HBO Orders Christopher Guest Comedy

Chris O'Dowd to star in documentary-style 'Family Tree'

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/16/2012 2:07:00 PM

HBO has ordered the new documentary-style comedy series Family Tree from filmmaker Christopher Guest, a network spokesperson confirmed Thursday.

The half-hour, single-camera comedy stars Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids, Girls) as 30-year-old Tom Chadwick, who, after losing his job, inherits a mysterious box of belongings from a great aunt and begins investigating his family lineage.

Family Tree will be in the same style of Guest's films like Best in Show and A Mighty Wind. The series, from NBCUniversal International Television, will air simultaneously on BBC Two in the U.K.

The series is written, created and executive-produced by Guest and Jim Piddock, with Karen Murphy also serving as executive producer and Guest directing.