# About a Boy (2014)

> A carefree bachelor reluctantly becomes a surrogate father figure to a lonely boy and his single mother next door.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/46029

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 33
- Episode runtime: 22 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Nick Hornby
- Network: NBC
- Cast: David Walton, Minnie Driver, Benjamin Stockham, Al Madrigal, Annie Mumolo, Samuel Gilbert, Adrianne Palicki, Greg Germann
- TMDB rating: 7.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2666270/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: breezy, comforting, sincere, witty, warm

## What critics say

Audience reception is positive, praising the warm chemistry between the leads and the light, heartfelt take on an adult learning to care for a child.

## Synopsis

About a Boy (2014-2015) is a United States and British co-produced network sitcom created by Nick Hornby for NBC, adapted from his novel. David Walton plays Will, a carefree, unemployed bachelor who lives off the royalties of a hit song and spends his days chasing women. His peaceful life is upended when Fiona, a needy single mother played by Minnie Driver, moves in next door with her odd, precocious eleven-year-old son Marcus, played by Benjamin Stockham. The engine of the show is a bargain: Marcus agrees to pose as Will's son, which makes Will irresistible to women, in exchange for being allowed to hang out at Will's house. Each episode is a small domestic comedy built from these awkward visits, dating misadventures and the friendships forming around the hallway between the apartments, with Al Madrigal and Annie Mumolo as supporting friends. Over two seasons the arrangement gradually shifts from a convenient scheme into something close to a found family. The tone is breezy, gently sincere and warmly comic, with light sitcom rhythms and a sweet undercurrent about caring for others. Fans of Mike and Molly, Full House and Ted Lasso will find the same comfort in a lovable misfit learning to grow up.

## Shows like About a Boy

- [Cougar Town (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/16860)
- [Silver Spoons (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/1967)
- [Ben and Kate (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/39483)
- [Empty Nest (1988)](https://ember.film/tv/2682)
- [$#*! My Dad Says (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/30228)
- [The Millers (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/45965)
- [Man with a Plan (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/59115)
- [Casual (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/56735)
- [As We See It (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/115169)
- [Single Parents (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/69463)

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