The Family Pile

I love Amanda Abington, Clare Calbraith and even James Nelson-Joyce so I thought this would be good. How wrong!

21 minutes and the only time I smiled was seeing the guy handcuffed to the bed when thd people came around to see the house viewing.

I won't be going on beyond this episode. I only started watching because it was announced that the show was being cancelled.

It's quite easy to see why itv came to such an easy conclusion. I came to the same conclusion by the time the opening titles came up a few minutes into the show.

Great talents have been wasted here. I can see why it has gone after I series. Such a shame Kate & Koji has been a casualty too.

I am a regular contributor to this site and I have never rated a show so lowly before. 2 stars for the leading actresses.

It's an odd premise for a sitcom, four sisters have lost their parents - they have recently died and they must decide what to do with the family pile... Each week they sit around the house and argue about what to do next and scheme against each other till the house is sold.

The setup was very clunky I'm not sure where it's going but I am certain that its a laughter free zone. There were way too many characters who didn't make any impact and even the four sisters were thinly drawn. The plot was virtually non-existent with no pay-off.

It was only 21 minutes without the ads, but it still felt like an eternity. The BBC showed an old episode of 'The Liver Birds' at Xmas, a 70's Liverpool sitcom by the late Carla Lane and it was 100 times funnier than this. Failed all round.

The characters were not only comedic in every opportunity in the show but they were relatable. As a person who lives in liverpool, I know many people who can relate to the family values and humour among them.

I also enjoyed the character development throughout the show as most writers would struggle to create a clear development due to the shortness of the series.

Most series have taken the modern humour approach however i miss the traditional comedy which this series represents. I find its a refreshing take that i would recommended to many friends and family.

Lastly, I love the actors chosen in the series which made me enjoy seeing them even more!

A brilliant take on a comedy, laced with the ever present reminder of a tragic familial loss.

The Family Pile underlines the importance of family values through Brian Dooley's clever script, bringing a true sense of relatability to the audience. As a Liverpudlian myself, many aspects of this slightly dysfunctional yet lovable family can be found in every scouse household. James Nelson-Joyce's acting is utterly superb and really does encapsulate the typical "scouse lad;" the montirex was a perfect touch!

An utterly brilliant show with classic humour and a great storyline- one of life's most memorable, albeit heartbreaking, milestones intertwined with a scouse twist. An honestly brilliant show.