My Family

In the lighthearted British sitcom MY FAMILY, from U.S. writer Fred Barron (whose credits include Seinfeld and Caroline in the City), two parents traverse the highs and lows of life as their three kids enter adulthood and attempt to head out on their own. Ben Harper (Robert Lindsay) is an opinionated, outspoken man with a penchant for flying off the handle when he's irked -- but luckily he's met his match in his wisecracking wife, Susan (Zöe Wanamaker), who has a glib comeback for each of Ben's constant gripes and manages to smooth over even the roughest roads that their kids drag them down. Youngest son Michael (Gabriel Thomson) keeps trying to find himself by sampling everything from photography to born-again Christianity, but he usually only succeeds in trying his dad's patience. Middle child/shopaholic Janey (Daniela Denby-Ashe) went off to university in the third season, only to end up getting booted when she got pregnant; in more recent episodes, she spends most of her time with her young son at her parents' house. Only oldest child Nick (Kris Marshall) actually lives fully on his own ... though even that took some doing (he lived at home in the early seasons). Though Ben and Susan view their increasingly empty nest with varying levels of appreciation (he loves the newfound peace, but her arms are wide open whenever her babies come back home), they strive to strike a balance between being supportive of their kids and actually supporting them.