My Family (2000–2011) User Reviews

a wild and crazy family

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 23 August 2013]

Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wanamaker star as the parents of Kris Marshall, Daniela Denby-Ashe, and Gabriel Thomson in "My Family," a very successful British television series that lasted 11 years.

Unfortunately only the first few seasons are available on disk thus far, but it is a very funny and lively series. Lindsay and Wanamaker are terrific pros as the head of the Harper household. The beleaguered Ben Harper is a dentist and iffy housewife Susan, who definitely can't cook, is a tour guide. Nick (Marshall) has a new job every episode. I think the funniest episode was when Susan's boss stayed overnight and the next morning, Nick tried to take some bacon and Susan told him it was for their house guest. Then Ben finds Susan's boss dead. When he announces it, Nick asks, "Can I have his bacon?" Michael (Thomson) grows up on the show, and when the disks stop, he is developing an interesting life as a chick magnet and a wheeler dealer. Janey is in college, and the situation is not without problems.

Kris Marshall is still in the show when the disks leave off, but I can imagine it was rough going without him. He added so much humor to the show. The writers must have had a blast with that outrageous character.

Highly recommended. Not every episode is spectacular, but it's still a wonderful and well-acted series.

not awful

[kclambeth · 6/10 · 3 May 2007]

When my family first started it was fresh, funny and had good story lines. The characters were Ben a dentist, his wife Susan, his eldest son Nick, daughter Janey and son Michael. The interaction with the family members was strong, Nick had us all laughing with his cheeky grin and crazy schemes, Susan was the overprotective mother and Ben hated everybody.

Early episodes were well written and funny but when Nick and Janey left it went downhill. Michael was really funny but didn't get a lot to do and Ben and Susan just became extreme versions of their former selves, there was no funny friction anymore between Ben, Nick and Janey because they had gone and instead we were given a new character; the totally pointless and dull Abi who was just a idiotic copy of Phoebe from 'Friends.

With the arrival of Abi, it seemed Susan and Ben became more boring, story lines became predictable and samey and then came Roger, Ben's colleague at the dentist's and he was just pointless too, just like Abi; dumb and uninteresting.

A sitcom also needs heart and watching Ben never showing emotion to his kids, never feeling worried or proud of them is annoying, he didn't even show it to susan. i didn't think he should be slushy but one episode where he wasn't a complete grumpy dad would have made his character that bit more three dimensional.

A show that miraculously became part of the British psyche.

[GiraffeDoor · 6/10 · 25 March 2019]

I have fond memories of this as a kid, but looking back I can see what a thin show it really is.

I think it was one of many shows riding the wave the Simpsons created, with its dysfunctional family only they took it a little further and made an unapologetically broken family unit.

A lot of the dynamics and scenarios are very cliche. Wives who want their husband's to do more than watch TV, disparaging elder sisters mocking their nerdy brothers. Daughter doing what she can to get money from her dad, dad constantly lamenting his existence and his career choice.

I'm all for dark humour but it's actually pretty relentless and there are precious few times when they put on just a little schmaltz. Goodness knows they've earned it. It's not like the desperateness of life is even a focus, it's all played for laughs and it frequently gets pretty depressing.

I think the presence of two amazing, veteran actors is a big part of the show's longevity. Robert Lindsay's choleric Curmudgeon has a deliciously relateable edge. Zoe Wanamaker is perfect as the wannabe madame Harper.

There was something reliable in an episode of my family. Low brow Hijinks a plenty done with a certain professionalism. Even if most of the gags took a predictable route.

Ultimately, it's a show with characters better than its script.

My Family, great slapstick humor.

[paul_bedward · 10/10 · 24 October 2012]

A great British sit com series that has evolved with the aging of its stars. The series is based on traditional British slapstick humor revolving around the relationship of family members and their close friends and work colleague's. Basically great humor that can be watched as repeats and still enjoyed by the wider family group. One thing to note is how some of the cast members, including family members just suddenly disappear. Nick the eldest son is one of the key characters in the early episodes and plays a brilliant character who drives his father Ben quite insane with his poorly thought out schemes. Nick suddenly disappears as the series progress and unfortunately it is a loss that affects the program as a whole.

So many negative reviews about 'middle class' blah

[peetee-24566 · 10/10 · 20 February 2021]

I absolutely love this series, I own the whole box set! Okay, I admit that the series went a bit downhill after Nick left, but still! I rewatch it over and over. What's there to hate? I love British comedy and this is just so enjoyable to watch.

Great comedy!

[supertom-3 · 20 July 2004]

My Family is a great comedy. It's rare these days that a sitcom can stand the test of time but this has lasted 4 years all ready ad is still as funny as it was to start with, and it was funny to start with which is also important. It's very exaggerated but very much based in real life and everyone can see trademarks of their own families in the Harpers.

The characters are excellent and well portrayed. Firstly there's the mother played by Zoe Wannamaker, who as Jonathan Ross once said, has a strange kind of sexiness. She's the woman with the mad hair and a kind of Witch like, everything in the pot, attitude to cooking, with each episode having her come up with new disgusting recipes like Roast Chicken with chocolate topping. Then there's Ben Harper the father but not head of the household it must be said. Played superbly by another comedic veteran, Robert Lindsey. His sarcastic and biting delivery to everything is hilarious and the banter between him and Wannamaker is the centre piece of the show. Also superb is Kris Marshall as the eldest son Nick, the gormless, unemployable idiot who is the bane of his father's existence. Marshall plays him superbly and generally Nick has had some of the best scenes in the whole of the run. The most recent series was unfortunate as Marshall has reduced his role to an occasional cameo because essentially he is becoming too old to play the part. Marshall is 31 and Nick is only in his early 20's. Marshall can pass for that because I thought he was Nick's age but also at some point it is inevitable someone aspiring to be a respected actor would not want to become to related to a certain part and become typecast. Gabriel Thompson is also very good as the youngest Harper, the geeky Michael who throughout the series has grown into a sort of amoral shady businessmen, taking friends and family for mugs and making money off them. Daniella Denby Ashe plays the daughter and like Marshall is now an extended cameo. She's the bitchy, spoilt little IT girl who wants things for nothing and is now a mother herself. The newest family member is Abby played excellently by Siobhan Hayes who is another gormless idiot.

This is one of the finest examples of recent British sitcom and certainly relatable worldwide. Excellent stuff!

A Delightful uneven show!

[Sylviastel · 7/10 · 3 October 2005]

I like My Family. NJN started showing it in the place of "Last of the Summer Wine" or what I like to call "British version of Desperate Housewives." I much prefer them to anything on television. In fact, I love British comedies and I only saw My Family briefly on a British Airways flight 2 years ago so now I have it at least once a week. I love Zoe Wanamaker C.B.E. and Tony winning Robert Lindsay although the children actors have to compete with such talent. It's nice to see a British family for a change. On British shows, children are often never shown. I loved the premiere pilot with the bunny rabbit and would gladly give it a home. I thought it was cute that Zoe and Lindsary were talking to him like a member of the family. I look forward to more episodes of this show. BBC should do more to create comedies. I always prefer the Brits to the American comedies any day.

amazing classic 2000s British comedy

[ilovemovies2016 · 9/10 · 15 June 2018]

I have been watching this show for years its an amazing witty comedy for all the family love the all the characters the Harper family are lovable and get them self in all kinds of situations ever episode is great never dulls down not once

Just above average, as it is funny, but does not avoid caricatures and easy laughs

[miaalike · 6/10 · 4 May 2022]

Some episodes are one of a kind, others are just routine. As is their perpetual position on the fail side, in what most of the things required from a family are concerned. It is sharp, mean, fun, but it almost entirely lacks a soul, nuances, or depth in the humour.

The value went up in line with more sitcoms lowering the bar into sheer nonsense or boredom. If the expectations are right and you don't get fooled by the hyped self importance of the series, it can be quite enjoyable, in a detached, more like cynical way.

My family is hilarious

[melissaclough-15598 · 10/10 · 17 May 2020]

There are not many sit coms that can make me laugh to the point im in tears but this is genuinely funny. The son Nick has to be my favorite he drives his father completely up the wall. He is funny he makes the whole show what it is. I love all the characters. I always watch this if im having a bad day and it never fails to cheer me up. I recommend this to anyone who needs a laugh. There is one thing that is sad as the series goes on Nick leaves and it does affect the show but its still good to watch.

Fine Comedy Series

[RECB3 · 6/10 · 27 December 2023]

This is a great series for all viewers to watch. There are some parts throughout the series that are not great and could have been better but it is alright. The crew could have adjusted the series a bit better. The cast selection was alright. They committed to the storyline. The chemistry between the cast members throughout the series was strong.

This series reveals to viewers the aspects and reality that life can have if people are willing to get it. There are other people out there who have made the decision to not get it. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to get any of the aspects of life. I am restricted on getting them by everyone who is in my life. This is an alright series for everyone to watch.

Britains favourite family

[studioAT · 9/10 · 15 January 2011]

My Family is the most popular British sitcom of the last decade with millions ignoring the snide remarks and put downs from critics and enjoying the misadventures of the Harper Family.

Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wannamaker carry the show with ease and are supported by and large with great writing. Daniella Denby Ashe and Gabriel Thomson also deserve credit having been a part of the show since it began.

Not every episode is a classic and some of the newer characters brought in like Roger and Alfie have had limited success.

The show although still has its moments but has never really recovered from the departure of Kris Marshall as Nick. The idiot son stole the show in the first few years and I think if fans of the show had a wish it would be for him to return to the family nest.

Avoid this show!

[matthewwoods-1 · 1/10 · 19 January 2009]

This so called "comedy" demonstrates how far the British sit-com has fallen in recent years (with a few notable exceptions). The jokes are all very obvious and predictable, with punchlines telegraphed well before they are delivered. My girlfriend enjoys this, but I'm afraid I've not yet been able to sit through an entire episode, try as I might. Being from Australia, I'm not really familiar with the actors other work. I've been told that they are quite famous and well regarded, but I honestly wouldn't employ a single one of them for so much as a haemorrhoid cream advertisement. The two leads chew the scenery as though they're rejects from a bad Christmas pantomime. I'm very angry about the time I have wasted trying to watch this show - do yourself a favour and don't make the same mistake. Avoid!

Sharp British Comedy

[tim1701 · 24 September 2003]

It's not often we brits make a comedy that can travel well, but the universal truths within my family make it travel and will make it timeless to boot, Robert Lyndsy is amazingly dry, and Zoe Wannamaker shines in every episode, the long suffering family head makes us all smile by recognising our everyday problems and life obsticles with great punch and hillarity, US viewers may think this is a flop due to how many episodes there are, but it is far from a flop, UK seasons usually only last 6 episodes, My family is now in its third season with a fourth in production, Not to be missed, i am eagily awaiting the bbc to release this on dvd! well done auntie beeb, more comedys like this please!

Without A Doubt The Best Sitcom To Ever Grace Our Screens

[darryl-jason · 10/10 · 18 November 2018]

I fell in love with this show right from the start. "My Family" has definitely got to be one of the funniest & well scripted British sitcoms to ever grace our TV screens. The humour is just incredible & the delivery is spot on! As predictable & quick-witted as it is, this never fails to make me laugh.

Robert Lindsay & Zoe Wanamaker bring phenomenol performances as Ben & Susan, the way they just bounce off each other with the script & you've just gotta love the way she is so dominant towards him, & she always makes the decisions. There's one episode in particular during series 9 when they discuss getting a dog & Susan says "Ben, I'm going to let you in on a little secret, a secret that has kept our marriage alive all these years; when I ask your opinion about something, 99% of the time the decision has already been made!" Right there - Quality stuff!

Zoe says it all with her looks, she's just got one of those expressive faces that brings out the best humour of the show. I guess I pretty much got into this show because of her, she's just such a pleasure to watch & never fails to make me laugh. Robert Lindsay's performance is right up there with Zoe's too, his delivery & sharp wit & the way he talks about the kids & always disconnecting himself from their interests - again brilliant stuff.

If I had to choose a favourite series, I'd say Series 3 is the best. The episodes tell some great stories & this is where the acting & delivery of the lines bring out the best in the show.

It's a real shame "My Family" never won an award for the best script writing because it just completely blows all other UK sitcoms right out of the park. I remember when the series announced it's cancellation & it left me completely gutted & let down, in a way that to me, one of the best sitcoms that has lasted 11 years was soon to be axed from television & I knew I wouldn't have anything else to watch. This show really had a huge impact on me, it makes me laugh like no other show & thank god for DVD releases because I can now revisit "My Family" and laugh over & over again.

This series is so funny and the daughter is really fit!!!!

[jackcrawford-79812 · 10/10 · 16 May 2021]

My Mum and Dad got me into this! This series is so hilarious, it's my favourite BBC sitcom, I've recommended it to so many people! It's one of those sitcoms that once you've started watching it, you can never get bored of watching it again and again! Also I have a massive crush on Janey (played by Daniela Denby-Ashe of course) and as a result, I have a massive crush on Daniela Denby-Ashe herself! I'm not too keen on series 3 and series 4 as Janey is at uni, but I like all the other series. I've got all the series on DVD but I'm also having to watch it on the BBC iPlayer as well as there is an episode on there from series 5 that isn't on the series 5 DVD. My favourite episodes are the one where the entire family (including Roger, the lodger Alfie and Susan's mum's boyfriend Brad) all appear on The Weakest Link, the one where Nick is working at a funeral directors and manages to get fired after stealing a coffin, crashing three hearses and embalming his own leg, the one where Janey returns from Uni, the one where Susan and Janey swap lives for a week and Janey loses her marbles whilst pretending she's a housewife, the one where Susan and Janey are applying for a children's TV role and it ends up in Susan having Janey across her lap and spanking Janey and the Xmas one that's set in 2039.

My Family still on top form!

[steve-williams · 10/10 · 3 November 2007]

In reply to SHREK 2004 it is not fake laughter it IS real! I know I have been to some 40+ recordings! The reason it is still popular, is because it is a real family, albeit over exaggerated incidents, someone said that Ben hates his wife and kids, this is not so, and is missing the point, he loves his family, but they do get on his nerves! The acting is top notch, and still gets regular viewing figures of 7 million, not bad for a UK sit-com these days, Series 8 is now in production, and there will be a series 9 recorded sometime in 2008, and the production values are 100% this is a credit to the cast, crew and DLT

Exactly why I like My Family

[IridescentTranquility · 10/10 · 10 December 2005]

It recently occurred to me what exactly it was that appealed to me about My Family. I've loved it since it was first shown by the BBC, and now I think I know why. It has much to do with the characters.

Ben is about as far away from the stereotypical father as you can get. He isn't proud of his kids - at one point he actually says of his eldest son, "Why did we have him?". He hates his job, he hates the people he works with and he almost seems to hate the life fate has meant him to live. Susan isn't much of the perfect housewife, either. She can't cook to save her life, but it never seems to bother her.

Nick, who could have made his father proud by joining him in the family business, doesn't really seem to want to do anything - not get a job, not get a flat of his own, not even consider some kind of further education. Reading over my description of Nick just now makes me think I probably would encounter some kind of personality clash if I met him in real life, but there is something so great about Kris Marshall's performance as the character that makes me wish that - if I had an older brother - I would want one just like that.

And then there's Janey. A lot of people don't seem to like her, even her father Ben has been quoted in the series as calling her "that air-headed shopping machine from Hell", but I think she's an interesting character. Very self-centred, very fashion-orientated, the only reason she want to go to university ("What's the one with all the clubs?") is because it's the only way she can leave home without entering the world of paid employment. A novel approach to leaving home if ever there was one.

Michael is probably the most intelligent of the whole lot. He certainly seems it - watch out for a shot of him with a rabbit where Ben tells him he looks like a Bond villain. It would have been very easy to make Michael a one-dimensional character - having established his character as the brain of the family, it could have been that the writers decided there was no need to expand his characterisation any further, but they did. He still gets into girls, he still experiments with illegal substances, he even sells presents at a family wedding on eBay.

This is no normal family. They're certainly not boring, and with the cast of supporting characters around them, I don't think they ever will be. The three main supporting characters, when Ben can find a dental assistant willing to stick around long enough to assist him, are his hippie dental assistant (who plays "Song of the Narwhal" in the surgery), a worryingly childlike new colleague Roger upstairs and Ben's hapless distant cousin Abi, who ends up in Casualty with a never-ending scarf wrapped round her hand the first time we meet her.

Very good, very laughter-provoking series

[simaoguedes-1415926 · 10/10 · 10 October 2015]

This is one of the best TV series I have ever watched. Seeing it was so funny, I have bought the DVD box and am practically done watching through all the episodes.

The humour in the series is overwhelmingly abundant in many ways. You cannot help but laugh.

Ben, the father of this family, is the funniest guy. His seriousness, his unwillingness to give up, his constant state of annoyance and anger, his manifested selfishness, his lack of concern for what happens round him and all of his other characteristics combine beautifully to create one of the most humorous characters you will ever find. Of course, many of these characteristics are bad ones, but still funny (that's the point). Robert Lindsay, who plays Ben, does an excellent job.

Susan is a nice mother, but also rather selfish and a control-freak. The way she controls and manipulates her husband is often lamentable, in my opinion, but funny and laughter-provoking.

The children have a natural reaction to the fact that their parents are the way they are: they do not really like to be with them. This is very interesting and funny as well. Each of the children makes the show funny in a different way.

With so many different characters, it is likely that you will identify, in a number of aspects, with at least one of them. For example, I identify, to a significant extent, with Michael (in that he is an intelligent guy, that he likes to use his laptop, that he finds himself in the midst of his family of 'idiots', and that he is about my current age around the fourth series) and also, to a lesser extent, with Ben (in that he has a certain spirit of individuality, enjoying being alone with no-one to disturb him).

I suggest that you do not show this series to children. It was rated '12' in the UK, and rightly so. It contains some moderate language (no swear words, but a few insults), some degree of sexual seduction, implied nudity and many sexual references.

All in all, it is a very good series, likely to make you laugh a lot with every single episode, and suitable for pre-teens, teens and adults alike.

Funny Enough

[raselth · 4/10 · 6 January 2011]

I have been watching this since I was 5 and it first came on. I grew up with it and it is part of my life. I have all but 1 seasons and though it was good to begin with by season 4 my father looked ready to kill, him not being a fan of programs that are darn predictable.

By the fifth series the originality is wearing off and the episode conclusions are easy to predict. The plots are corny and only a few make you laugh out loud. That said, it is still something that is undemanding and easy to watch, something to watch when you are sick and have hours of lying on the couch to get over with.

Watch it if your bored or want something to drone in the background while you are doing something else. Otherwise, stay clear of this comedy monstrosity.

Brilliant!

[iluvmax666 · 1 October 2001]

Not an original summary really sums up how I feel about this great comedy. Robert Lindsay is hilarious (and strangely attractive) as the incredibly cynical Ben and Kris Marshall just as funny as Nick. However, in my opinion the star turn is Zoe Wanamaker ( v. sexy) and words dont do her justice. Watch out for the funeral scene in the new series where she is taking 'unprescribed' flu medication and is to put it bluntly, stoned. Her performance here is understated and fabulous, not staggering around, just glassy eyed wierdness. Please watch this (and the repeats on UK Gold) It wont tax your brain and we all need a good laugh sometimes :-) The scary part? I see some of my family in them!

Genius

[lucy-228 · 10/10 · 1 August 2006]

totally classic episodes, all of them are different but just as funny. Totally original characters. My favourite is Nick who keeps coming up with random hair brained schemes or getting a new job after new job(one a day). Ben with his dental assistant problem and Suesan's fabulous cooking. Janey always trying to get money out of Ben for clothes, Micheal the family genies (so cute in series 5+6). Then there's Abi and Alfie who are a classic addition to the family. This program always makes me smile no matter what mood I'm in. After each episode my mum comes in to my room and says that sounded like a good episode because I've been laughing so much.

a great series, despite some unfavourable reviews

[cannonballsean1992 · 9/10 · 26 May 2008]

it is no surprise that this series has been running for eight series. it is an absolutely amazing hilarious comedy. many critics look down on the series, but i personally love it. every episode is funny, providing almost continuous laughs. there is a really good chemistry between the main characters, making it believable that they are a really family. the jokes are short but often. this is what it has been panned for, lazy writing, but it is still a hilarious series.

the only thing that sometimes annoys me is that supporting characters some how move in to the home, and it doesn't really make sense at times. despite this, every episode offers a plot that develops quick and provides comical value. the actors are great, my favourite character is Ben. you will probably find that a lot of the watcher reviews are good, and this is because the show is excellent, and can be watched over and over again. one of the most popular comedy series going, and it is no surprise. give it a go!

The best comedy in the making!

[brooksy241095 · 10/10 · 25 February 2008]

Absoulutly fantastic comedy! My Family has it all! Ben, a funny character and a great actor. Susan, A great parent and really weird! Janey, A great teen, makes me laugh and sometimes attractive! Michael, A funny, smart kid who is obsessed with girls. Abi, A funny, stupid female character and last but definitely no least, Nick, he is so funny! On Saturday nights I take my My Family DVD's to my grandads and he makes my Saturday! I must say the series has gone a bit downhill after Nick's departure but it is still one of the best comedy's around and I hope they make another series because it doesn't get any better than this!

best comedy ever made

[chris-manley4 · 10/10 · 12 September 2006]

my family has to be one of the best comedy's that the world has ever seen. the cracking story lines and acting given by some of the best performers make this brilliant. Kris Marshall is (i think)one of the greatest comedy actors ever and the role is brilliant for him, its just a shame that he didn't stay around for all 6 season. the Christmas specials are also great to. bringing back previous actors (such as Janey) to give this great comedy an added spark. there are times when the storyline is a bit stupid, but the laughs still come out all the same. I'm glad that they will all be out on DVD by the end of the year, so that i will be able to complete my collection, including all the Christmas special which are coming out in November. its just a shame that the American audience don't get them out on DVD as much as us, because they are missing out on this great British comedy. it stands out with comedy's such as only fools and horses and faulty towers. this is easily one of the best comedy's of the 21st century.