury Hughes
- Nick Nevern as Lee
- Robbie Gee as Garry
- Terry Mynott as Johnny
Episodes
This series spans 4 seasons with 20 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 3 | September 6, 2016 | December 23, 2022 |
| Season 1 | 6 | November 7, 2017 | May 20, 2020 |
| Season 2 | 6 | October 7, 2019 | August 24, 2021 |
| Season 3 | 5 | May 10, 2021 | August 23, 2022 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Pilot Julia struggles without her mother's help as she tries to juggle work and parenting. She attempts to get in with the alpha moms, but instead finds herself trapped in a world of chaos. |
September 6, 2016 |
| 2 |
Christmas Special It's the mother of all Christmases as the gang attend Amanda's festive soirée (dress code: tinsel & tiaras), and nothing says Christmas like 'Evil Santa', Anne's Christmas cocktails, and a ban on dark drinks indoors. |
December 23, 2020 |
| 3 |
Last Christmas The mums (and Kevin) host the ultimate blended celebrations, but the big day takes a shocking turn at Julia’s. |
December 23, 2022 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Birthday Party Julia throws a birthday party for Ivy, but with her mom refusing to help, Julia must rely on Liz and Kevin's party skills along with her own event-organizing savvy to make it a success. |
November 7, 2017 |
| 2 |
Auction of Promises Julia gets involved in a school fundraiser, where she hopes to impress a former colleague. Kevin has a battle with the cloakroom, and despite Anne's protests, Liz takes care of the bar. |
November 14, 2017 |
| 3 |
The Pool Party A pool party ruins Julia's plans right before an important event at work. Liz looks for a date, and Kevin gets annoyed by a new dad on the scene, who goes way back with Amanda. |
November 21, 2017 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
No Mum Left Behind A new mum at the school gates attracts the attention of Julia, Liz and Kevin. Does high-flyer Meg really have it all? Meanwhile, Julia agonises over a promotion and the gang have a night out. |
October 7, 2019 |
| 2 |
Soft Opening Julia reluctantly agrees to help Amanda launch her new shop. But a careless online post threatens to destroy her good work. |
October 14, 2019 |
| 3 |
Mother's Load Julia finds that working from home is impossible due to all the other tasks loaded upon her. Liz finds herself at a loose end when her youngest starts nursery. |
October 21, 2019 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Nit Blitz As a nit pandemic sweeps the school, Julia stands accused of triggering a second wave, so she throws a nit treatment party that brings all the drama (and headlice) to her door. |
May 10, 2021 |
| 2 |
Catchment Area The mums (and dad) join the merry go round of secondary school open days as they face the choice of where to send their kids at 11. Julia panics about which catchment area she lives in and even considers a fake religious conversion to beat the system. As Kevin’s divorce progresses, Liz helps him navigate the shark pool of lawyers and makes a worrying discovery about her own situation along the way. Meanwhile, queen bee Amanda struggles with playing second fiddle to Meg’s illness. |
May 17, 2021 |
| 3 |
Mother's Day Mother’s Day leaves Julia feeling ignored while Meg gets spoilt rotten. Amanda endures a passive aggressive lunch with her appalling mother Felicity, played by Joanna Lumley. |
May 24, 2021 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC Two |
|---|---|
| First aired | November 7, 2017 |
| Last aired | June 7, 2021 |
| Runtime | 29 minutes |
| Status | canceled |
| Schedule | Monday at 22:00:00 |