Tom Chadwick (Chris OāDowd) and his sister Bea (Nina Conti) are left a box of things from their great aunt Victoria when she dies. Given to them by their father Keith (Michael McKean), the box contains a photograph which sets Tom off on a journey to learn more about his family tree. Accompanied by his friend Pete (Tom Bennett) Tom embarks on a surprising journey that takes him to America in search of answers about his family.
Family Tree is a comedy series from Christopher Guest and Jim Piddock. Airing on HBO in the US and BBC Two here in the UK, the show stars Chris OāDowd as the main character Tom Chadwick and is a mockumentary style show in the vein of Guestās previous work and family history shows such as Who Do You Think You Are? Featuring 8 episodes over the course of its first series, the show combines a series of running jokes with improvised dialogue from its cast.
Thereās something a little bit uneven about Family Tree. Whilst thereās no denying it has its funny moments, there are long stretches where we failed to even raise a smile which surely isnāt good for a comedy series. Thereās a bit of a feeling that the show thinks itās cleverer than it really is and itās certainly not up to the high standard weād expect from OāDowd or Guest.
One of the most bizarre aspects of the show is Tomās troubled sister Bea who uses a monkey hand-puppet to express her feelings. At first itās funny in a bizarre way but eventually it just feels completely odd. Especially the uncomfortable scene in the seasonās final episode where Bea is separated from monkey albeit briefly and goes a bit mental.
As always Chris OāDowd gives a reliable performance as Tom. Heās as charismatic and endearing as ever and one of the reasons we watched the show right to the end. Michael McKean is a scene-stealer as Tomās father who is addicted to British sitcoms (he puts on a superb British accent too). There are some good supporting roles for big name guest stars such as Fred Willard, Ed Begley Jr and Bob Balaban too.
Bonus features on the release include additional material from the show and a featurette Music From The Show.
Family Tree is watchable but itās simply not the show that it thinks it is. When it first aired in the US it got a mixed reception and itās received a similar reception here in the UK.Ā As we write this the showās future is hanging in the balance with no word of a renewal as of yet. We love Christopher Guest and we love Chris OāDowd but something about Family Tree simply doesnāt work.