By ANNA MARIE BORIA
Starting over after a messy divorce ABC’s new sitcom How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) focuses on the life of single mother Polly (Sarah Chalke, Scrubs) and her life after her decision to go back to live with her mother (Elizabeth Perkins, Big) and stepfather (Brad Garrett, Everybody Loves Raymond).
How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) aired April 5 on ABC.
The show give off an obvious adult atmosphere within the first five minutes. The adult situations and strong language contradicts the family friendly title.
The pilot highlights Polly’s first attempt at dating after leaving her clingy husband who still frequently visits her parent’s house. Polly’s drunken mother and her stepfather add humor, while the rest of the cast came up short.
Polly is over protective of her 4-year-old daughter, perhaps because of her drunken mother’s loose parenting style, which motivates Polly to raise her daughter differently.
Her protectiveness shows when Polly decides to sleep in her daughter’s room every night and her anxiety on her date when she does not have cell phone reception, the only form of communication with her daughter.
Near the end of the show one realizes Polly’s need to to sleep with her daughter and the beginning of her journey to grow up and become independent.
Polly’s flawed way of living, her co-dependency with her daughter and her quirky personality comes off charming and relatable. The successful resumes of the cast and the on screen chemistry alone would show a promising chance to keep the show on the air. This arrival of a new sitcom in April may stand a chance and survive a season renewal or two.
The next episode of How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) aires April 10, at 9:30 p.m. on ABC.
The 411
Show Title: How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)
Release date: 4/05/2013
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars