The Robinsons: Series 1

The Robinsons aren't related to any of the famous Robinsons. Sugar Ray, Edward G, Smokey or even Anne. No, they're a plain, run-of-the-mill family from Wimbledon, South London who have done 'quite well' for themselves.

All of them, that is, except the youngest Ed (Martin Freeman, The Office, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), the black sheep of the family who's 32, recently divorced after a disastrous marriage that lasted five and a half months, doing a job that he hates and living in his aunt's dilapidated apartment. What's gone wrong in his life? How difficult is it to find a girlfriend, a decent job, a good dry cleaner and the meaning of life?

When Ed is told by his wife, 'you're not the man I married,' he is forced to ask himself 'who am I?' The answer he gets back - 'Ed Robinson' - doesn't satisfy him. Ed's search for meaning takes him to many places? but nowhere more intriguing than his own family, or indeed, family history. As seen on BBC America.

Cast
Ed Robinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Martin Freeman
George Robinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hugh Bonneville
Vicky Robinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abigail Cruttenden
Pam Robinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .Anna Massey
Hector Robinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Richard Johnson
Maggie Robinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amanda Root
Production Credits
Written by. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mark Bussell, Justin Sbresni Directed by. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mark Bussell, Justin Sbresni Produced by. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. Mark Bussell, Justin Sbresni Executive Producer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jon Plowman

"Here's a treat: a British sitcom that is dry, wry, chock-full of great character actors and further enlivened by the odd absurdist touch ... The set-up sounds reminiscent of the US comedy Arrested Development, but it's much better and less self-conscious - partly because Freeman's perplexed Ed can't help but be endearing." -Mary Novakovich, Guardian
"...an unexpected comedy treat ... If Wes Anderson wrote a British sitcom, it would probably turn out something like this. The Robinsons' eccentric family is reminiscent of The Royal Tenenbaums; the slick stylisation approaches that of The Life Aquatic. The swingometer is definitely moving in this direction." -Ben Flanagan, Observer
"Warm, witty and refreshingly different ... Best on the box. Don't miss." -Sarah Moolla, People
"I smiled quite a lot at the increasingly bizarre antics of what is arguably the most neurotic and dysfunctional television family of all time. Many of the scenes were both funny and original ... The writing by Mark Bussell and Justin Sbresni, who also produce and direct, was sharp and witty; the acting by a stellar cast ... was as good as it could be; and the whole thing moved along at a cracking pace." -Christopher Matthew, Daily Mail
"A mainstream sitcom that flirts dangerously with Amelie-inflected whimsy (really). That it mostly comes out ahead is down to some bad-taste moments - especially the swearfest in a coffee shop - and strong performances from all concerned, including Hugh Bonneville as Ed's time management-obsessed brother, George." -Jonathan Wright, Guardian
"The Robinsons is funny: funny peculiar as well as funny ha-ha ... It is difficult to say which is more intriguing about The Robinsons, its oddness or its humour. The undoubted skills of a cast that includes Martin Freeman (who starred in The Office), Hugh Bonneville (whose credits include Iris and Notting Hill) and the veteran Anna Massey certainly help it along." -Karl French, Financial Times
"...rather enjoyable ... there's little sign of the gross-out comedy of Bussell and Sbresni's previous hit here, so while it too ploughs a darkly comic furrow, it's arguably rather more charming." -Chris Riley, Daily Telegraph
"Quaint, gentle, unchallenging ... the production is quirky and the acting is decent." -Nick Griffiths, Daily Mail
"It is not laugh-out-loud funny, but has a wry British humour and a great cast." -Polly Dunbar, Express
"...a terrific cast ... a fair degree of style and charm. Freeman made liberal use of his best asset as an actor, likeability, and on the rare occasions where they were brave enough to be different, the writers showed brief flashes of real comedic brilliance." -Gerard O'Donovan, Daily Telegraph
"TV has always done well out of families called Robinson. There was the Swiss Family Robinson and the Lost In Space Robinsons, and I'm hoping for big things from the Slightly Neurotic Family Robinson, who are peculiarly British as well as being just peculiar. The fact that they come without canned laughter, but with sex, swearing and death can only be for the greater good of the ailing British sitcom ... I did worry a bit that the present-day Robinsons would never be able to live up to their ancestors' level of inspired eccentricity - but, happily, I was wrong." -Jane Simon, Daily Mirror
"As the time-and-motion-study bore and ferocious control freak George Robinson, Hugh Bonneville showed once again what a splendid comic actor he is." -Christopher Matthew, Daily Mai
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Episode 1 - Ed is fired from his insurance job after having an affair with a co-worker who promptly dismisses him after she is promoted. His older brother George arranges a children's party from hell, and sister Vicky struggles to come to terms with the fact that her 'perfect' boyfriend does not come close to meeting her impossibly strict criteria for men.

Episode 2 - Vicky is getting more and more irritated with her boyfriend who won't stop crying, only to find later that it's his very sensitivity she finds attractive. Ed undergoes a personality crisis when he can't remember simple questions about himself at a job interview and George tries to explain the concept of death to Albert, his 5-year-old son.

Episode 3 - Ed's mom Pam sets him up with her friend's daughter, Connie, whom Ed has known since he was very young. The date is a raging disaster. Afterwards, Ed tries every possible way of avoiding her but she's clueless and very keen to accelerate their relationship. Vicky dates a gynecologist who is attracted by her brutal honesty. George is haunted by memories of being bullied at school and tries to toughen Albert up by pushing him to play rugby with children twice his age.

Episode 4 - Ed begins dating his next door neighbor Zara. He believes she is his ideal partner...until she becomes obsessed with his family. Her bubbly demeanor somehow manages to rekindle passion between Ed's parents, much to his horror. George is upset when his son Albert claims his friend's Dad is his hero. George responds by building a slide in the school playground, convinced this will regain his son's affection. Vicky dates a man in his 60's but realizes she has to stop seeing him when she develops a father complex, going so far as to hallucinate that she's making out with her own dad.

Episode 5 - Ed is haunted by all of his past failures. When he asks his ex-wife the reasons for their divorce, she tells him the main one is that he was terrible in bed - a fact soon backed up by all of his past lovers. Ed realizes that if he wants to date anyone ever again, he must attend sex therapy. Oh horrors! George sees Albert in the school playground and discovers that he has no friends, so devises a 'socialization program' which only makes him realize that he needs the program more than his son does. Vicky decides she wants a baby and enlists the services of gay workmate Leo to provide the sperm.

Episode 6 - Feeling like more of a loser than ever as his 33rd birthday approaches, Ed seeks out career advice in his quest to find a desperately needed new direction in life. Vicky finds another man to donate sperm after Leo's attempts to impregnate her are a wash-out. George is promoted to Executive Director in his company, an achievement which the other Robinsons react to with complete indifference.

Ed finds himself constantly imagining Robinsons from previous generations to whom he does not always measure up. Under pressure from all members of his family, Ed lurches from one momumental disaster to the next. Can he do anything right?