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.

I really didn't think I would like, much less, love this show. Over the years, I've found sitcoms not to be my cup of tea. But I giggle many times during these episodes. Even if I can't totally relate to these two female characters, some of it is so right on for me. Also, I love the small town, pull together atmosphere. The supporting characters have so much detail and depth.

You can't help but laugh at some of the dialogue. Really, the first sitcom in a long time I would recommend. And nice to see Key in a good supporting role. Although I liked his turn in Fargo, too.

Every week when I see this show has recorded a new ep, I'm thrilled and can't wait to giggle with Maggie and her friend. I could probably do without the bitter mother that Jane Kazmaryk plays, but that would be my only complaint.

I spent the first few weeks scoffing at the commercial promos for this show with no intention of ever watching it. However I was already watching a program on USA and didn't feel like changing the channel when the show premiered. I decided to give it a glance and couldn't be happier. It made me actually laugh out loud whilst in my room with nothing but my laptop and a half-eaten turkey & cheese sandwich in front of me, causing my sleeping mother some agitation. But this show couldn't have been more worth. I've already given amazing words to all of my friends, converting some of them with me. I now know at least 7 friends who have watched this show like clockwork every week and I'm sure it will continue. This upbeat and quick comedy is fresh and new, something we haven't seen in a while and I'm very excited for more!!!

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!

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!