Review: The Family Pile Crumbles: With a slight change of emphasis this would be a poor soap. The problem is that it’s billed as a comedy but it has nothing at which to laugh. So it fails on both fronts, which is a great shame because there’s plenty of talent amongst the ensemble cast.
The logline is that four sisters have to decide what to do with the family home after their parents’ deaths. The siblings – Nichole (Amanda Abbington), Yvette (Clare Calbraith), Ursula (Claire Keelan) and Gaynor (Alexandra Mardell) are torn between selling up and hanging on to the property for various selfish reasons.
Amanda Abbington shines as the older sister, although exasperated by the way the others expect her to take on all the responsibilities, nevertheless she unilaterally puts the house on the market, much to the chagrin of the other three, who are either stereotypically flighty or self-interested.
Although set in Liverpool this family, created by writer Brian Dooley, is trying very hard to have the comedic appeal of the Boswell’s or the sisterly bond of Apple+ TV’s, Bad Sisters. It has neither. But worst of all it’s simply not funny. A prerequisite for a sitcom.
All episodes are available in ITVX but if I were you, I wouldn’t bother.