If you’re a fan of old-time sitcoms that have a certain pacing and a giant laugh track to match, TV Land’s newest women-in-midlife-crisis comedy, “Happily Divorced,” is the one for you.
Based on their life together (and apart), the series stars Fran Drescher and was co-written and produced by Drescher and her ex-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson.
Here, Fran (yes another self-named character) is told by her husband of 18 years, Peter (John Michael Higgins) — right after sex — that, oh yes, he’s gay. Cue the giant laugh track with every joke of the “How did you not know he’s gay” variety.
Fran (the character) and Peter (the character) decide to get divorced but continue to live together. He can’t afford to get a place of his own, and she can’t afford to move out because she operates her florist business out of their garage.
After coming to grips with the fact that Peter is gay (isn’t the green hat with the jaunty feather a dead giveaway?), they settle into life as unmarrieds. He blows her hair out, and she tries to figure out how she was so naive to marry a gay man. Right.
Quickly accepting her fate, Fran dives into the world of the gay divorcée — or make that a gay’s divorcée.
At a concert with her best friend (Tichina Arnold), she flirts with and immediately picks up a man (D.W. Moffett), who turns out to be just her type! (Apparently that means a man who she is sure is gay, too.)
Into the mix of comedy so broad it should have a “wide load” sign attached, come Fran’s standard-issue quirky parents (Rita Moreno and Robert Walden) who live nearby, giving them ample opportunity to drop in often bearing groceries and one-liners.
Finally, there’s Fran’s kooky assistant, Cesar (Valente Rodriguez), who plays the straight man (no pun intended, I swear!) in exchanges such as this one:
“There is nothing a bouquet can’t fix.”
“I’m gay!” Peter answers.
“Then you’ll need a bigger bouquet!” Bada boom.
If you love Fran Drescher, and just the sound of her voice sends you into peals of laughter, happily settle in to enjoy her divorce. If, however, her voice makes your inner dog howl, run like your rear is on fire.