Expected more

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Two half seasons, amounting to just over one whole season(if going by the 22-24 amount that seems to be the usual for American television series). That's what this show got. I wish I could claim that it's that tough to determine why. The problem is that this just really doesn't have that much to offer. Originality is low to where it's impossible to ignore... I'm not sure I've ever seen so many episodes about the same thing(s?). Jokes and gags are repeated ad nauseum, with a handful of basic material(which is not to say that it isn't sometimes good, or that none of it is new) about the various certain situations and characters being reused, merely minorly rewritten, as the most common method of attempting to garner laughs from the audience(when the canned track more often than not can be taken as an instructor in when you're supposed to find something funny, you know something's wrong). One episode has an absolutely meaningless scenery-change there for no other purpose than to stage a line of puns, the idea behind which was done considerably better on Married... With Children, you know, oh, about a decade back, if not more. One thing that is just too "loud" on this is how Fran(who, it already has been pointed out by others, is basically playing the same character as usual) seems to constantly be parading around her improved life and new-found happiness(so much so that one would think that it isn't just in the fiction, honestly, at times this whole thing seems mostly put together as a vendetta... and I'm not unsympathetic to the pain of heart-ache, nor against art born from strong, even vindictive, emotions - The Crow is a splendid example that such motivation can be excellent - but when this is the result... I mean, if there is this little creative force behind it, then please at least get assistance by someone who could raise it to a higher level). Why so much sex? It's in every other punchline at times. The Halloween episode has nothing interesting to offer(granted, not every other does, but with how many, including unlikely ones, have, it's a legitimate expectation). The production as such is fine, nothing special. The supporting players aren't bad, they just aren't that memorable, nor their performances *that* strong(worst of which by far McPartlin, who was clearly cast entirely based on his appearance). It has already been said that Drescher is lacking a solid grown-up character to play off of(like Niles on The Nanny). The references to aforementioned title in which the lead also kept her first name were cute at first, but got old long before they ceased. Writing could be more consistent. In the end, this just never really succeeds to put anything on the screen that is all that memorable or fresh, in spite of what humor it does contain(which is hardly the least I've seen on a sit-com). Unfortunate. I recommend this only to the biggest fans of Fran Drescher. I at best like her, at worst don't usually mind her mainly Jew-centric(not a criticism, just an observation) comedic work. 5/10

As with The Nanny there was a wonderful cast who each had there place and shared in the success of the show. LWF, has a little too much Fran, maybe more than I can live with. After watching the show tonight and earlier today watching The Nanny I've come to a conclusion. If she could bring in one character from the old show she would probably do the new show a big favor. I think If Niles could return as a (Male Nanny/Butler) you'd have an excellent beginning to a good sitcom. Maybe Fran could land a big job, thus affording Niles. Of course this is probably just pipe-dreaming, but I think a good suggestion.I don't think any of the other characters from the old show would work as well as Niles, but who knows. If the original Niles couldn't be gotten, maybe a similar actor/actress. You can visualize how each character from The Nanny could fit in. I see the best fitting of them all would be Niles. Maybe Val could show up every once in a while. How bout her father from The Nanny, Steve Lawrence? All of the old characters could be cast in at least one show or more.

I am looking forward to watching more of Living with Fran. Its not that bad. Fran seems to be a little out of place in this role, not being able to exhibit her New York, Jewish themes that made The Nanny such a hit. I was almost expecting Sylvia "Ma" Fine to be at the door or on the phone. And I missed Niles and CC. Charles Shaughnessy as a guest was great. He naturally fit in and for a minute it seemed like it was a continuation of The Nanny. Ben Feldman is very good and witty. Misti Traya is excellent as Allison and offers great commentary. Ryan McPartlin's acting is almost nonexistent and just as the show promotes, he is simply the good looking young guy. The relationship between him and Fran is very unrealistic, its almost forced. Fran and Charles on The Nanny had a very good on screen presence, as opposed to Riley, who is very wooden. Hopefully, he will learn from the comic genius that is Fran Drescher and become a great actor. I have faith in this show, it just needs time.

There is a special place for a program such as this... Hell. No, I think hell may be too good for this unbelievably bad show. It is a disgrace to bad shows. This half hour of pure torture should come with a Surgeon General's warning. It's not just that it's hackneyed. It's not just that it's cliché. It's not just that the premise is unbelievably ridiculous and executed with the precision of a blind marksman. No, it's that the WB network would have the gall to think that THIS should be put on the air and promoted, while a show like Arrested Development could be so close to cancellation. Billions of years from now, aliens will find our world and see this show and realize that there was never intelligent life on Earth. On the bright side, this should keep Fran from doing Old Navy commercials. Oh dear Lord, there's a bright side.