My Family

Middle-aged parents grumpy dentist father Ben and control-freak mother Susan who is a terrible cook. Their three children: eldest son Nick who is an idiotic lay-about always between jobs and scams; daughter Janey who is fashion-money-boy obsessed who eventually gets pregnant and young geek Michael who always up to schemes against his parents wishes. Later joining the family is dumb-blonde cousin Abi who steals the show with her with clumsiness and dimwittedness, Ben’s co-worker Roger who is stupid and gullible and struggling musician Alfie.

This is a very funny sitcom, it did come under criticism for an American style of humor. However this does target a similar audience as Friends, which was very popular when this show started. So if you love Friends, you’ll love this.

Series 1 - Serves a great introduction to the dysfunctional family. The standout episode is “Farewell to Alarms” where they buy a burglar alarm that won’t stop going off.

Series 2 - Continues the antics of the main characters with even more laughs, such as Nick’s ever changing jobs. The standout moments include Ben hiding in the house while Janey has a party, Ben and Nick in hotel room together and Nick getting whiplash after a motorcycle stunt.

Series 3 - With Janey gone to university, Abi has moved in and breathes new life into already funny sitcom. Standout moments include Ben and Susan role playing as stranger, smoking cannabis to teach Michael a lesson, Nick moving into a flat and Abi’s introduction.

Series 4 – Janey is absent however gives birth to baby Kenzo off-screen. The standout moments include the Halloween special “Friday the 31^st”, flashbacks of Susan giving birth to Nick, holiday in Spain and Abi singing Get This Part Started when she thinks no one is watching.

Series 5- Nick is gone and Janey is back, despite feeling weird buy this change the series does manage retain its humour. Nick does come back for 1 episode “My Will Be Done” working at a funeral place while Ben makes his. Other standout moments include Susan hiring a cleaner and gets jealous of her and Abi learns long words for a job at the library.

Series 6 - Must’ve suffered behind the scenes, 2 year gap between series 5, Nick leaving the show and only has 7 episodes and Ben is absent for 2. It’s still funny but there is no real standout episode, however the love story involving Abi and Roger is cute and funny and ends with a hilarious proposal.

Series 7 - Is a huge improvement over 6, with more standout moments involving the revelation of Kenzo’s father, the family going on The Weakest Link, Ben and Susan renewing their vowels and Roger and Abi get married.

I stopped watching the show further because series 8 was not funny and Abi was wasted and then written out ruining the love story with Roger, also Michael became almost a series of different characters going from geek to rebel to ladies man to gay? The last episode “Life Begins at Fifty” of series 7 while not the final episode, it is for me though while not perfect but the last scene does all the main characters (except Nick of course) together having a toast.

Forget the complete DVD boxset, buy the Series 1 -7 boxset. It is however missing the Christmas specials that have plot revelation so I recommend you buy this boxset with the “Four Christmas Specials” DVD. For continuity the episode “Ding Dong Merrily” takes place after series 3, “Sixty Feet Under” takes place after series 4, “Glad Tidings We Bring” and “And I’ll Cry If I Want To” both take place after series 5.