Wanting a child and not being able to have one is rarely the starting point for a comedy. Trying, a British series from 2020, makes it exactly that, following an ordinary couple, Nikki and Jason, as they turn to adoption and discover how much of their messy lives will be put under a microscope.
What is Trying about?
Nikki and Jason have one wish above all others, and it is the one thing that has not happened for them: a baby. When they accept that it will not come the way they hoped, they decide to adopt. That choice opens a new and nerve-racking chapter, because adoption means being assessed. A panel will have to decide whether these two are ready to be parents, and the evidence is not all flattering. Their friends are a dysfunctional bunch, their families are eccentric and loud, and their own day-to-day lives are far from tidy. Each half-hour episode follows the couple as they try to present the best version of themselves while everyone around them keeps getting in the way.
About the cast
Rafe Spall and Esther Smith head the cast, with Imelda Staunton, Ophelia Lovibond and Oliver Chris also among the credited performers. The series depends on an ensemble: a central pair surrounded by relatives, friends and officials who each add their own complication. Andy Wolton is the credited name behind the camera in the catalogue listing.
Context & significance
British comedy has a long habit of finding humour in awkwardness and in people who mean well but say the wrong thing, and Trying sits comfortably in that tradition. Its subject, however, is a tender one. Infertility and adoption are handled as real parts of the characters' lives, while the jokes come from the surrounding chaos of friends and family. Episodes are short, around thirty minutes each, which makes the series easy to watch in a single sitting or one episode at a time. The tone is warm rather than cynical, so it suits viewers who like relationship comedies about ordinary people facing a large decision.
Watching Trying on Ktime
Trying is on K-Time with a Persian dub and Persian subtitles, so you can pick whichever suits your household. K-Time is designed for the Iranian diaspora, with a Farsi interface from start to finish. This page is free to read; to play the episodes, log in to your K-Time account.