New Showtime Comedy to Spotlight Single Motherhood

Showtime has lined up the comedy series SMILF, a co-pro with ABC Signature Studios that is based on Frankie Shaw’s Sundance Film Festival Jury Award-winning short of the same name.

SMILF centers on a twentysomething from South Boston who is trying to balance her love life and career goals with being a single mom. Shaw will star in, write, produce and direct the semi-autobiographical show, with Emmy winner Rosie O’Donnell co-starring. Michael London (Sideways), Janice Williams (Confirmation), Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (The Office) are on board as executive producers. The 10×30-minute series is due to debut in the fall.

“It’s thrilling to find an artist with a strong, singular voice that is new to television,” said Gary Levine, the president of programming at Showtime Networks. “Frankie literally does it all on SMILF: writer, producer, director and star, and the results are funny, emotional, surprising and unapologetic.”