You, Me & Them: Series 1

This short-lived series that aired on Britain's Gold Channel put a post-millennial twist on the generation-gap sitcoms that thrived in the 1960s and 1970s. Free-spirited Lauren (Eve Myles), a veterinary nurse, and fastidious Ed (Anthony Head), owner of a garage franchise, can't escape their relatives. Ed's brother, Alan (Nigel Betts), who worries about his weight, is staying at their spacious home until he can get his life in order, while Ed's ex-wife, Lydia (Lindsay Duncan), lives next door (the often-tipsy Lydia operates under the delusion that she can win Ed back). Ed's slacker grandson, Tim (Joshua McGuire), also visits often—to cadge money. Lauren's relations include her uptight sister, Debs (Daisy Beaumont) and her laidback husband, Keith (Marcus Garvey), and their conservative parents, Clive (Jeff Rawle) and Emma (Susie Blake). Most of them disapprove of Ed, a divorced grandfather who is Lauren's senior by 26 years. But Debs' kids, Ellie (Alice Felgate) and Charlie (Miller Henderson), take to Ed immediately, because he doesn't talk down to them—and he has a pool. The two families become even closer, albeit rather uncomfortably, when rebellious teenager Ellie takes up with Tim. Other storylines revolve around snooker, pregnancy scares, and Alan's unsuccessful dieting schemes. Although an uneven series, the cast enjoys an easygoing rapport, even if Duncan's over-the-top role seems beneath her considerable talents (still, she certainly has fun with it). Compiling all six episodes from 2013, extras include bloopers, cast interviews, and a tour of Emma and Clive's house. A strong optional purchase. (K. Fennessy)