Five reasons to love My Mom, Your Dad S1

So … your dad’s single and my mom is looking for Mr Right. Should we hook them up? Nigerian-American comedian Yvonne Orji (Molly in Insecure S1-5, Momma, I Made It) plays host and mom-and-dad matchmaker for reality dating show My Mom, Your Dad Season 1. But here’s the twist: she lets their kids in on the action behind the scenes by setting them up to be the parents’ secret dating coaches, as the flirting and flailing begins at the swanky Second Chance Retreat. Before you can say skibidi rizz, the kids are awwwing and ewwing at the sight of their parents falling in love … or fumbling the bag.

Binge My Mom, Your Dad Season 1 on Showmax now.

If that’s not enough to make you say yes to a blind date, we took a sneak peek. Here are five reasons we’ve fallen in love with the series.

1. A real-life father-daughter creative team

My Mom, Your Dad was created by Greg Daniels (developer and showrunner of The Office S1-9, and creator-director and showrunner of Parks and Recreation S1-7) and his reality TV addict daughter Haley. They came up with the idea while watching reality romance series Love Island together. The lightbulb moment came when they started joking about replacing the cast of fit and thirsty 20-year-olds with people who’re more in Greg’s age group (Greg has actually been happily married to Haley’s mom, TV producer Susanne Dari Lieberstein, since 1991).

Our older singletons are busy all day, a little out of shape (but trying), and clueless about modern dating to the point of being scared of being on the apps, But they’re also more self-assured, and more in touch with what they need in a romantic partner aside from a beach body, and deeply into their “weird” era. 

2. The kids run the show

Down the street from the Second Chance Retreat we have the top secret Kids’ Bunker, where the kids follow the action on monitors that bring them live footage from cameras placed everywhere around the Retreat (yes, including their moms’ and dads’ bedrooms). Chew on that for a minute. 

They’re not just secretly watching. They will be able to do everything from tampering with the environment (watch out for when they turn on the sprinkler system to cool things down when mom or dad start to smoulder), to giving their moms and dads romantic advice based on what they’re observed and overheard, to setting up dates and finding ways to nudge them out of dating don’ts – like only talking about themselves and never listening or asking questions. 

Since the kids have the inside scoop on mom and dad’s previous dating mistakes, they could be doing Cupid’s work. For example, contestants Troy Petrick and Karen Larrae feel an instant connection, but when Troy’s son Noah and Karen’s daughter Breanna exchange notes they find out that Karen and Troy are love-at-first-sight types who go all-in based on vibes, without first getting to know someone. So during Meddle Time, they can opt to steer their parents away and urge them to try someone else they’ve overlooked who might be just right. But they’ll have to pay a forfeit to earn the right to meddle! 

When the kids are at odds about what’s happening between their parents, or don’t fancy someone as a step parent, they’re going to have to fight it out. They can even force a parent to leave the Retreat. And just wait till some fresh singles rock up!

3. The delicious cringe buffet

Anyone who’s ever tried dating for the over 40s and over 50s is aware that it’s tough out there. These are also people who aren’t necessarily on social media and are not used to editing themselves, so when they forget about the camera, look out! Nobody has smooth moves, it’s like watching hedgehogs trying to have an enthusiastic snuggle. 

High schoolers and young adults can act as cool and unbothered as they please, but the moment they have to watch mom and dad get flirty, we get to watch them squirm into awkward knots and pull their heads down into their shirts like turtles (just wait for the overshare moments when a game of Truth or Dare turns sexual in episode 3, or when mom and dad start to dance). As they react to mom and dad, the series exposes as much about the kids as it does about their parents. 

But for kids who’re on the cusp of being adults themselves, it’s also a chance to see their parents as full, independent people, in a way that they never have before. Mom and dad might just share stuff about themselves with a stranger in a way that their kids have never seen. And it’ll show them how their parents see themselves, outside of their roles at home. 

4. The genuine connections

Because the kids are the show’s “dating coaches”, there’s someone batting for each singleton; someone who thinks they deserve all the good things, like true love. They’re out there to protect mom or dad, and they are actively working to help them to find a suitable partner. The kids know, better than any regular dating coach or matchmaker when mom or dad is putting on a front, showing off, or not being true to themselves and trying too hard. And they’re ready to shake things up when that happens.

If the kids give a couple a nod, though, they’re doing it as people who’ll have to live with the consequences themselves, because they’ll get a new stepmom or stepdad. This isn’t some stranger behind the scenes deciding that Karen should get with Keith (who hates women) because it’ll boost ratings, then riding that storyline into the ground. If it works, it works, and My Mom, Your Dad takes a relaxed approach to setting up its couples. 

PS: While we watch the parents fall in love, we’ll also see their children forming real friendships that are given as much importance as the show’s romantic connections. 

5. Host Yvonne Orji

Yvonne’s background in standup comedy has primed her to be the perfect dating show host: quick with a quip, sharply observant (thanks, crowd work), and able to call people out on their actions or question decisions while still being warm and silly. A lot of her comedy centres around her own loving relationship with her Nigerian parents (who often pop up in her acts), so she’s able to connect with the kids on that level, too. And she has the light touch needed for this show, which allows the real connections to shine. 

Make a date with someone you love, and binge My Mom, Your Dad Season 1 on Showmax now.