What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T2 WHAT'S UP! NOVEMBER 5-11, 2017 A2 WHATS UP! SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2017 BY SARAH JAMIESON TV Media T here's no question about it: being a mom is hard, and going it alone is even harder. Comedy, however, teaches us to laugh at the uncertainty, the struggle for work-life balance, and any awkward exchanges between exes that are tied into single motherhood. Frankie Shaw's comedic genius pokes fun at co-parenting and other squirming single-mom mo- ments in the series premiere of "SMILF," airing Sunday, Nov. 5, on Showtime. Shaw writes, directs, produc- es and stars in the series about a single mom trying to navigate the dating scene, her career and being a parent at the same time. In a show that comes across as shockingly funny and heartfelt, Shaw uses her raun- chy Boston humor to explain the maladies of being a single mother in modern times. Star- ring some comedic heavy hit- ters, such as talk-show sensa- tion Rosie O'Donnell ("The View"), the show has the mak- ings of a great series. "SMILF" is based on the short that won Shaw a Short Film Jury Award at the Sun- dance Festival in 2015. Shaw plays Bridgette, a young wom- an from South Boston (a "Southie") trying to make it as an actress and create a better life for her son. Despite her struggles to make sense of her life, which is frankly a mess, she is still a great mom. "Her No. 1 priority is making sure her kid has a better life than she had," Shaw said in a promotional video on Show- time's website. "[It] drives a lot of what she does." Shaw's character is much the same in the show as in the movie: Bridgitte struggles through finding love and estab- lishing her career, and she's of- ten sideswiped by her mother- ly duties and personal short- comings. "[Bridgitte] puts her foot in her mouth a lot," the actress explains. "She has no boundar- ies and a lot of issues that get in the way of her leading a fully functional life, though she's trying hard." Anna Reimer and Frankie Shaw star in "SMILF" Mom's the word continued on page A10 TV FEATURE