Show of the week: Family Tree
The king of the mockumentary is back.
The king of the mockumentary is back. In films like Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman, director Christopher Guest refined the blueprint for much of today’s TV comedy by mixing improv acting with documentary-style interviews. Now he’s putting the same format to use in his own very funny series, starring Bridesmaids’ Chris O’Dowd as a lovable loser who starts digging into his family genealogy. Various members of Guest’s stock company of actors, including Michael McKean, Nina Conti, Fred Willard, and Ed Begley Jr., help fill out the cast. Sunday, May 12, at 10:30 p.m., HBO
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Anne Hillerman's 6 favorite books with Native characters
Feature The author recommends works by Ramona Emerson, Craig Johnson, and more
-
How Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral run will change the Democratic Party
Talking Points The candidate poses a challenge to the party's 'dinosaur wing'
-
Book reviews: '1861: The Lost Peace' and 'Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers'
Feature How America tried to avoid the Civil War and the link between lead pollution and serial killers