The Bad Mother's Handbook

The Bad Mother's Handbook
The Bad Mother's Handbook DVD Cover
Starring	Catherine Tate Anne Reid Holly Grainger Robert Pattinson
Theme music composer	Mark Russell
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Production
Running time	90 minutes
Release
Original network	ITV, STV, UTV
Original release	19 February 2007

The Bad Mother's Handbook was a one-off television drama based on the best-selling novel The Bad Mother's Handbook by Kate Long. It was broadcast on ITV on 19 February 2007, starring Catherine Tate, Anne Reid, Holly Grainger and Robert Pattinson. According to BARB, the show received strong viewing figures of 6.09 million.

The Bad Mother’s Handbook depicts the story of one year in the lives of three women. In this television adaptation of Kate Long’s best selling novel, Catherine Tate plays Karen, who is a frustrated woman in her thirties whose whole life and identity are shattered when she discovers a long-kept secret. Holly Grainger plays Karen’s clever and hormonal teenage daughter Charlotte, while Anne Reid appears as Karen’s mother, Nan, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Robert Pattinson is also a supporting character as lovable yet nerdy, Daniel Gale. The movie presents an insight into the life of motherhood and childhood, dwelling on the themes that no two mothers are alike, but that ultimately love is the most important thing of all. All of this talks about true events that sometimes happens in the world.

ABC was developing a pilot known as Bad Mother's Handbook to star Alicia Silverstone, Megan Mullally and Alia Shawkat, but it was not picked up.

The British version, starring Catherine Tate, was released on 24 August 2010.