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Living with Fran (Syndicated)

common sense media says

Mediocre sitcom has trite stories and adult humor.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the lead character is a middle-aged divorcee who's living with a much younger man and enjoying an active sex life. Most episodes contain jokes that adults might find funny, but which might confuse younger viewers or go over their heads entirely. For example, in one episode, Fran tells her son that she's skipping her bikini wax because her hysterectomy scar hasn't yet healed and comments favorably when her pregnant cousin says that she's already had her doctor-OK'd daily glass of wine with breakfast.

Positive messages: The living-together premise isn't for everyone.
Violence: Not applicable.
Sex: Fran's boyfriend lives with her and is a de facto member of her family, but they're not married. Includes fairly frequent sexual innuendo and discussions of sex life.
Language: "Crapped out," "ass," "screw," etc.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Social drinking.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Living with Fran

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about divorce. Why do some marriages end in divorce? How are kids affected by their parents' breakup? Why is it important for kids to understand that they aren't the reason for the end of their parents' marriage? How does it affect kids when their parents enter new relationships, particularly serious ones? How are the effects different for younger and older kids?

What's the story?

What's the story?
In LIVING WITH FRAN, nasal-voiced actress Fran Drescher stars as a middle-aged divorcee juggling her relationship with a much younger man with the demands of raising her two almost-grown-up kids. Drescher plays Fran Reeves, who -- after splitting up with husband Ted (Charles Shaughnessy, her co-star on The Nanny) -- finds love with the much-younger Riley (Ryan McPartlin). Riley shacks up with Fran and her two kids, 21-year-old Josh (Ben Feldman), who moved home after dropping out of medical school, and 16-year-old Allison (Misti Traya), who tests Fran's patience with her entrée into the dating world. Debi Mazar rounds out the cast as Merrill, Fran's cousin who always drops by unexpectedly -- and who ends up dating Riley's best friend.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Living with Fran relies on typical "wacky" sitcom storylines to garner laughs, but overall the show is neither particularly great nor particularly terrible. Some episodes deal with adult subject matter -- including premarital sex and searching for love while raising kids -- which leads to some bawdy dialogue. But if viewers can handle that, they'll find Living with Fran a mindless half-hour of entertainment.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: NR
Network: Syndicated
Cast: Ben Feldman, Fran Drescher, Ryan McPartlin
Genre: Comedy
Where to watch: Syndicated
This review was written by Lucy Maher
 
 

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mike789
adult
17
 
pg13-pg
Fran has always did movies that were either pg13 or pg. I personnelly like her as an actor but would not recommend this for children under 17.
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