Playing House

Emma Crawford (Jessica St. Clair) returns to her hometown of Pinebrook, Connecticut to attend her best friend Maggie Caruso (Lennon Parham)'s baby shower. When Maggie discovers her husband Bruce had been cheating with an online cam girl, Emma decides to quit her high power job to care for Maggie and her pending baby. Emma's first love Mark Rodriguez (Keegan-Michael Key) is married to "Bird Bones" Tina. Zach Harper (Zach Woods) is Maggie's weird younger brother.

Jessica and Lennon have a simple best friends chemistry from their real life relationship. They are also good comedy creators. They do have to be careful not to make it inside jokes. That's not the case here. Keegan-Michael Key adds another great character. He's both funny and a great boyfriend material. Sadly, it got cancelled after three short seasons. It has more room to grow. I thought the cancer story was going to turn into something deeper and darker although maybe it's not the gals' style. They are more lighter and quirkier.

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!

With all the reality shows that portray women stabbing each other in the back, I am So grateful for a show that gives us an example of a selfless friendship. They are great role models for how we should treat our best friends! Love love love this show!

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!

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.