Season 1 Discussion

[Lady Calypso]

Discuss Single Parents here!

[mtlchick]

Most of the reviews have said that out of all the comedies this season (and Murphy Brown not available), this was the only one that was worth the effort in watching.

They were right, those beautiful bastards.  If ABC knows what their niche is, is family comedies.  And I say that as a 40 year old single woman. 

Now hoping that JJ Philbin gets her papa on the show in some capacity...

[incandescent]

Pilot episode and they already had to milk the Disney connection? Yeesh, ABC, calm down.

[tennisgurl]

If I had all of Disney, I would milk that cow for all its worth! 

ABC is going well with its family comedies, its really a good niche for them to get into. I liked this, will be checking it out again next week! 

[AnnaRose]

Wow, I couldn't believe this is the comedy that was recommended.  I hated pretty much everything about it and have already removed it from my DVR schedule.  And I usually love family sitcoms and almost always give shows a few episodes before dropping them.

Edited September 27, 2018 by AnnaRose

[sonyab]

I saw it tonight, and I liked it. Very funny first episode. The guy singing to his daughter on the phone made me cry. The only thing that annoyed me, was that the group wouldn't let him say it takes a village.. Geez what is what wrong with saying that? It's true!! It DOES take a village.  I hope that really isn't going to be a running thing that they won't let him say that.. So dumb.

[SallyAlbright]

I enjoyed this, and I hate most network sitcoms. Leighton Meester still has chemistry with everyone and has great comic timing. She so deserves a good show. Brad Garrett is always funny too. Some of the jokes tried a little too hard, but I think this has potential to be very fun. 

[Minneapple]

Watched the pilot. A little rough but not bad for a pilot. I'll give it a few more episodes at least.

[Grammy6]

I was a bit disappointed, but I'll give it another chance, because by the end, I didn't hate those people anymore.  The kids are adorable!

[MerBearHou]

I think Tarran Killam is endearing and very funny and his absolutely zero vanity will serve the character well.  Plus I think he’s cute.  His singing at the end into the phone (hello, Hamilton-alum) and then Brad Garrett joining in was SO sweet and a great way to end the episode — plus Brad dancing with Rory.  I’ll be back next week for this one.

[HawaiiTVGuy]

4 hours ago, Minneapple said:

Watched the pilot. A little rough but not bad for a pilot. I'll give it a few more episodes at least.

Yup my thoughts too, rough around the edges but has promise with the premise.  Reminds me of Superstore like trying too hard.  It makes one appreciate a show like Good Place so much more for being so "smooth" out of the gate 

[paulvdb]

10 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

Wow, I couldn't believe this is the comedy that was recommended.  I hated pretty much everything about it and have already removed it from my DVR schedule.  And I usually love family sitcoms and almost always give shows a few episodes before dropping them.

I guess all the other comedies were bad. I watched I Feel Bad and didn't like that enough to continue to watch. The same goes for this show.

[geekburger]

I enjoyed it. Definite potential!

[scarlett]

LOVED it. Very rare that a sitcom pilot can make me laugh out loud more than once and this one did a few times. Love seeing Leighton Meester on TV again and have always been a fan of Taran. I don't see this being on The Good Place's level but more around New Girl and B99 which aren't (or weren't) spectacular comedy but still fun, funny and with likable characters. 

[Empress1]

I had just listened to Naomi Ekperigan's podcast yesterday (I subscribe) so it was a trip to see her on the show. She played the teacher; she referenced starting a new job on the podcast so I guess that was it. (She co-hosts the podcast with her husband. It's called Couples Therapy.)

I really hope they get the Black single mom some better hair, but overall I thought it was funny and the kids weren't too precocious, which I liked. For some reason the thing that really cracked me up was when he was like "My other date outfit option is ..." and he zipped off the bottom of his pants. Pants that turn into shorts are really funny to me!

[Bort]

Wow, I did not like this. I didn't laugh once. And once the singing started, I was done, I turned it off. But I'll give this another shot because I like Leighton Meester and Taran Killam (he was Jimmy the Overly Touchy Orderly on Scrubs!) on the hope that this was just rough for a pilot.

[joanne3482]

16 hours ago, incandescent said:

Pilot episode and they already had to milk the Disney connection? Yeesh, ABC, calm down.

I'm okay with it because it felt organic and natural here. To me, it's to be expected that the kids would know the latest Disney songs.  

I love the dude with the baby in the shoe line.  And I agree about the zip off pants line.  This was the second in line of my most anticipated shows and I do like it so far. 

[Ilovepie]

Things I liked: All the parents 

Things I didn’t: All the kids. Waaaay to precocious and snarky for how young they are. I don’t find kids using idioms they would never understand funny at all. White whale? Please.

Also, what elementary school lets children chew gum?!?

I always think sitcoms have a harder time establishing themselves so I’ll watch a couple more before I decide, but that’s it. There’s just too much other tv out there to waste time on something mediocre.

[Toothbrush]

The only kids I liked were Rory (but they need to not make him any more extra) & baby Jack. I am partial to blonde, identical girl twins, being the mother of a set of them myself, but they didn't click for me this episode. I do like all of the parents. 

I had the same thought about the gum. 

Douglas & Rory dancing was adorable. 

Edited September 28, 2018 by Toothbrush

[Ilovepie]

18 minutes ago, Toothbrush said:

The only kids I liked were Rory (but they need to not make him any more extra)

I think all the kids were extra, and that was the problem. 

[JasmineFlower]

21 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I really hope they get the Black single mom some better hair

Words cannot express how much I love this comment. Kimrie's hair was awful and since I've seen her with substantially better hair than this, I know this is completely unnecessary. Also, from what we've seen so far, her son wouldn't let her out of the house with such a fake and tired looking weave.

[ashleylm]

Didn't laugh, didn't like it, didn't find it believable, didn't find it enjoyably unbelievable (Kimmy Schmidt or The Goldbergs know how to handle over-the-top unbelievability in a way that works), the kids were extra (that's new slang that means "too much," right?) ... I don't mind not laughing if it's not a comedy, but I'm fairly certain this was intended to be one.  Everyone's dialogue came out as "funny lines written by comedy writers" rather than anything anyone would ever actually say, which immediately renders them "not funny lines written by comedy writers," unfortunately.  I gave it to the halfway point because I'm still sad I ditched Mom after the first 5 minutes only to discover years later I'd missed out on a gem.  If this turns out to be a gem, someone will eventually let me know.  I'm out!

[slasherboy]

3 hours ago, ashleylm said:

 the kids were extra (that's new slang that means "too much," right?) 

Thanks.  Read that phrase in 2 posts before yours and wondered what it meant.  Now I'm woke!  (did I use that correctly?)

[DuckyinKy]

I am going to put myself out there <deep breath> I would watch Brad Garrett read the phone book (ha! who is old? I am!) because I have a huge crush on him. HUGE. 

[Lady Calypso]

I was surprised to see how much I liked this. I did actually end up laughing, which is rare for me with any sitcom nowadays. I don't know how long I'll stick with this, as I tend to drop off on most comedies after a few episodes, but if I can stick with this for a full season, then that's a good thing. The kids weren't even that annoying because they mostly appeared minimally. So yeah, I'll give this one a chance.

[Pandorap]

I randomly decided to check this out not having seen any previews.  I liked it a lot!  I laughed and I think it has potential  and added it to my pvr list!

[memememe76]

I like this show a lot already. I enjoyed that the parents are generally competent and the kids and parents generally don't hate each other. Everyone is enjoyable. The kids are extra in a likeable way. No one is overly mean or trashy.

[Kel Varnsen]

I liked this a lot and thought it was surprisingly good for a pilot. Even though it is a show about parents with kids I like the idea that they are showing how the parents are trying to live their lives beyond their kids.  I hope they can keep it up.

I also like how the main characters all had what seem to be totally different backgrounds but they just sort of expected you to accept that they are all friends without any kind of origin story. 

One of the reviews I read compared this show to Cougar Town, which was an awesome show that also focused on the lives of parents beyond raising their kids. If this show comes close to how great that show was I will be happy.

[marymon]

I must have missed something Jake was the young father with the baby right?   So does he have another kid who is the same grade as the other single parents?  If not why is he hanging with them at school with an infant? 

[Kel Varnsen]

10 hours ago, marymon said:

I must have missed something Jake was the young father with the baby right?   So does he have another kid who is the same grade as the other single parents?  If not why is he hanging with them at school with an infant? 

I actually appreciated that. There are lots of different ways parents can meet and become friends. The fact that didn't go out of their way to spell it out with klunky dialogue was nice.

[ShellyD]

I wondered about that too, @marymon. One of the mothers said he was her neighbor, I think but that doesn’t explain why he is with her when she takes her son to school.

Mr SD and I enjoyed it. We laughed quite a few times and I don’t dread seeing it on the DVR list. Yes, a little rough but great potential. 

[Lady Calypso]

On 30/09/2018 at 1:26 AM, marymon said:

I must have missed something Jake was the young father with the baby right?   So does he have another kid who is the same grade as the other single parents?  If not why is he hanging with them at school with an infant? 

I actually remember them answering this question. It was when the teacher asked I think his name is Miggy to leave and the mother (Poppy, according to Wikipedia) told the teacher that he was a neighbour who was in denial about his situation so he was just with the single parents group. So, he wasn't dropping off a kid, but just hanging with the group for the day.They specified that he's 20 as well, which...he definitely doesn't look 20.

[SnarkySheep]

I admit to tuning in solely for Brad Garrett...who, unfortunately, has had a track record of choosing lousy sitcoms (excluding ELR, of course). I really try not to judge pilots too harshly, since it takes a bit to get used to new characters, for everyone's stories to start unfolding, etc. But I'm not really feeling this show.

[jumper sage]

On 9/27/2018 at 11:45 PM, Ilovepie said:

Also, what elementary school lets children chew gum?!?

All of them?  It's the new thing now.  Sugar those kids up.  I have had to tell the schools NOT to give my kid crap every hour on the hour.  He was coming home a wreck.  I was so glad when he was out of elementary school.  At least in Jr and Sr high they offer them fruit and yogurt.

I am in with this show.

[Ilovepie]

13 minutes ago, jumper sage said:

All of them?

Gum is not allowed at my kids schools (Elementary or Jr. High) mostly because of the janitorial situation when they deposit it on the ground/chairs/under tables. It was not allowed at my school growing up either.......I'm not sure this show exists in any place in the real world though so I guess it's just quibbling at this point!

Last year my son (who was in third grade) was in a classroom where the teacher had a "food-free" policy. That meant no treats for birthdays or class parties. I agree kids get too much junk in general but that was just depressing.......

[Lady Calypso]

Original Airdate: October 3rd 2018

Quote

“Sleepover Ready” – Douglas is stuck hosting the kids’ Saturday sleepover, and Will uses this as an opportunity to try to bond with Douglas, something he hasn’t been able to do before. Angie and Graham both struggle with their own fear of sleepovers – Graham is worried to stay the night without his mom and not in his own house, and Angie is worried to sleep over with her man friend Owen. Meanwhile, Poppy helps Miggy come up with potential job ideas in order to help him become more responsible, on an all-new episode of “Single Parents,” WEDNESDAY, OCT. 3 (9:31-10:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand.

[funnygirl]

I thought the pilot was charming and I found myself laughing out loud at a few moments. I plan on tuning in. 

Edited October 3, 2018 by funnygirl

[sonyab]

This was another great and funny episode. :) I like that Douglas and Will finally bonded at the golf course when they were talking about raising daughters. :) The one thing that bugged me, was that when Will's daughter was talking to him about Douglas, that she called him Douglas. I hope she doesn't call Douglas by his first name when she is with him, and that she calls him Mr. Fogerty.

[tennisgurl]

Dude, they were so right about the bobby pins. Why are they somehow everywhere when you dont need them, but nowhere when you need them desperately? Its a mystery.

I like this show so far. It got some laughs out of me, and I like the actors, even the child actors. They run the risk of becoming too precocious, especially if this show goes on for awhile and they get older, but for now, they're all pretty adorable with distinct personalities. 

[biakbiak]

Andy Favreau was the best thing about Champions so I hope he sticks around for a bit.

[bros402]

I like this show.

[BusyOctober]

I watched the pilot, but for the life of me I don't remember how/why Miggy is part of this group.  Yes, he has a baby and is apparently a single dad, but why is he hanging out with this group of Kindergarten/1st grade parents?  And what happened to his wife/baby momma? Dead like Douglas' wife? Divorced like Angie & Will?  And why doesn't he ever put the baby down?

Overall, I like this show, but...

the actress playing Poppy needs to slow down when she speaks.  She talks too damn fast.

the little boy with anxiety issues is starting to creep me out, toting around all his Mom-scented items wherever he goes

are the twins supposed to be evil?

[90PercentGravity]

I thought it was obnoxious and not particularly funny. Lots of cliches and out-dated stereotypes. The only character I found interesting (20-year-old) was barely more than a punchline. I also thought the cast had zero chemistry.

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

watched the pilot, but for the life of me I don't remember how/why Miggy is part of this group.  Yes, he has a baby and is apparently a single dad, but why is he hanging out with this group of Kindergarten/1st grade parents? 

They sort of explained it this episode Poppy and Midge apparently found him freaking out over diapers at the store and took him under their wing and he apparently lives in Poppy’s guest house or other rental property. The baby’s mom is off at college.

[qtpye]

Miggy's baby is amazingly cute and I am not usually a cute baby person. Miggy is funny but they need to dial back the cluelessness a little.

This is an unpopular opinion but I do not love the rest of the kids that much. I almost wish the kids were silent or not there like Everybody Loves Raymond. I know this is a big ask for a show about Single Parents but I do like the adults in their roles.

[biakbiak]

7 minutes ago, qtpye said:

Miggy is funny but they need to dial back the cluelessness a little.

Yeah the putting the bananas in blender with the peels still on was a step way too far into this man couldn’t keep a child alive territory.

Edited October 4, 2018 by biakbiak

[jumper sage]

21 hours ago, sonyab said:

I hope she doesn't call Douglas by his first name when she is with him, and that she calls him Mr. Fogerty.

Or Mr. Douglas - when having kids with other close friends with kids we let them say Miss Nancy or Mr. Mike.

This show is on my Hulu list now.

[incandescent]

20 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Andy Favreau was the best thing about Champions so I hope he sticks around for a bit.

I remember what shirtless Andy Favreau looked like on The Mick so I hope he sticks around too. And that he stays far away from Douglas' sauna.

[Ilovepie]

20 hours ago, qtpye said:

This is an unpopular opinion but I do not love the rest of the kids that much.

Me either - I actually think they are ruining the show for me. I don't think these writers know any kids this age, because they have them saying things that kids this age would never know. For instance, the twins and Shawshank, or Rory knowing anything about the Mandrell sisters. Just not believable at all. I am giving one more episode, but I don't think I can stand anymore of the kids.....

[sonyab]

19 hours ago, jumper sage said:

Or Mr. Douglas - when having kids with other close friends with kids we let them say Miss Nancy or Mr. Mike.

This show is on my Hulu list now.

YES! Or that too!!! Great idea!!! :)  Hulu huh? Just in case you miss an episode? :)