Parents' Guide to

Living with Fran

By Lucy Maher, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Mediocre sitcom has trite stories and adult humor.

TV Syndicated Comedy 2005
Living with Fran Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

mike789
mike789 Adult
July 2, 2011
age 18+

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.
See all 1 parent review

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?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • 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?

TV Details

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