At Home with the Braithwaites - The Complete First Series
Superb writing and outstanding performances make the first series of this  British comedy-drama completely compelling. The Braithwaite family has its  fights and dysfunctions, but chances are they would have gone on for years  without improving or falling apart--until Alison (Amanda Redman,Sexy  Beast), the mother, wins 38 million pounds in a lottery. She decides  to keep it secret, fearing that sudden wealth might bring out the worst in  her banker husband David (Peter Davison,Campion,Doctor  Who) and her temperamental daughters (Sarah Smart, Sarah Churm, and  Keeley Fawcett). Instead, she sets up a foundation to help people in need.  But she's not the only one in the family with secrets--and when they start  coming out, it's hard to stop.The skillful plot ofAt Home with the  Braithwaitestightens like a noose over six propulsive episodes. Every  turn of the plot is driven by these well-crafted characters with richly  human strengths and weaknesses. Alison could have been an annoying  do-gooder, but Redman makes her noble efforts down to earth; David could  have been an utter weasel--and in fact, he is, but Davison earns our  respect by making him real as well. The show has some conventional  suspenseful bits (there's even a car chase at one point), but the most  gripping elements are ordinary people grappling with everyday problems;  the money sets the story in motion, but the characters make it move.--Bret Fetzer