Rating:  4 (out of 5).  “Family Tree” is Christopher Guest’s (“Spinal Tap”, “Best in Show”) first TV project.  This mockumentary follows the quest of Tom Chadwick (Chris O’Dowd) in tracing his roots, which takes him from UK to the US and discovers the stories of his ancestors.  For the most part the critics are impressed with the show calling it “sweet” and “poignant” even if it is “light on laughs.”

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Rating:  2 (out of 5).  “The Family Tools” is a new comedy that stars Kyle Bornheimer as Jack Shea, and JK Simmons as his dad, Tony.  Jack is trying to find a career of his own, when he is forced to go home when his dad suffers a heart attack.  He is then required to run his family’s handyman business, and that is where his journey to becoming the new Mr. Jiffy-Fix starts. The critics don’t find it all that funny.

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Rating:  4 (out of 5).  Sundance Channel’s “Rectify” tells the story of a man who is freed from prison after 18 years from a different perspective. Daniel Holden, played by Aden Young is the center of this mini-series as he tries to fit back into society in a small town after DNA evidence finds him innocent of the crime he was in prison for.  Each of the first six episodes is a day in the life of Daniel as he tries to make the adjustment to life outside prison. The critics are in agreement for the most part that this is a series worth watching. They warn that the pace of the show tends to be slow, but it is typical of a cable channel show that can go a little outside the box for its viewers.

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