Odd TV moms
O mother, where art thou? Far from being a voice of reason, some of today’s comedic TV moms seem nuttier than a bag of peanut M & Ms — especially when a show revolves around them.
Two sitcoms out for this year offer their takes on the mother figure. Mom stars Allison Janney as a brassy, scene-stealing former drug and alcohol addict, and The Millers stars Margo Martindale as Carol Miller, an aging, overbearing matriarch.
The Millers has a strong ensemble cast to lean on, and the premise is ripe for offbeat storylines. Plus, creator Greg Garcia is known for crafting shows that are unexpectedly sweet — witness My Name is Earl and Raising Hope.
We’ve had twinges of sympathy for Carol, but not enough to make her a fully rounded character. Seems this Carol can be much more than-one-note. (Global—9:30 p.m., CBS — 10:30 p.m.)
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart welcomes Ronan Farrow, the son of Mia Farrow and either Frank Sinatra or Woody Allen, who has a new gig at MSNBC. (Comedy — midnight; CTV — 12:05 a.m.) Though ratings are more sour than sweet, The Taste wraps its second season with the four remaining chefs making meals with liver, tripe and scallops. (ABC — 9 p.m.) On Rake, Keegan defends a chef accused of bigamy, and Mikki asks Keegan for help with a former client who is harassing her. (Fox, Global — 10 p.m.)