Single Parents

The sneaky appeal of Single Parents isn’t the adults, even though Leighton Meester, Brad Garrett, Jake Choi and Kimrie Lewis are a lot more fun to watch than Killam's flaccid Will. It’s the kids. ... The child actors own and deliver each line like well-seasoned comedy pros with masterful timing. All by themselves, they make this sitcom worth checking out.

The kids are more than all right, and the grownups aren’t bad either in the new sitcom Single Parents. So maybe ABC has something here. ... The kids so far are stealing the show--and this time it’s a pleasure watching them do so.

The first episode may not be perfect — Killam has some work to do honing his exaggerated sketch of a human being — but it quickly builds a set of charming characters, exhibits sharp comic timing, and the surprisingly expansive cast of children are (even more surprisingly) all funnier than they are adorable. I

Fall’s funniest new comedy.

Single Parents...ranges from silly to dumb, and I also don't use that description dismissively. I laughed out loud, a bunch of times, at its jerky, disgruntled moms and dads who love their kids but genuinely want to kill the martinets who run their progressive school like a posse of smiley-faced Nurse Ratcheds.

While Killam is ostensibly the lead, Single Parents teases a promising ensemble comedy that follows its own premise by giving everyone a chance to shine. Meester especially steps up to the plate, showing off the sharp comic timing that she’s brought to more dramatic roles throughout her career.

Though the first episode wobbles in trying to balance the sweet and sentimental stuff with its saltier, funnier edge, Single Parents could become a gem in ABC's family comedy lineup once it sharpens its edges.

The premise lends itself to potentially funny moments, but the pilot available for review is bogged down in haggard-parenting gags that are older than Hulu and Netflix lifespans combined.