Entertainment
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, so the saying goes. And if your neighbor looks like a thin, impossibly flawless 19-year-old, her kale smoothies tend to look greener than your grass, too. That’s the central premise of American Housewife, which stars Katy Nixon as an average mom struggling to raise her three kids while surrounded by outwardly "perfect," privileged mothers of Western Connecticut. Although some critics took issue with the prevalence of fat jokes in American Housewife early into its premiere season, the show has still managed to hold its own with viewers. So when is American Housewife coming back for Season 2?
UPDATE: ABC announced on July 25 that American Housewife will return for Season 2 on Sept. 27.
EARLIER: According to Deadline, American Housewife has already been renewed by ABC, and it’s not hard to see why — when the show first premiered in October 2016, Deadline reported that it was the highest rated series on ABC that night. Apparently, it's the strongest series (ratings-wise) to come out of the network since Black-ish, even though it doesn’t appear on ABC's regular Wednesday comedy block. While the network has not yet set a date for Season 2, it’s safe to assume that Katie Otto and her wonderfully scrappy Connecticut family will be back in the fall for another 23-episode season.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of other hilarious shows about moms to catch up on while you wait for the next season of American Housewife.
'Great News'
This new NBC series stars Andrea Martin as a mother reentering the workforce by taking an internship at the cable news show where her daughter works as a producer. It was created by Tracey Wigfield (who also stars as the meteorologist) and co-produced by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, so it’s basically to Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom what 30 Rock was to Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip — which is to say, extremely weird and delightfully mocking. The first season is still airing now, and you can catch up on Hulu.
'Mom'
Now in its fourth season (with a fifth one on the way!), this three-camera CBS sitcom features several generations of dysfunctional moms and daughters struggling to get their lives on track. Although Anna Faris and Allison Janey are certainly hilarious together, Moms also deals with complicated themes, particularly the addiction that both central characters struggle with. Full episodes and clips are available on the CBS website.
'Jane The Virgin'
By the end of the first season Jane is a mom, so this totally counts, right? Even without Mateo in the picture, though, Jane The Virgin also celebrates motherhood by way of Jane’s extended family, including her mother Xiomara and her grandmothers, Alba and Liliana. The show’s premiere season on the CW was widely celebrated as one of the best shows on TV that year, and Gina Rodriguez has been nominated for a Golden Globe three separate times (and even won once) for her performance.
'Fresh Off The Boat'
Remember when this show thought it was about Eddie, its 11-year-old protagonist whose real-life counterpart wrote the book the entire series is based on? Yeah, not so much — his mom, Taiwanese-American matriarch Jessica Huang, is the character people tune in to see every week on ABC. Sorry, little dude, but Constance Wu has too much amazing comedic timing not to be the breakout star. You can catch up on previous seasons with Hulu Plus.
'The Middle'
Like Katie Otto, Frankie Heck (played to perfection by Patricia Heaton) has a family that’s far from perfect, but who loves one another anyway. Of course, Frankie also has to deal with her career and trying to make ends meet in a middle-class suburban Indiana home, so at least she doesn’t have to deal with quite as many perfect moms in addition to all that. The Middle airs on ABC, and old episodes can be found on Hulu Plus.
'Odd Mom Out'
Based on a book about the wealthy mom cliques of the Upper East Side of Manhattan, aptly called Momzillas (so already, American Housewife fans will have something to relate to), this Bravo scripted series stars Jill Kargman as a fictionalized version of herself, a stay-at-home mom in a blue-blooded family who must navigate the competitive world of socialite moms that she now finds herself in. Old episodes can be found on Bravo’s app.
'Gilmore Girls'
It is impossible to suggest comedies about motherhood without bringing up The Gilmore Girls, the beloved series about a young mom trying to raise her teenage daughter and deal with her overbearing wealthy parents. A revival season, A Year In The Life, was just released on Netflix last fall, and according to showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino there will almost certainly be more Gilmore Girls on the way. Better start stocking up on coffee now!
Even though motherhood is a popular subject for television shows, these series are all notable because they prove there's no one perfect way to be a mom — as characters like Lorelei Gilmore, Bonnie Plunkett, and Jane Villanueva teach us, all you can really do is love your kids and try your best. Thankfully, you'll get to see more of Katie Otto doing more of the same when American Housewife returns next season.
