I don't know how Britain keeps turning out so many great sitcoms—must be something in the water over there—but The Robinsons upholds the BBC tradition in fine style. Martin Freeman stars as Ed Robinson, who is clearly the black sheep of his seemingly average, middle-class Wimbledon, South London family. At 32, he's recently divorced, hating every minute of his go-nowhere job, and living in his aunt's rundown flat. In short, Ed's life has gone horribly awry and his efforts to set it right form the basis for this very funny show, which relies mightily on Freeman's hangdog countenance and superb comic timing for its effectiveness. Featuring an admirable supporting cast that includes Hugh Bonneville, Anna Massey, and Amanda Root, the situations that crop up in the six 2005 episodes compiled here (the show itself is not yet an ongoing series) are genuinely amusing and occasionally bawdy, without resorting to the outright crudity that all too often mars American sitcoms. DVD extras include audio commentaries, outtakes, and behind-the-scenes footage. Highly recommended. (E. Hulse)
The Robinsons
BBC, 180 min., not rated, DVD: $24.98 Volume 21, Issue 5
The Robinsons
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