NOMINATED SERIES GETTING A LOT OF BUZZ AND IF YOU HAVEN’T
CHECKED IT OUT DON’T WORRY.
IT IS BACK.
IT IS CALLED "SMILF," AND
FRANKIE SHAW, THE WRITER,
PRODUCER AND STAR, WHO PLAYS
BRIDGET, A STRUGGLING SINGLE
MOTHER.
MOTHER. >> ROSIE O’DONNELL WHO PLAYS
BRIGITTE’S MOTHER.
BRIGITTE’S MOTHER. HERE’S A SNEAK PEEK.
>> OH, THIS IS BAD.
>> MAYBE YOU SHOULDN’T GO BAD.
>> MAYBE YOU SHOULDN’T GO IN
THERE.
THERE. >> NO, I CAN FEEL IT.
IT’S SUCKING ME DOWN.
IT’S SUCKING ME DOWN.
HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT WOULD DO
THIS.
THIS. HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT WOULD DO
THIS TO YOU AND --
>> YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN LARRY.
>> I TRIED TO TAKE HIM WITH ME
AND HE WOULDN’T COME.
>> YOU’RE A GROWN UP.
>> YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH,
BRIGITTE, OKAY?
BRIGITTE, OKAY? I DON’T NEED PARENTING TIPS FROM
YOU RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. >> THIS IS KIND OF A DRAMA, TOO.
>> I WOULD SAY IT’S MORE OF A
DARK COMEDY.
DARK COMEDY. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> YOU KNOW THE STORY WELL,
FRANKIE.
FRANKIE. >> THE WAY I SEE IT THIS IS SORT
OF LIKE YOUR LIFE PUT ON SCREEN,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. THE INSPIRATION WAS I WAS A
STRUGGLING ACTRESS IN L.A., A
SINGLE MOM TO A TODDLER, AND WE
WERE MOVING EVERY THREE MONTHS,
AND I STARTED FINDING MYSELF IN
THESE SITUATIONS WHERE THIS
COULD ACTUALLY MAKE A FUNNY
SCENE AND ENDED UP WRITING IT
INTO A PILOT.
>> ROSIE, WHAT BROUGHT YOU IN?
THIS IS FUN TO SEE YOU ON
CAMERA.
CAMERA. >> I KNOW.
I HAVE GRAY HAIR NOW.
>> WE LOVE IT.
>> DO YOU?
>> DID YOU THINK ABOUT COLORING
IT OR YOU’RE, LIKE ON.
>> FRANKIE SAID CAN YOU GROW
YOUR HAIR OUT, AND I THOUGHT HOW
HARD COULD IT BE?
IT TAKES YEARS!
>> ON THE PILOT WE HAD TO DYE IT
GRAY.
GRAY. >> THIS WAS FOR THE SHOW.
>> FOR THE SHOW.
YOU’LL GO BACK OR YOU LIKE IT?
>> I DON’T KNOW.
I HAVE FIVE KIDS AND THREE OF
THEM ARE VOTING GO BACK.
>> THREE OF THEM SAY YOU LOOK
WAY TOO OLD.
I HAVE A 6-YEAR-OLD WHO SAYS TO
ME, WHEN YOU PICK ME UP AT
SCHOOL EVERYONE THINKS THAT YOU
ARE THE GRANDMA AND SOPHIA IS
THE MOMMY AND I DON’T HAVE A
NANNY, AND I SAID WELL, WHAT DO
YOU THINK I SHOULD DO ABOUT
THAT.
THAT. MAKE YOUR HAIR BLACK AGAIN!
SHE HAS THE ANSWER, YOU KNOW?
>> YOU ARE A GRANDMA, TOO.
>> I AM.
>> I AM. I JUST BECAME A GRANDMA.
>> HOW IS THAT?
>> IT WAS REALLY TRIPPY, I HAVE
TO SAY.
TO SAY. SHE CALLED ME FROM WISCONSIN.
MY DAUGHTER CHELS LIVES THERE
WITH HER PARTNER JAKE AND SHE
CALLED ME AND I MISSED THE BIRTH
BY AN HOUR, BUT SHE’S HAPPY.
ME HOLDING THE BABY?
>> OH, YEAH.
>> WHAT WAS IT LIKE HOLDING YOUR
GRANDCHILD?
GRANDCHILD? >> IT WAS REALLY TRIPPY, I HAVE
TO SAY.
TO SAY. >> FIRST OF ALL, SHE HAS A FULL
HEAD OF BLACK HAIR, LIKE YOU CAN
DO STYLES WITH HER HAIR, YOU
KNOW?
KNOW? JUST TO SEE MY DAUGHTER SO HAPPY
AND SO SORT OF CONTENT AND THIS
GUY WHO LOVES HER SO MUCH LOVING
THAT BABY AND NOW SHE FEELS, A
LOT OF ADOPTED KIDS FEEL LIKE
UNTIL THEY HAVE THEIR OWN CHILD,
THEY DON’T HAVE THAT UNIT TO
LOOK AT SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE
THEM TO SEE GENETICALLY THAT
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN KIND OF
HISTORY AND IT’S A BEAUTIFUL
THING.
THING. >> FRANKIE, YOU MOVED THE SHOW
FROM L.A. TO BOSTON, IS THAT
AWESOME?
AWESOME? >> I GREW UP IN BOSTON AND IT
WAS INCREDIBLE.
WAS INCREDIBLE. WE WOULD SHOOT AT THE PLACE
WHERE I HAD DINNER ONCE A WEEK
GROWING UP AND THIS PLACE PIZZA,
AND THEY PUT A SIGN ON THE DOOR
WELCOME HOMETOWN GIRL FRANKIE
SHAW AND MY FRIENDS WOULD SHOW
UP ALL OF THE TIME.
>> LIKE THE POLICE TAPE WHEN WE
WERE SHOOTING.
WERE SHOOTING. >> EVERY PERSON IS, LIKE, ROSIE!
>> YES!
>> YES! >> CAN YOU GET ME FRANKIE?
I’M HER FRIEND’S MOTHER.
I’LL GET YOU FRANKIE.
>> EVERYONE KNEW HER THERE AND
SO IT WAS LIKE A BIG HOME
COMING.
COMING. >> SOMETIMES IT WAS HARD TO FIND
LOOKS BECAUSE BOSTON CAN BE A
CONSERVATIVE TOWN AND SO THE
SHOW’S NAME IS "SMILF".
>> WHICH IS PROBLEMATIC AND I
HAD TO GO WITH MY LOCATIONS
MANAGER TO GO TO CHURCH ON A
SUNDAY AND PLEAD MY CASE AND I
SAID THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD LET
US SHOOT THERE AND THEY DID.
>> FRANKIE, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN
YOU GOOGLE THIS SHOW YOU SEE
WHAT COMES UP IS A SERIES OF
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST YOU AS A
DIRECTOR AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING
THERE WERE ALLEGATIONS OF
MISCONDUCT ON THE SET.
SOMEONE LEFT THE SHOW.
JUST LET US KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON
THERE.
THERE. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. I’M REALLY GLAD YOU ASKED ME
THAT.
THAT. YOU KNOW THSHGS, THIS IS MY FIRS
DOING THIS JOB AND WE MOVED
FAST, AND I WAS LEARNING ON THE
GO AND YOU KNOW, I’M REALLY
GRATEFUL THAT I CAN TAKE THESE
LESSONS OF BEING MORE AWARE AND
IN TUNE SHOWRUNNER MOVING
FORWARD.
FORWARD. >> YOU THINK IT WAS INEXPERIENCE
AND NOW THAT YOU’VE LEARNED
YOU’LL MAKE CHANGES.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> IT’S A BEAUTIFUL SET, I HAVE
TO SAY.
TO SAY. THERE IS A FAMILY FEEL ON THE
SET AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT
FRANKIE IS SHE ADDRESSED THE
STUFF AND THE NETWORK DID, AND
EVERYBODY IS OKAY AND YOU KNOW,
AND HERE WE GO.
>> AND I WILL SAY I AM REALLY
PROUD OF A LOT OF THE WORK WE
DID, YOU KNOW?
WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 50% FEMALE
CREW, AND A LOT OF -- WE HAD
ALMOST ALL WOMEN DIRECTORS AND
SO --
SO -- >> INCLUDING KERRY WASHINGTON.
>> SHE CAN -- SHE IS THE MOST
TALENTED HUMAN, I THINK --
>> SHE CAN DO ANYTHING.
>> WE DID REACH OUT OURSELVES TO
ABC AND SHOWTIME BOTH OF WHICH
PRODUCED "SMILF" AND THEY’RE
REVIEWING CLAIMS AND THEY DID
NOT RELEASE A STATEMENT ON THE
MATTER, BUT WE APPRECIATE YOU
ADDRESSING IT.
ADDRESSING IT. >> IF YOU’D TOLD ME IT WAS GAME
SHOW WEEK ON.
>> CAN I BE THE PERSON WHO GOES
IN THE CROWD AND GIVES AWAY
MONEY?
MONEY? >> COME BACK TOMORROW.
>> YES!
>> YES! I’M TOTALLY FREE!
>> "SMILF" PREMIERS ON SHOWTIME