Baby Fever review: two seasons of this Danish comedy/drama

Baby Fever (Skruk) is a serious comedy about a woman doctor in a fertility clinic. It’s a 30 minute show with 2 seasons now on Netflix. The comedy is light and the drama is ongoing because the doctor is a mess in her personal life. She’s a great doctor, but whew, does she screw things up.

Nana (Josephine Park) works with a colorful cast of characters in the fertility clinic. Her best friend Simone (Olivia Joof Lewerissa) is the receptionist. Her boss Helle (Charlotte Munck) is a bit on the flaky side. The co-workers provide a lot of the comedy. Nana provides the drama.

There were various people seeking fertility treatments over the two seasons. They added some spice. There were single women, gay couples, married folks, surrogates, geriatric hopefuls and more.

If you’ve watched the trailer you’ve seen several spoilers. I’ll mention a few spoilers but leave a lot for you to see for yourself. The big one, the thing that starts everything in motion, is Nana learns that she doesn’t have many eggs left. Her chances to have a baby will end in mere months.

Nana runs into her ex Mathias (Simon Sears). She still wants him, but he’s moved on. She learns he just made a deposit in the sperm bank connected to her fertility clinic. Simone and Nana get super drunk, Nana steals a tube of Mathias’ sperm, and inseminates herself.

One, that’s illegal. Two, that’s morally wrong. Three, that’s stupid. This is Nana – a very flawed heroine.

Simone gets blamed for failing to lock up the sperm bank and Nana says nothing. She learns she’s pregnant and lets some random guy she banged once think he’s the father. Like I said, flawed.

And then there’s Nana’s mother, Lise Lacour (Tammi Øst). She’s a famous singer, but a mostly absent mother. Nana doesn’t know her father. That becomes part of the drama in season 2.

Part of Nana’s problem is she still loves Mathias. Will she ever tell him about the baby? What about his current girlfriend? Will her criminal behavior in stealing from the sperm bank be discovered and get her sent to jail? If she keeps the baby, can she be a better mother than her own inadequate mother was?

To her credit, and thank goodness, Nana does slowly, painfully, and fearfully grow into a better person. I was rooting for her all the way. Her progress came in fits and starts that kept the series moving and interesting. She broke the fourth wall by casting worried glances into the camera lens after her biggest goof ups. That helped to keep me on her side despite her various mistakes.

Amalie Næsby Fick and Nikolaj Feifer created and directed this Netflix series. A third season hasn’t been announced. I suspect Netflix is waiting to see how the first two seasons are received. This reviewer received them with pleasure and hopes for more.