Marcella Evaristi

The eclectic north-London family is back for a second series in this popular comedy drama from writer Marcella Evaristi. Sarah Alexander and Mark Bonnar play divorced parents Mimi and Joe, who find common ground in the trials and tribulations of their children Tom and Lucy.

In this first episode, Joe talks Tom out of garroting his mother's fictional creations, "You are a boy, boys are crap at sneaky", while Mimi bursts Lucy's inflated ego as she prepares to audition for the school production of Oliver!

At times, this squabbling suburban sitcom feels all too familiar, retreading the same tired path as the Brockman family in Outnumbered. However, the razor-sharp dialogue, disarming charm and excellent cast more than make up for its shortcomings.

Tom Goulding, Radio Times, 6th July 2012

More neatly observed, finely tuned comedies by Marcella Evaristi about modern dilemmas of shared parenting, starring Sarah Alexander as Mimi, the thrice-married mum, with Mark Bonnar as Dad (replacing David Tennant, who played him in the first series last year). Their two children are Tom (he'll be 11 now) and teenage Lucy, played by Finlay Christie and Phoebe Abbott (and very well too) about to get her mother's full attention in this first of six episodes. Marilyn Imrie directs, for independents Absolutely Productions. And there's more good news, in that there are six episodes, rather than the four of the first series. Make the most of them because big budget cuts seem to be digging into the schedule in ways that limit new programmes. Any day now across the whole schedule radio is repeating many more programmes than it once did. Sometimes that's not a bad thing, one person's repeat being another person's first hearing. But as Radio 4, in particular, produces more new programmes across a greater variety of genres than other networks, it is bound to restrict innovation and is already affecting how digital Radio 4 can use more recent programmes.

Gillian Reynolds, The Telegraph, 29th June 2012

David Tennant plays Joe, father of 10-year-old Tom and teenage Lucy. He's no longer married to Mimi (Sarah Alexander). She's on marriage three now but both parents try hard to keep the ties that, naturally, will bind them all at least until the two children have finished school. So there's lots of driving around, talking on mobile phones, picking up and bringing back, trying not to contradict each other. But it's all very wearing so Joe has a bright idea. Is is practical? This comedy by Marcella Evaristi shows every sign of being neatly drawn from life.

Gillian Reynolds, The Telegraph, 6th May 2011