One of the most exciting parts of awards season is seeing shows that may have slipped under the radar get another chance at recognition. That's exactly what happened when Showtime series SMILF received two Golden Globes nominations. Before its inaugural season ended, SMILF managed to receive a nomination for Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy and its star, Frankie Shaw, scored a nomination for Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy. People who are just hearing about the series for the first time may be wondering where they can catch a glimpse of the newly award-nominated series, and those looking for where to stream SMILF will be in for a treat.
Prospective viewers don't have to look any further than one's own Showtime subscription. The show is streaming on the Showtime Anywhere app, or through Hulu or Amazon with a Showtime subscription. However, hopeful marathon-watchers may want to wait a few weeks if they're hoping to watch the whole season in one sitting — at the time of its Golden Globe noms, the entire season hasn't finished airing yet. Currently, six of the first season's eight episodes are available for streaming, with two more on the way in the coming weeks.
Unfortunately, there currently isn't a way for non-Showtime subscribers to see the whole series, but the network is allowing viewers to get a taste of SMILF for free. If you're curious about the show and want to catch an episode of the series before you sign up for a month of Showtime, the network has put the entire SMILF pilot on Youtube.
SMILF follows Bridgette, played by the show’s creator/writer/director Frankie Shaw, a 20-something single mother living in Boston. The show features the unique trials of motherhood, such as post-pregnancy sex, the process of getting a child vaccinated, and attempting to find additional income to help care for one’s own child. Along with being a single mother, Bridgette finds herself going on commercial auditions, trying to maintain a connection with the father of her child, and chowing down on McDonald's with her boss.
Alongside Frankie Shaw's star performance, the show boasts a couple of impressive supporting turns by acclaimed actresses. Connie Britton, of Friday Night Lights and Nashville fame, appears as Frankie's boss, Ally, who exists as a alternative mother figure to Bridgette. Bridgette's actual mother, Tutu, is played by none other than Rosie O'Donnell. While O'Donnell has become known for her association with daytime television like The Rosie O'Donnell Show and The View, her performance as Tutu serves a reminder that Rosie O'Donnell can still steal a scene just as effectively as she could in A League Of Their Own.
While the show is billed as a comedy, it's more of a dramatic-comedy in the vein of fellow 2017 Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy nominees like Master of None and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel than it is a flat-out comedy like fellow nominees Black-ish and Will & Grace. The show is adept at eliciting laughter one minute and getting eyes to tear up the next. The show is willing to make jokes, but it never loses sight of the reality of Bridgette's situation and how one of the most difficult things about being a single mother is that women can feel forced to put everyone else's needs in front of their own.
SMILF's strong showing at the Golden Globes comes on the heels of the show being picked up by Showtime for a second season. It's almost as if the world is announcing that if you've been sleeping on SMILF, now is the time to get caught up on the show that more and more people will be talking about as the Golden Globes approach. Whether people are watching the series on Showtime, Hulu, Amazon or just watching the first episode on Youtube — SMILF is a show that demands to be seen.
