Tom Chadwick

Tom is feeling pretty lost and without direction in life. He's unattached after he recently broke up with his girlfriend of five years. He's also unemployed after he lost his job reconstructing car accidents and assessing claims for an insurance company.

The unexpected inheritance of a chest full of old curios from a distant great-aunt sets him on a quest to trace his family tree and - in the many unusual directions his journey takes him - to find out who he is and what his place in the world is.

Bea Chadwick

Bea is Tom's older sister and is almost never seen without her hand puppet, 'Monkey', who she's been attached to - literally - for most of her life as a result of an early childhood trauma while visiting a zoo.

Originally recommended by a psychiatrist for therapeutic reasons, the hand puppet is still her constant companion and 'inner voice' thirty-something years later. Although Bea doesn't initially share Tom's interest in their family's genealogy, she gets more drawn into it as his quest progresses.

Pete Stupples

Pete is Tom's best friend, going back to primary school days. He may not be the sharpest tool in the drawer, and mistakenly thinks he's a major "player" in the romantic department, but he's an upbeat and loyal friend to Tom.

He works at a children's zoo and feels at home surrounded by animals and children because they're his equal, emotionally and intellectually. He doesn't really understand Tom's new-found interest in genealogy but is always game for new experiences, so happily accompanies him on his quest.

Keith Chadwick

Keith is Tom's father. Divorced from Tom and Bea's mother for many years, Keith is now remarried and retired from his job as a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London.

Keith spends his time following his beloved Tottenham Hotspurs, watching DVDs of 1970's sitcoms, and trying to come up with an invention that will help change the world.

Keith definitely doesn't share Tom's interest in his family's history and thinks that genealogy "like every other ology, is best left to the scientists."

Luba Chadwick

Luba is Keith's second wife and a native of Moldova, who has scant regard for the English language or fine cuisine, as her communication skills and cooking both demonstrate.

Considerably younger than Keith, she's more interested in fashion and fitness, though you'd never know it to look at her. She has an unusual fascination with pigs, which she appears to hold in much higher regard than Bea's "monkey puppet", who she clearly doesn't like or trust and who, in turn, regards Luba as "a primitive woman."

Mr. Pfister

Mr Pfister owns the antique shop Mr. Pfister's Bits And Bobs situated beneath Tom's flat in London. Originally from South Africa, he has a large, close-knit family and is an avuncular friend to Tom, with whom he shares cups of tea, cakes, and philosophy.

Prone to smelling everything he comes in contact with, Pfister has many hobbies, one of which is putting "famous landmarks in bottles"... something he hasn't quite mastered yet. Being a hypochondriac, he also spends a lot of time on a website called isitfatal.com