My Family series 1
| My Family | |
|---|---|
| Series 1 | |
 My Family Series 1 DVD Cover | |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Original release | 19 September – 7 November 2000 |
| Series chronology | |
The first series of BBC family sitcom My Family originally aired between 19 September and 7 November 2000. The first episode of the series, and the pilot episode, is entitled "The Serpent's Tooth". All eight episodes in the first series are thirty minutes long. The first episode introduces the five main characters that regularly appear in the series: Robert Lindsay, who plays Ben, Zoë Wanamaker, who plays Susan, Kris Marshall, who plays Nick, Daniela Denby-Ashe, who plays Janey, and Gabriel Thomson, who plays Michael. A further regular member of the cast is Brigitte, played by Daisy Donovan, who appears in nearly every episode of the series. The series was produced by Rude Boy Productions,[1] a company that produces comedies created by Fred Barron.[2] The series was filmed at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire,[3] with a live studio audience.[4]
Episode information
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Serpent's Tooth" | Baz Taylor | James Hendrie and Ian Brown | 19 September 2000 | 8.48 |
| 2 | 2 | "A Pain in the Class" | Baz Taylor | James Hendrie and Ian Brown | 26 September 2000 | 7.46 |
| 3 | 3 | "Droigt de Seigneur Ben" | Baz Taylor | Fred Barron and Shawn Schepps | 3 October 2000 | 5.95 |
| 4 | 4 | "The Last Resort" | Baz Taylor | Steve Armogida, Jim Armogida, Ian Brown and James Hendrie | 10 October 2000 | 5.42 |
| 5 | 5 | "Farewell To Alarms" | Baz Taylor | Steve Armogida and Jim Armogida | 17 October 2000 | 6.89 |
| 6 | 6 | "Death And Ben Take A Policy" | Baz Taylor | Fred Barron and Penny Croft | 24 October 2000 | 6.19 |
| 7 | 7 | "The Awkward Phase" | Baz Taylor | Fred Barron | 30 October 2000 | 8.38 |
| 8 | 8 | "Much Ado About Ben" | Baz Taylor | Steve Armogida and Jim Armogida | 7 November 2000 | 7.62 |
Reception
Viewers
The series was given a mid-week time slot, originally airing on Tuesdays at 8:30pm. The series became an immediate hit with viewers, with the first episode gaining 8.48 million viewers, the sixth highest rating for the week.[6] Ratings began to fall for the next three episodes, to a point where ratings for the fourth episode of the series failed to appear in the BBC's Top 30 programmes.[7] However, when the series was moved to a prime-time slot on Friday evenings, beginning with Episode 5, ratings began to improve, with the seventh episode of the series reaching 8.38 million viewers. The first series averaged 7.04 million viewers for each episode.
| Rank | Episode | Viewership |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Serpent's Tooth | 8.48 million |
| 2 | The Awkward Phase | 8.38 million |
| 3 | Much Ado About Ben | 7.62 million |
| 4 | A Pain in the Class | 7.46 million |
| 5 | Farewell To Alarms | 6.89 million |
| 6 | Death And Ben Take A Policy | 6.19 million |
| 7 | Droit De Seigneur Ben | 5.95 million |
| 8 | The Last Resort | 5.42 million |
Critics
The series was openly criticised for its American roots, with the use of quick one-line jokes, compared to the more traditional built-up jokes of other British sitcoms.[8][9] Daniel Lees, of My Family Online stated that the fifth episode of the series, "Farewell to Alarms", stands out from an otherwise mediocre first series. He described the episode as a "perfectly written, impeccably performed piece, generally enjoyable as a whole".[10] He also stated that the show itself has "easy-going plots, with some hilarious moments intertwined with atmosphere, character interaction and a general feel-good ambience".
References
- ^ "Sitcom Production Companies". Archived from the original on 16 May 2008.
- ^ "Rude Boy Productions". IMDb.
- ^ "My Family". Archived from the original on 25 April 2009.
- ^ "Television Audiences". Archived from the original on 18 June 2008.
- ^ "Weekly top 30 programmes on TV sets (July 1998 – Sept 2018)". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
- ^ "Weekly terrestrial top 30 (BBC 1) w/e 24 Sep. 2000".
- ^ "BARB". Archived from the original on 15 December 2005. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
- ^ "My Family (BBC 1)".
- ^ "My Family".
- ^ "My Family Online Review".