Tom Chadwick (Chris O'Dowd, Bridesmaids, The IT Crowd) has recently been laid off and has also had his longterm girlfriend leave him. Basically, he finds himself in a bit of a low point and somewhat directionless. Tom's life takes an interesting change when he and his sister, Bea (Nina Conti), visit their dad, Keith (Michael McKean, Laverne & Shirley, Spinal Tap) and learn that Keith's great aunt has passed away. While none of them really knew the woman, she did leave various items to her surviving family. Among them is a chest full of random objects for Tom.
We quickly learn of a few interesting quirks in Tom's immediate family. Tom himself has some self-esteem and identity issues, while Bea took their parent's divorce badly and now uses a monkey puppet to express ideas and thoughts she doesn't feel comfortable with, and their dad's wife, Luba (Lisa Palfrey), is an Eastern European immigrant with a strange taste in food and an odd culture. Tom is also frequently followed by his friend since grade school, Pete (Tom Bennett), who works at the local zoo and seems to have no tact or filter between his mind and his mouth.
Tom's journey takes him all over. Not only does he learn about his great grandfather's history in theater, which isn't as exciting as it sounds, but he also learns of an unexpected side of the Chadwick family tree. Eventually, he even traces his family back the United States and travels to the U.S. to learn why his ancestors immigrated to England. In California, the Chadwicks meet Al (Ed Begley Jr.) and his wife Kitty (Carrie Aizley, Best in Show), as well as a cousin from North Carolina named David (Christopher Guest, Spinal Tap, also from Best in Show, and The Princess Bride). They also run into an unexpected ethnic twist when they meet Marty Schmelff (Kevin Pollack) who has ties to another bit of acting heritage in the Chadwick line.
Family Tree fits the modern style of British sit-com. The comedy here is all about awkward situations that leave everyone, both characters and viewers, feeling out of sorts. Funnily enough, one of Keith's traits is that he loves to watch the older, slapstick style of comedy. While the shows seen in the series weren't actual shows, they fit the style. Actually, some of the DVD's special features include the clips of the shows that he watches. The only other special features include some deleted scenes and a jukebox of the various music from the series.
For those who like the current style of British comedies, you will find Family Tree a nice addition to your library. If, on the other hand, shows like Life's Too Short, The IT Crowd and Extras leave you less than satisfied, then don't expect anything different from this new series.
