Gregor Fisher and Greg McHugh on Only Child return and the joys of ageing

Indeed the stars of BBC One sitcom Only Child are no strangers to the role reversal and the potential emotional distress, confusion, and new boundaries that come with it.

Gregor Fisher and Greg McHugh portray the squabbling father-and-son duo Ken and Richard Pritchard who are navigating life’s everyday challenges in their own chaotic way.

In the second series of the six-part sitcom, Richard, played by McHugh, wants to isolate himself from everyone after his dream acting job in Norway falls through. But sadly for him, Ken, played by Fisher, has other plans, which mainly include forcing him to join the protest group fighting to save the local allotments.

Meanwhile, Ken has also grown even more defiant in his refusal to embrace modern life and technology.

Ahead of the release, Fisher and McHugh discuss the joys that come with ageing, and why Only Child has resonated with so many people cross- generationally.

How did viewers respond to the first series?

GREG MCHUGH: The first series response was incredibly strong. You never know what response you’re going to get. It’s a comedy. It’s really difficult to find a spot these days, with all the streaming services. But thankfully, we found a place in the public consciousness. One interesting comment I had was from a woman at a charity dinner, who worked in the housing sector with carers. It was quite nice to get some feedback about the other talking points the show had brought up. That was a nice surprise, but overall, the response has been warm, a real joy, a delight.

GREGOR FISHER: I got people at supermarkets saying, ‘You remind me of my dad, who’s a bit of a handful’. I think it got a good response, because a lot of people find themselves in the same situation. In my day, I think my parents slipped away in their 70s. But nowadays, people live for much longer.

How would you describe Ken and Richard’s relationship this time around?

GREGOR FISHER: It’s the same as the last time round. Two people have been forced to share their lives again, and sometimes that’s difficult, and sometimes the new doesn’t dovetail with the old. But that’s the whole point of the show, that’s what happens nowadays. A lot of my friends have been in similar situations. In fact, I’m about to have some youngsters at home as my children are coming to live with me. I’ve got one of them living with me now, albeit temporarily, but my daughter and son-in-law are pitching up because they’ve sold their flat, and so they’re coming to live with us. I think my daughter said, ‘Six months to a year, Dad, not too long’. Everybody will have to make concessions, and I think that’s what Richard does. The bottom line is, I think that they still care about each other, and dare we mention the ‘love’ word, but I think they probably love each other as well.

Why does their relationship work so well?

GREG MCHUGH: The reason their relationship works is because Bryce’s [Hart, screenwriter] writing is so fantastic. In terms of acting, it is like, ‘What do you bring to the party?’ So, there’s a party going on, and Bryce’s scripts are this brilliant party. One thing Gregor and I do bring is an openness with each other as actors, which I think does come across on screen, but their relationship is based on the writing. Gregor and I bring our personalities and our interpretations of the characters, and that’s what really works, but ultimately, the world Bryce has created is very well observed and relatable.

Has this comedy made you reflect on your own family dynamics?

GREG MCHUGH: Yeah, for me, definitely. I think it is interesting when you see that your parents are not only your parents anymore, but as people who need occasional help, and then vice versa. As we all still need, whether it’s advice or monetary support, from our own parents. I think I have acknowledged it a lot more, and also just how time is precious with your own family, with people getting older, you’ve got to stay with them and stay in touch and not just take them for granted.

How can we embrace the joys that come with ageing?

GREGOR FISHER: You can get really annoyed about going up or down stairs and things like that, things that you used to be able to tackle. I had a ladder incident the other day. There were a lot of leaves and sh** in the gutters. And I thought, I’ll just get up there and sort it. But I was told that I can’t do that. It’s only a bloody ladder. What do you think’s going to happen? Well, I was told that I could fall and hurt myself from the impact, and then I’ll cause my family a lot of trouble, because they’ll have to take me to the hospital. On one hand, you are loved beyond measure, and on the other hand, a bloody liability, which is a very strange place to find yourself.

Only Child returns to BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer on Monday, May 4, and to BBC One on Wednesday, May 6.