One Day at a Time (2017)

The show is at once a throwback and cutting edge. The cast is all so strong. They hit the comedic notes effortlessly and with aplomb.

Gloria Calderon Kellett and Mike Royce’s heartfelt, refreshingly frank remake of Norman Lear’s sitcom sacrifices none of that frankness now that it’s moved on from the land of streaming; if anything, its presence on the network that “Schitt’s Creek” calls home is a much better fit. Even the presence of commercial breaks doesn’t diminish its charms.

If you’re coming to it for the first time, you’re watching a series that not only has some of the best actors working on sitcoms today, but they’ve been a TV family long enough that the chemistry among the cast is quite apparent.

ODAAT nailed the balance between long-form and episodic storytelling in its first season, and manages to keep it up in the move to a more traditional outlet.

They are just as delightful and life-affirming as ODAAT has always been. If anything, because the episodes are a bit shorter to fit inside a traditional TV half-hour slot rather than a streaming service’s free-for-all, the show is a touch better. It’s tighter, and the jokes land faster.

It’s possible that the show sometimes overreaches for relevance. At this particular moment, however, it’s both comforting and inspiring to watch as a family navigates the very real fact that they live on top of one another.

One Day at a Time may have a new home, but it is every inch the same show—full of warmth and empathy, dedicated to telling stories about families and all that they face together.

Though none of the episodes features the emotional gravity that the show has worn on its sleeve, what is clear is that the writers are striving to provide as much continuity as possible. ... The fourth-season episodes also make clear that the core cast has become a perfectly calibrated comedy machine. Offered sharper jokes than ever before, the ensemble, performing in front of a live studio audience, is wondrously friction-free. (ODAAT has never been more consistently hilarious.)

“One Day at a Time,” in three episodes screened for critics, is fully intact in personnel, laughs and creative mission. The only things missing are a concession to the shorter run times of ad-supported TV: a few minutes off the average episode and, sadly, a sharply truncated version of the addictive theme song. What’s not diminished is the show’s commitment to its theme of representation.

While this “One Day at a Time” isn’t as revolutionary as Lear’s early offerings (“All in the Family” is still the gold standard), it does move the needle on a number of issues. It also shows fans know better than executives.

Real-world context renders these resolutions reassuring rather than trite: No difficulty in the series is impossible to overcome, so long as the Alvarezes stick together. The promise of unconditional unity that permeates One Day at a Time comes through not only in grand apologies and lessons, but also in subtler interactions.