25 of the most buzzworthy new shows for Fall 2018

I Feel Bad – NBC

What you’re watching: A comedy produced by Amy Poehler. That’s enough for me, but if you need more convincing, here ya go. Saraya Blue plays Emet, a working mom of three, struggling to balance all the facets of her life. The premise of the show, and the blurb on its official website, is about “being perfectly okay with being imperfect,” but I’m finding it much more endearing than that.

Paul Adelstein plays Emet’s adorably, everyman, husband, and her life looks a lot like mine, and probably yours. It’s funny because it’s real, and there’s not a whole lot of gimmick to it. She’s embarrassed when her kids misbehave in public, she’s worried about being a good wife, she feels inadequate at work sometimes, and she frets about turning into her mom. Emet is the poster child for being a woman in 2018. And it’s produced by Amy Poehler.

What it reminds you of: It’s a family sitcom, so it’s going to look like a lot of shows. It’s sort of gender-swapped Alex, Inc (although that show plays on rival network, ABC). More traditionally, however, it has a Mindy Project vibe to it, and I can see Emet having some real Claire Dunphy moments.

The premise isn’t revolutionary, but it’s about time we see honest depictions of mothers on television. Enough already with TV moms being either frazzled, angry working stiffs, or organized, Pinterest-loving domestic goddesses. It is possible for a woman to be good both at home stuff and work stuff, and have feelings about them both.

Long-term potential: I like this show for a long-run. It has broad appeal to get viewers invested, and it has Poehler’s self-effacing tone that we’ve grown to love over the years.