Playing House

It's hard to tell which one is crazier, but who cares... Since their previous show, "Best Friends Forever," was canceled they are back again. These two are just too funny to get rid of. The creators, writers and stars, Jessica & Lennon, use a mix of script and improv to bring you a LOL funny couple of best friends. Which is what they are in real life. I thought "Best Friends Forever" was a great show, but with Keenen Micheal Keyes as a co-star, this one is even better!!!

The banter between these characters will have you rolling on the floor! Just wait 'til you see Lennon's alter-ego "Beaucephus!" You will laugh so hard you won't be able to breathe. Be sure to DVR the show so you can go back and watch the bits you miss because you were laughing so hard.

I have watched the first five episodes of Playing House and this is my review. Bravo to USA for such a funny, well-made sitcom. This show is hilarious - as I knew it would be since Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair are writing as well as starring in it. The acting is great - Lennon and Jessica really work well off each other. The supporting cast is a treat, from Keegan Michael Key to the always superb Jane Kczmarek are pretty much perfect. The writing is clever and sharp and although the "returning to small town" trope is not new, Playing House somehow makes it fresh. The guest stars have been great too (Andy Daly, Jason Mantzoukas!) Can't wait to see what else these funny ladies have up their sleeves!

I saw these two on a reunion of sorts on Bless this Mess. I loved their short-lived sitcom Best Friends Forever and had no idea this existed. I'd seen the show on streaming sites, but the title really turned me off. Watched the first episode and I was hooked! The chemistry between the two is electric and Keegan Michael Key is the perfect compliment. I love all the UCB cast cameos as well. You won't regret watching!

Much of the appeal of this show lies in the chemistry between the leads, who co-created it and have worked together for years. They're portrayal of best friends is very real and also very funny. The show manages to touch at the underlying emotions of the characters in a way that never seems saccharine or that even stops the comedy; even the most emotional scenes have humor.

I don't love the premise of a woman who gives up her high-powered job to raise a friend's baby. It's a strange scenario, and presumably the ex executive is living on savings now and at some point will need to get a job. I would like to see that, since raising babies and flirting with your married ex doesn't seem like enough for someone who has spent years in a job she appears to have loved and been good at. But even if the show is a little shy of sense, it is very funny and charming.

ADDENDUM: I wrote this after watching the first season, and had nothing new to say after the second. But the third season is genuinely bad. The writing just fell off a cliff. It's embarrassingly bad sitcom stuff. I don't know what happened!

The two leads are also the writers, which didn't surprise me. They're very funny and every episode kept me interested and laughing. They have such great chemistry that I wondered if they were best friends in real life, so I Googled it, and yes, they are. Keegan-Michael Key and Jane Kaczmarek are very good in supporting roles. In fact, the whole cast is quite funny, with familiar faces popping up here and there. I like Key's role, and he does a nice job as straight man who gets to be funny here and there, but it is weird that he is Emma's married old boyfriend. Seems unclear what his purpose is - I almost want him and Emma to get together, but not at the expense of his marriage, which is not bad. The show can be a little edgy and Emma (Jessica St. Clair) can be a little prickly (as can her mom, played by Kaczmarek). But it's all balanced with a sweetness (not the syrupy kind) as the two best friends take care of each other. Now that nothing new is on TV, and all that's left is so formulaic (esp. since Community was canceled), it's really nice to find a truly funny show. So many sitcoms are formulaic and forced. This is definitely NOT one of those. Probably not everyone's cup of tea, but definitely worth a watch to find out.