by Frankie Shaw’s short film, SMILF, won the jury award at the Sundance Film Festival a couple of years ago and garnered further interest from Showtime.
The pay-cable network announced it’s fully invested now in SMILF, ordering up 10 episodes of a half-hour comedy series partially based on Shaw’s own life as a single mother. She’s writing, producing, directing and starring in the semi-autobiographical series, premiering on Showtime this fall.
Set in Boston’s Southie neighborhood, SMILF will follow a single 20-something single mom named Bridgette who’s still yearning for relationships, sex and a career of her own. Rosie O’Donnell will co-star as Tutu, Bridgette’s mother.
ABC Signature Studios is co-producing with Showtime, with Michael London, Janice Williams, Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky executive producing.
Shaw was born in Boston and grew up in Brookline. Now based in Los Angeles, she recurred onscreen in the TV shows Mr. Robot, Mixology and Blue Mountain State, wrote and directed another Sundance short film, Too Legit, and will appear in the upcoming feature film Stronger with Jake Gyllenhaal.
