Babies creator breaks down the BBC drama – and explains why it was important to have humour in the story of pregnancy loss

This article contains mention of pregnancy loss and miscarriage that some readers may find distressing.

After writing two hit comedies, Him & Her and Mum, and the 2022 drama Marriage, Stefan Golaszewski is back with his new series, Babies.

The six-part BBC drama stars Paapa Essiedu and Siobhán Cullen as a married couple, Stephen and Lisa, who experience multiple pregnancy losses and miscarriages while trying for a baby.

Speaking with us exclusively for our video interview series The Radio Times Writers' Room, in which we get to know what makes screenwriters tick, Golaszewski broke down his starting point for the series, teeing it up for viewers.

Golaszweski said: "Babies is a love story about a couple going through pregnancy loss. It's not autobiographical, but I have been through some of the issues in the show, and as such, I was very much aware of a hole that could be filled in the conversation about these things, and of the positivity that could be gained by ripping the plaster off and revealing the wound.

"And that positivity being for the people going through it, who might feel very alone, and also so that people have an understanding, and when someone says to them that they've had a miscarriage or whatever, that hopefully the show would give them some understanding of what that actually means, because it gets medicalised, as opposed to treated as grief.

"So that was kind of the impetus, really."

When asked to describe the "hole" in the conversation which he referenced, Golaszweski added: "I think it's just not something people talk about. I mean, probably because it's not very nice to talk about.

"But what that creates is a feeling that you shouldn't talk about it. And what that creates is kind of a stigma or a loneliness. So, I think it's quite useful to remove some of that, if we can."

It was then noted to Golaszweski that the series is not entirely filled with grief and sadness, but also includes lighter moments and humour, something he agreed with.

"It's a love story, and it's a kind of coming of age as well, I think, for the couple and for the character of Dave," Golaszweski said, referencing Stephen's best friend Dave, played by Jack Bannon.

"I think it's really important to tell that story with hope and with comfort and warmth, because if you are going through something like that, the last thing you need is more misery."

He continued: "And I think if you're going to take the audience on a journey, you want them to feel comfortable in that journey.

"Especially if you're being beamed into people's living rooms, which is kind of the centre of a person's home, and they're putting on the telly in the evening, usually, to feel something, or they're just sat on their phones in bed or on the bus or whatever, you're entering someone's private moment there.

"And they're doing you a massive privilege by choosing your show to watch, by giving you their time. It's an enormous privilege to be given that time by people. I think you have to do everything you can to give them not just a lovely experience, but a kind of comfort and a sense of togetherness in that."

During his chat for The Radio Times Writers' Room, Golaszweski also spoke about his work on his other three series, and outlined some of his ways of working and of thinking about his projects.

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Babies will air on Monday 30 March at 9pm on BBC One, and is available to watch in full on iPlayer now. Stefan Golaszewski's full interview for The Radio Times Writers' Room will be available to watch soon.

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