''Instant Mom'' is an American sitcom produced for the NickMom block on the Nick Jr. channel. It was developed by

Howard Michael Gould Howard Michael Gould (born November 21, 1962) is an American novelist, television writer-producer, screenwriter, director, and playwright. Personal life Gould was born in New York City. He graduated from Amherst College and spent five years wor ...

and stars

Tia Mowry Tia Mowry is an American actress. She first gained recognition for her starring role as Tia Landry in the sitcom '' Sister, Sister'' (1994–1999), opposite her twin sister Tamera Mowry. The sisters then starred together in the Disney Channel Or ...

as a stepmother of three children alongside her husband. The series first aired on September 29, 2013, on both Nickelodeon's Nick at Nite block (at 8:30 p.m.) and the NickMom block (at 10:30 p.m.). The debut was the highest-rated premiere in the history of both blocks. On November 22, 2013, the series was renewed for a second season of 20 episodes. It was renewed for a third season on September 9, 2014. Nickelodeon announced on October 21, 2015, that ''Instant Mom'' wouldn't extend beyond its third season and would end its run with the 65 episodes produced. The third season premiered first on another

ViacomCBS Paramount Global (doing business as Paramount) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned and operated by National Amusements (79.4%) and headquartered at One Astor Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York. It ...

-owned channel,

TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division. Originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite consisting exclusively of classic television shows, the channel now airs a combination of recent and cl ...

.''Instant Mom'' on Nickelodeon
The Futon Critic

Premise

Set in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, Stephanie Phillips is a food blogger and party girl, who has to drastically tone down her lifestyle when she marries Charlie Phillips, an older man with three children. She now has to be a mother to Charlie's teenage daughter, Gabrielle, and his grade school-age sons James and Aaron. Stephanie has to quickly learn how to be a full-time stepmom with the help of her overbearing mother, Maggie, while attempting to keep her social life active.

Episodes

Cast and characters

*Stephanie Turner-Phillips (

Tia Mowry-Hardrict Tia Mowry is an American actress. She first gained recognition for her starring role as Tia Landry in the sitcom ''Sister, Sister (TV series), Sister, Sister'' (1994–1999), opposite her twin sister Tamera Mowry. The sisters then starred togeth ...

) is the new step-mom and trying to be the best that she can be. She is a food blogger and a party girl. *Charlie Phillips ( Michael Boatman) is Stephanie's older husband who is a doctor and the father of three children by his first wife. *Maggie Turner (

Sheryl Lee Ralph Sheryl Lee Ralph OJ is an American actress and singer. She made her screen debut in the 1977 comedy film '' A Piece of the Action'', before landing the role of Deena Jones in the Broadway musical '' Dreamgirls'' (1981), for which she received ...

) is Stephanie's mom who often butts into her daughter's personal life, usually with the explanation that she's trying to make the inexperienced Stephanie a better mother when there is a family crisis. *Gabrielle "Gabby" Beatrice Phillips (

Sydney Park Sydney Park is a recreational area in the inner-city area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The parkland is located in the suburb of Alexandria, sitting along the borders with Newtown and Erskineville. Sydney Park is the third largest ...

) is the eldest sibling and only daughter of Stephanie and Charlie. She is 15 years old at the start of the series and, like many other teenage girls, she is very fashion-conscious. She is also a very smart honor student. She is seen as the most unimaginably smart, pretty, popular, talented, funny and stylish person ever. *James Phillips ( Tylen Jacob Williams) is the middle sibling of Gabby and Aaron. He is known as the trickster of the family, and is frequently pulling pranks on both his siblings and parents. He doesn't admit it, but he is envious of Gabby's superiority and popularity and tries to pull pranks on her, often having them redirected at him. *Aaron Phillips (Damarr Calhoun) is the youngest sibling of Gabby and James. He is seen as the child who acts the cutest among all the family members. When he comes to realize this, he starts trying to use it to his advantage.

Production

On August 3, 2012, Nickelodeon announced that it had

green-lit To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead". Film industry In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...

the ''Instant Mom'' pilot.

Duane Martin Duane Martin (born August 11, 1965) is an American actor. Early life and education Martin was born in Brooklyn, New York, and he graduated from New York University. He played NCAA Division III basketball at NYU and was signed as an undrafted ...

, Tylen Williams, and Damarr Calhoun were cast on November 26, 2012. Michael Boatman would later replace Duane Martin. It was announced on April 3, 2013, that ''Instant Mom'' was officially picked up for a 13-episode first season to air on NickMom in late 2013. Later on August 19, 2013, Nickelodeon ordered seven additional episodes bringing the series' first season to 20 episodes. On November 22, 2013, six additional episodes were added first season. Both NickMom and Nick at Nite aired episodes on the same nights until the NickMom block closed on September 28, 2015. Filming took place at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, California. The series aired 65 episodes over three seasons, premiering on September 29, 2013, and ending on December 19, 2015. The series outlasted the NickMom programming block by three months.

Reception

Critical response

Emily Ashby of

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

gave the show 4 out of 5 stars. Brian Lowry of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' said the show mirrors ''

Trophy Wife A trophy wife is a wife who is regarded as a status symbol for the husband. The term is often used in a derogatory or disparaging way, implying that the wife in question has little personal merit besides her physical attractiveness, requires sub ...

''.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{Nick at Nite 2010s American black sitcoms 2013 American television series debuts 2015 American television series endings English-language television shows Nick at Nite original programming Television series about children Television series about families Television series about siblings Television shows set in Philadelphia TV Land original programming Television series by Kapital Entertainment