Happy Together
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The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Happy Together is a sitcom about a couple whose lives are disrupted when young, famous musician Cooper James (Felix Mallard) moves in with them. As a result, they (Damon Wayans Jr. and Amber Stevens West) try to reconnect with their younger selves, going out to clubs with Cooper, drinking to excess, and doing other things to make themselves feel younger. Meanwhile, Cooper discovers the pleasures of staying home on Saturday nights and watching television in his pajamas. Happy Together is pretty family-friendly, except for its depictions of drinking and the amount of sexual innuendo. As in many network sitcoms, there is a constant stream of product placement.
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Decent Jokes combined with Boring Characters Doesn't Work Out Well
What's the story?
Accountant Jake (Damon Wayans Jr.) and his wife, Claire (Amber Stevens West), a restaurant designer, are HAPPY TOGETHER in their mid-30s, and spend their Saturday nights binge-watching television in their pajamas ... at least until superstar musician Cooper James (Felix Mallard) shows up on their doorstep, asking to move in with them. Cooper is one of Jake's clients, and has found himself embroiled in a tabloid controversy, so he wants to hole up somewhere that no one would think to look for him. As Jake and Claire get to know the young Cooper, his celebrity lifestyle makes them yearn for their youth, and they start trying to keep up with his fast-paced lifestyle. Meanwhile, Cooper develops an affection for Jake and Claire's relaxed, mundane way of life.
Is it any good?
Wayans and West, who play Jake and Claire, are the type of endearing performers that can elevate mediocre material to something charming and funny. That's a good thing, because outside of those two, Happy Together relies on an incredibly thin premise -- a young celeb moves in with his accountant -- plus an uninteresting supporting cast and a mixed bag of jokes. But Wayans and Stevens bring such charm and gameness to their roles that they're very easy to root for, and can occasionally wring big laughs out of nothing, like their performance of Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" for their outgoing answering machine message.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the differences between people in their late teens and 20s and people in their 30s. How is Jake and Claire's lifestyle different from Cooper's? How do their points of view contrast? What is Happy Together trying to say about age?
What do Jake and Claire miss about being younger? What does Cooper envy about Jake and Claire's lives?
TV details
- Premiere date: October 1, 2018
- Cast: Damon Wayans Jr., Amber Stevens West, Felix Mallard
- Network: CBS
- Genre: Comedy
- TV rating: TV-14
- Available on: Streaming
- Last updated: March 13, 2020
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