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''My Family'' is a British Sitcom that first aired in 2000 on BBC1 . The fifth series of the Show aired in 2004 , and there was speculation that this may have been the last, as no series was recorded or aired in 2005 . The BBC then announced a brand new series, with fewer episodes than previously. This series is currently being broadcast in the UK and a seventh series has been commissioned. The show was created by Fred Barron who also worked on '' Caroline In The City '' and '' The Larry Sanders Show ''. The show is about the antics of the Harpers, a Fictional British family, in everyday life. CHARACTERS
RECEPTION "My Family" was almost universally panned by critics, but despite this the series has been popular with viewers and more successful than earlier attempts to ape the American product. It has won numerous television awards in Britain and abroad and is a rare example of a successful pre- Watershed modern British sitcom. Critics have claimed that it also mimics many of the worst aspects of globalised mass media in that its slick production has rendered it bland and soulless. PRODUCTION DETAILS The series is notable as it is scripted by a team of writers, following the American model. Historically, British sitcoms were more generally written by one or two authors. By employing a wider number of writers to brainstorm jokes for each episode, the BBC has been able to maintain a consistent and relatively long-lived product without having to wait for a single writer to produce more material. The production values for the programme are also different from the traditional 'Brit-com'. The family's standard of living is more aspirational than realistic. The first series was shot in Field-removed Video (FRV), to give it a film-like effect similar to American sitcoms (although most American sitcoms are actually shot on film rather than video), and thus in order to maximise overseas sales potential. The 2004 DVD release is presented without the FRV effect, although it is still there on repeat showings on both BBC1 and UKTV Gold . The programmes were recorded in front of a live audience, except where the set used was too large, this was then filmed, and played out to an invited audience 'as-live'. Also, the show, unlike most British sitcoms but in common with most American television comedies, has no location footage. The show plays midnight Monday to Thursday in Canada on YTV , and includes adverts, making the broadcast 38 minutes long, but this isn't much of a problem as it is shown so late at night. It has been shown on BBC America . DVD RELEASES The first four series have been released on DVD in the UK, minus the Christmas specials that accompanied series 3 and 4. No plans for subsequent series are yet known. EPISODES Series One (2000) # The Serpent's Tooth - ''The family's women see a different dentist while Nick tries his hand at Internet dating.'' # Pain in the Class - ''Michael has trouble at school.'' # Droit de Seigneur Ben - ''Ben learns a patient's son is making advances toward his daughter.'' # The Last Resort - ''Ben romances Susan by taking her to the hotel they stayed in when they got married.'' # Farewell to Alarms - ''Susan wants a burglar alarm but Ben is much less enthusiastic. Nick decides to become a stripper.'' # Death Takes a Policy - ''Nick has an ulterior motive: Michael fears death.'' # The Awkward Phase - ''Nick wants a job, Janey wants new jeans, Michael wants dating tips, and Ben and Susan want peace and quiet.'' # Much Ado About Ben - ''Ben discovers his son takes Viagra before making changes to his own lifestyle.'' Series Two (2001) # All Roads Lead to Ramon - ''Ben must replace his new assistant; Ben is suspicious of Janey's academic performance.'' # The Unkindest Cut - ''Susan's pregnancy could be bad news for Ben.'' # Parisian Beauty - ''A foreign exchange student visits the Harpers.'' # Trust Never Sleeps - ''Ben & Susan let Janey have a party whilst they are not there.'' # Death and Ben Take a Holiday - ''Ben's Aunt dies, so Ben and Nick go to Leeds for the funeral.'' # Driving Miss Crazy - ''Ben has a feud with the next door neighbour and his dog, Janey takes her driving test.'' # I Second That Emulsion - ''Janey's boyfriend, Stupid Brian, is asked to decorate the living room, but Susan can't decide which colour to go with.'' # Age of Romance - ''Nick's new girlfriend causes concern among the older people.'' # Get Cartier - ''Ben suspects his latest client is an underworld kingpin.'' # 'Tis Pity She's A Whore - ''Janey finds out that there is a prostitute in the family.'' # The Last Supper - ''Susan's new boss dies in Ben and Susan's bed.'' # Ben Wants To Be A Millionaire - ''Ben's old school friend gives him a share tip.'' # Breakable - ''Nick forms a motorcycle stunt display team.'' Series Three (2002) # Absent Vixen, Cheeky Monkey - ''Janey leaves for University; The others fight over who gets her room.'' # Shrink Rap - ''Ben and Susan attend a promise auction at Michael's school.'' # Desperately Squeaking Susan - ''Ben's cousin's daughter Abi moves in with the family.'' # Of Mice and Ben - ''Abi makes a documentary about Ben and Susan, and a mouse terrorises the family.'' # Imperfect Strangers - ''Susan and Ben play a role playing game in a Manchester Metrolodge.'' # The Second Greatest Story Ever Told - ''Nick lands the lead role in an amateur theatre production, as Jesus, greatly annoying Susan who is stuck as a shepherd'' # Waiting to Inhale - ''Ben and Susan smoke some drugs that Michael was hiding in his socks.'' # Misery - ''Susan visits Janey at University, whilst Ben has a golfing weekend planned.'' # Auto Erotica - ''Nick wins an ancient car in a poker game, which Ben falls in love with.'' # Handful of Dust - ''Janey comes to stay with the family for the weekend, with her new 'girlfriend', and Ben has a birthday.'' # The Lost Weekend - ''Susan and Ben try to amuse themselves whilst the children are out for the weekend.'' # Ghosts - ''An old boyfriend of Susan's turns up.'' # One Flew Out Of The Cuckoo's Nest - ''Nick finally leaves to get a flat of his own, to Ben's joy.'' # Christmas Special: Ding Dong Merrily... - ''Janey reveals that she is pregnant when she returns to spend Christmas with the family.'' Series Four (2003) # Fitting Punishment - ''Ben and Susan have problems with the plumbers; Nick has a job as a film extra.'' # They Shoot Harpers Don't They? - ''Ben and Susan join a dance class.'' # The Great Escape - ''Susan's mother pays a visit, and everyone visits Nick's flat as a refuge from her.'' # Return of the Prodigal Prat - ''Nick manages to move back in to the house.'' # Owed to Susan - ''Susan forces Ben to write her a poem.'' # Deliverance - ''As Ben and Susan drive up to Manchester to visit Janey, who is in labour, they recall Nick's birth. At the end we see baby Kenzo for the first time.'' # Blind Justice - ''Seeing Michael in bed with a girl causes Susan to go blind temporarily.'' # Friday the 31st - ''Susan plans a halloween night in, but Ben isn't as enthusiastic; The house is besieged by children trick or treating.'' # Sitting Targets - ''Janey leaves Kenzo with the family to look after, and only Nick can stop him crying.'' # Loco Parentis - ''Michael starts skipping school but Ben and Susan get the blame.'' # The Canary Cage - ''The family have a holiday in Spain.'' # May the Best Man Win - ''Ben is asked to be Abi's Father's Best Man at his 5th wedding.'' # It's a Window Filled Life - ''The family are put under quarantine by Susan as Roger's patient called to say he had a rare tropical disease.'' # Christmas Special: Sixty Feet Under - ''The family are trapped on a tube train as they try to do the Christmas shopping.'' Series Five (2004/2005) # Special: My Family: Reloaded - ''Clips from past episodes, intertwined with a mini story in which Ben has just broken Susan's leg by running her over with the car.'' # The Mummy Returns - ''Janey returns from University, having dropped out, and the police are after her.'' # You Don't Know Jack - ''Michael gets a new friend, Jack, who Ben likes, and who fancies Susan.'' # What's Up, Docklands? - ''Ben and Susan flat-sit for some friends in the Docklands.'' # Luck Be a Lady Tonight - ''Roger tries to make Abi jealous by dating an Escort Girl.'' # First Past the Post - ''Susan stands for election on the local council.'' # My Will Be Done - ''Ben believes he is soon to die, so writes his will. Nick also makes his only appearance of the series, as an 'Official Mourner', which he soon gets sacked from, after embalming his leg and wrecking a hearse.'' # My Fair Charlady - ''The family hire a cleaner.'' # The Mouth Trap - ''Susan becomes obsessed with Inspector Morse, and investigates one of Ben's patients who confessed murder, and called Ben his 'Velcro newsletter', under sedation.'' # While You Weren't Sleeping - ''Ben has a snoring problem, causing a huge fall out between Ben and Susan.'' # Dentist to the Stars - ''Ben gets a famous patient, who Roger steals when Ben gets injured trying to move Michael's history books.'' # A Wife Less Ordinary - ''Susan tries living as a single woman in Janey's flat, whilst Janey tries to live at the family home as a housewife with an imaginary husband, and goes crazy in the meantime.'' # The Book of Love - ''Susan joins a local book club that consists of surprisingly few members. Roger, meanwhile, has bought tickets to see Coldplay, from Michael, for a rather large sum, to impress Abi.'' # Going Dental - ''Ben and Janey, followed by pretty much everyone else, go to a dental convention where all manner of things go wrong when Ben tries to impress a potential business partner.'' # Christmas Special: Glad Tidings We Bring - ''Janey reveals she is getting married to someone about as old as her parents.'' # Comic Relief Special: - ''In this short special, during a thunder storm, Ben and Susan are joined in bed by everyone scared of the thunder, from Michael and Janey to Adam Hart Davis and Nell McAndrew.'' Series Six (2005/2006) #Christmas Special: ...And I'll Cry If I Want To - ''Susan wants to make Kenzo's third birthday a memorable one by reuniting him with his father, much to Ben's dismay.'' #Bliss for Idiots - ''Ben is unhappy with his patients, but is even less happy with Susan's book-writing house guest. Perhaps the Brotherhood of the Cockerel has the answer. Also, Roger speaks the Welsh to Abi and Alfie joins in.'' #The Spokes Person - ''Ben starts a one-man anti-cycling campaign which causes chaos in the household, and Susan compounds it with her fund-raising efforts.'' #Dentally Unstable - ''While Ben is away, Janey starts an affair with a dentist whose charm captivates the rest of the females in the Harper household, while Michael's latest scam eventually puts everyone at risk.'' #Living the Dream - ''Ben and Susan join a pyramid selling scheme on Roger's advice, and against Michael's...'' #An Embarrassment of Susans - ''Ben buys the house next door to help with the family finances, but ends up involved in a "squatter's rights" dilemma; Susan tries to fix Michael up with a new girlfriend called Suzanne, but the similarity isn't limited to the name...'' #And Other Animals - ''With Nick still away, Michael joining the army, and Janey getting her stuff out of the attic, Susan is feeling deserted. Then a stray dog appears and tries to become man's best friend. Unfortunately, the man he chooses is Ben. '' #The Art of Being Susan - ''With Ben away, Susan is invited to dinner by a wealthy art collector. Her mother, Grace, is gathering a collection of her own, and Roger is summoning up the courage to pop the question to Abi. '' TRIVIA
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