HBO Orders Comedy Series \'Family Tree\' From Christopher Guest

By DAVE ITZKOFF

Has Christopher Guest finally found that rarest of packages to satisfy the implacable Mort Guffman? As Corky St. Clair might put it, a “beautifully wrapped, glossy, sweet-smelling show?” At the very least, Mr. Guest, a writer, director and star of comedies like “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Waiting for Guffman” and “A Mighty Wind,” has hit upon a project that will bring him back to series television.

On Thursday, HBO said that it had picked up a new series, “Family Tree,” created by Mr. Guest and Jim Piddock. The series will be presented in a documentary-style format (à la “Spinal Tap”) and star Chris O'Dowd (“Bridesmaids”) as Tom Chadwick, a 30-year-old man on a journey of personal discovery. As HBO described the storyline: “Having recently lost his job and girlfriend, Tom has a rather unsure sense of his own identity. But when he inherits a mysterious box of belongings from a great aunt that he never met, he starts investigating his family lineage and uncovers a whole world of unusual stories and characters and a growing sense of who he is and who his real family are.”

Mr. Guest, who was once a regular on “Saturday Night Live,” will direct the show, and he and Mr. Piddock will make occasional appearances. While it would be all too perfect if HBO went to 11 episodes in its first season (for which a debut date wasn't immediately announced), “Family Tree” is starting with an eight-episode order.