Mom, ITV2 - TV review

There's a clash of cheery tone and dark subject matter that makes Mom oddly appealing

Ellen E. Jones
Monday 02 March 2015 19:00 EST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

With Amy Poehler's Parks and Recreation coming to an end after seven series, there's an opening for a new upbeat TV heroine to replace Leslie Knope and Christy (Anna Faris) from ITV 2's Mom should definitely be in the running.

Admittedly, Mom is from the same team that cursed us with the dreadful, but massively successful, Two and a Half Men – and it shows. The dialogue is rarely witty enough to justify the hearty canned guffaws, yet there's a clash of cheery tone and dark subject matter that makes Mom oddly appealing, nonetheless.

In this first episode of the second series, Christy, a single mum and recovering alcoholic, had become an AA sponsor to Jill (Jaime Pressly), but wasn't quite leading by example. Having gambled away the rent money, she debated alternative options for saving the family from destitution. Her own mother Bonnie (Allison Janney) has a suggestion: "If you were drunk you could bang the landlord and we wouldn't be homeless." Only in Mom would such a predicament be comedy.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in