Happily Divorced

I like Fran Drescher. I like her comic timing. I like her schmaltzy sense of humor. I like her willingness to mock herself in order to get a laugh. I even like her oh so nasally voice. So I like Happily Divorced. The show succeeds or fails based on whether you like Fran Drescher. Lots of people do and lots of people don't. What the show is about is really almost superfluous because no matter what the premise, if you like Fran Drescher, you'll watch it. If you don't, you won't. I like Fran Drescher and I like her new show.

But for those who may not know Fran Drescher the show revolves around a woman and her recently out of the closet gay ex-husband living together, getting on each other's nerves and even sharing a few tender moments. The supporting cast is all good. I like the performances of Robert Walden and Rita Moreno as Fran's supportive but laid-back parents. (When Fran finds out that her parents always believed he was gay and thought that she knew all the time, she yells "Why would I marry a gay man?" Their response?...a shrug.)

So Fran Drescher fans, give it a try. The rest of you, tune in to something else.

Main character still named Fran with no difference how she talks or behaves as Fine or Lovett. Best friend Val/Judi. Nosey worker Niles/Cesar. Pushy parents Mah/Daddy Mah/Daddy. Husband turned friend and friend turned husband Peter/Mr Sheffield & Mr Sheffield/Peter. Episode after episode of Fran & Peter/Max looking for love separately, going on bad, farcical date after bad, farcical date with the occasional episode-long relationship blowing up. On and off unhealthy love interest Danny/Elliot. Numerous recycled plots. Numerous guest appearances of Nanny cast with lines paying homage to their previous roles. A partial recreation of the Sheffield home. Fran meeting a Fran-clone... again. Still playing a character a decade younger than her real age and always lying that she another decade younger than that. Still making overt lies about clothing size being smaller than reality. Still drowns emotion in excessive food but fakes a demure diet in front of dates. The list goes on and on.

I loved The Nanny, so Happily Divorced was entertaining enough because it was basically watching The Nanny again without watching The Nanny.

I am not sure if this show is in Australia yet but I have been able to watch it and love it. I am a senior citizen yet still work so coming home and being able to drift off and watch a fun show is invaluable. There are not enough fun shows on TV, ones that you can just watch and enjoy after a busy day. I sincerely hope this show continues as I love to watch Fran and her Lucille Ball like situations. Maybe they are old hat but a good joke, even if old, is far preferable to a new one that is lousy. The actors surrounding Fran are very good and help to make the show very watchable. I love that people from her other show are on this one now and again and it is great to see (Sylvia) Marilyn making a few appearances. Please keep the show going as it is great to have a smile and a laugh after a busy day.

Surprised this lasted two seasons only watched one episode it was not funny they tried to be funny but it wasn't..Tv land has gotten so awful after the 2000s and this show proves it sorry Fran your not Lucille Ball it was too unbelievable of a premise anyway too much stupid heartwarming moments and audience laughing after someone talks the ex husband man is very cringe worthy were did they get him at he cannot act to save his life..sorry this ain't the nanny at least that was a funny show till the last season..glad this got cancelled the world took a collective sigh of relief after it got cancelled.

Other reviewers mention how clichéd the show is. Let me reiterate that point. I just watched an episode in which Fran loses her best friend after the best friend's sleazy new boyfriend comes on to Fran. That exact plot was episode 2 of The Golden Girls 30 years ago.

And it doesn't stop there, the staging, the acting, the timing, the whole thing could have been made in the 80's. But yet the show makes me laugh.

Perhaps what makes it stand out from its peers - those hip sitcoms that are too cool for a laugh track - is that the actors seem to be having fun and seem to like the characters they are playing. Compare this with "Up All Night" in which gifted actors are given characters to play that they clearly don't give a damn about - and neither do we.

"Happily Divorced" is no classic but it's fun for 20 minutes, which is all a sitcom needs to be. Good on ya, Fran.