James Wright
This show both stands and falls by the fact that its lead wrote the script and it is based on their life experiences.On the one hand this makes it a well acted and introspective look at the life and struggles of a single mother, with some original takes on everyday situations and it certainly has a lot to say. On the other hand though there are some things that are a little too self-indulgent or one-sided, and while this may be an unpopular opinion, the perceivable age difference between the creator and the character is somewhat jarring. It comes across like the lead should be a woman in her early 20s, but instead of casting someone of the age appropriate to the story she is trying to tell, she instead cast herself, which may be more ego in this case than anything else. (It was the initial noticing of this that made me question if it was written by the actress in the first place, as the choice would seem strange for any other reason)Overall this is another example of good modern writing, giving a personal perspective that is interesting and generally entertaining. The show has a nice raw quality that is worth something, it's just possible that the creator should have taken herself out of the equation and cast a more fitting lead. (I'm the same age as the lead and if I was casting a young single father I would go for someone 10 years younger than myself, this isn't about gender, it's about accuracy)
Ashlea-saggers68
I loved this series from beginning to end. Brilliant characterisation. Beautifully crafted human predicaments. All spun with lament and humour.
veszetteszter
This show really doesn't get enough credit. I was a bit afraid when I learned that it is based on Frankie Shaw's real life experience as a single mom as I didn't think I could relate and, another show with a similar format, Better Things was neither funny nor heartwarming to me. SMILF, on the other hand, is very fresh, relatable and a good mixture of funny and sad in a Girls kind of way but with genuinely good people and real relationships. Everything is on point, the casting, the characters, the dialogue, even the costume design is perfect.
Bob
I honestly did not expect much figuring that this was a Shameless knockoff just trying to out-shock what shocking things Shameless brings us each week. But I was wrong. The writing is wonderful, bringing unexpected storyline twists in each episode and quickly building viewer empathy for the characters who are caught up in life, but have dreams, and making us care about them. The acting is great, delivering some of Rosie's best work. Gritty, edgy, whatever you want to call it, this is not the same old crappy filler between commercials that is delivered so often.