# Life in Pieces (2015)

> A multigenerational American family navigates weddings, births, and empty nests through four short comic vignettes each week.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/56289

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 79
- Episode runtime: 23 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Justin Adler
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Thomas Sadoski, Dianne Wiest, James Brolin, Zoe Lister-Jones, Colin Hanks, Betsy Brandt, Dan Bakkedahl, Angelique Cabral
- TMDB rating: 8.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4384086/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: warm, sentimental, breezy, cozy, gentle

## What critics say

Audiences find the warm ensemble family comedy charming and funny, with the strongest seasons rated well above the weakest.

## Synopsis

Life in Pieces (2015-2019) is an American multi-camera family sitcom created by Justin Adler for CBS. Centered on the Short family, it follows middle child Matt (Thomas Sadoski) as he falls for his co-worker Colleen (Angelique Cabral), while his coddled youngest brother Greg (Colin Hanks) and his wife Jen (Zoe Lister-Jones) are overwhelmed by their first child. Eldest sister Heather (Betsy Brandt) and her husband Tim (Dan Bakkedahl) dread an empty nest, and their parents Joan (Dianne Wiest) and John (James Brolin) wrestle with aging and the family's changing rhythms. The engine of the show is its structure: each week's episode is cut into four short stories that jump between household members, so a single half hour can hold a wedding, a nursery panic, and a quiet kitchen-table talk. Across four seasons and 79 episodes the series keeps returning to ordinary milestones, treating them with affectionate, gentle humor rather than sharp edges. Its tone is cozy, sincere and breezy, with a sentimental streak that suits family viewing. Fans of Modern Family, The Middle and This Is Us will find similar resonance in its warm, observational family comedy.

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