My Family interview

Zoe Wanamaker (Susan in My Family) was interviewed in today's Telegraph. Check out the second half of the quote below. She's really not a fan!

"What attracted me to the first scripts was that they had a slightly quirky, American Jewish quality to them. That's my humour. Critics absolutely hated it. The public liked it. But it's turned into a machine. Robert [Lindsay] and I even refused at one point to do one, it was so bad. That caused a lot of problems, but we just felt it was not good enough. We had practically a football team of scriptwriters working on the last series"

Most of the rest of the interview was about a stage play she's doing but if you're interested the full interview is here

Got to agree with her. I quite like the earlier series', but the last few, especially with that annoying Welsh guy, are just plain bad.

Only the first five series have been shown over here and even in the fifth one i thought the quality seemed to be tapering off more than a bit. I was suprised to find out that there were seven seasons in existence and it makes me wonder how long theyll try to milk it for. I like the fact that they refused to do one though, it seems reassuring in some way, although in what particular way i couldn't say...

It went downhill when Kris Marshall left (talent and writing); it was him that attracted me to the show.

Look forwed to new series. Yes the show has been no where near as good since Kris Marshall left, but it is still enjoyable. In the last series I particulary enjoyed the episode where Ben upset the cyclists. It is still worth watching for the great Robert Lindsay who has appeared in 3 classic sitcoms: Citizen Smith, My Family and Nightingales.

It may be a bit structured and US but it's still funny and there's some classic performances.

Roger (played by the wonderful Kerion Self) is my favourite character! And of course Robert Lyndsey is the best comic actor ever! He has to be, to make an at-times-bland script funny. I love the way he emphasises his lines and says them with gusto.

For me, the beauty of the show and the success came from the incredible chemistry that Kris Marshall and Robert Lindsay had. The scene's with the two together never failed to be funny. The rest is watchable but a bit blah. When they had the Nick-Ben relationship, the other sub plots were a nice addition. Without the Nick-Ben relationship, the sub plots become the main plots and they are not good enough to carry it.

The dopey girl who lived with them was quite a good substitute I think though.

Yeah, she was ok-ish, but was more of a replacement for Janey than Nick.

Janey is cute but Ben is a legend. I find it's not essential viewing but if I'm channel hopping and it's on I'll watch it. I find the welsh guy in it kinda irritating but I think thats the point lol

I thnk ben and susan are brilliant charachters, and so is the blonde girl, that welsh bloke is annoying and not a really good addition, it has aged a bit but doesn't everything?

Quote: David Chapman @ March 29, 2007, 11:44 PM

It may be a bit structured and US

View original

And that why I hate it, to me it’s how not to make a sitcom. OK Kris Marshall was good in it but he’s a one trick pony everything else he’s been in, is crap.

Kris Marshall was my favourite character too. I liked murder city.

I was quite suprised by this show when i first saw it. I generally don't do family sit-coms (save the animated I guess), but this show had some sharpness to it and the occasionally brutal moment.

The earlier stuff is definatley better, but I like what I've seen of the later series. Although I've not seen the last season (possibly last two), and not all of what I have.

Janey was dreamy.