We Still Can’t Believe This Underrated BBC Comedy Got Cancelled After One Season

I ought to preface this by saying that I stumbled upon this gem on a random Friday night. After skimming through countless titles on Prime Video, I settled for this series called The Kennedys. Before you ask—no, it's not the miniseries with Katie Holmes. It's a BBC One comedy that had me cackling from start to finish, and I still can't wrap my head around the fact that it lasted for just one season.

Inspired by Emma Kennedy's memoir, The Tent, The Bucket and Me, the series is set in Jessop Square, a Stevenage New Town estate, during the 1970s. It follows the misadventures of the eccentric Kennedy family as they attempt to fit in with their new middle-class neighbors and plan exciting family camping trips. The only problem? Chaos follows them practically everywhere they go—and guys, it is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

The family's story is told from the perspective of Emma, who not only has to deal with her quirky family, but also navigate a whole new town while trying to fit in with her peers (and battle against her nemesis, Julie, AKA the "Darth Vader of Jessop Square"). Lucy Hutchinson does an amazing job portraying the curious and enthusiastic character, whose innocent questions and one-liners are a major highlight on the series. But it's her relationship with her family that makes the show especially compelling.

For instance, Emma's parents, Brenda and Tony (played by Katherine Parkinson and Dan Skinner), are sincere people who mean well, but they're consistently caught up in wild, awkward scenarios—thanks in part to their friends Jenny and Tim, whose relationship is dysfunctional enough to rival Kelly and Ryan's from The Office. Still, their determination to stay positive and turn these moments into lessons makes their story all the more intriguing to watch.