Critical Condition: Bad Mothers

Bad Mothers | TVNZ 1, 8.30 Wednesday

☆☆☆☆ “The title of this glamorous suburban thriller is as big a clue as any as to its inspiration. Aside from the accents and the glorious lifestyle shots of bayside Melbourne (and a slightly underdeveloped script), it could be mistaken for HBO’sBig Little Lies. The cocktail scenes are reminiscent of feature film Bad Moms. With a twisty murder mystery and superb cast that includes Melissa George and Mandy McElhinney, this is immediately addictive viewing.” — Sydney Morning Herald.

☆☆☆☆ “Truth and tone are part of the problems of the opening episode. At one moment it is pitching itself as a domestic melodrama and the next it is a whodunnit with a murder at its core. Is it possible to have both worlds? Sure, Desperate Housewives is the master of the genre with over-the-top storylines crackling with delicious fun. Suburban Shootout from the UK was another with mayhem in suburbia. Big Little Lies does it with domestic violence and a non-linear storyline. The most ‘bad’ we see these mums in the opening chapter is smoking a little weed, kidnapping puppies and revenge pranks on car windscreens. It’s far too tame and lacks the necessary escapism.” — TV Tonight.

☆☆☆☆ “Bad Mothers will focus on the lives of five very different friends as they struggle to deal with everything from careers and romance to playdates and of course, murder … The new series could be classified as a twist on smash-hit series Big Little Lies and to an extent the much more comedic big screen offering Bad Moms, but this time around with a more serious, Aussie twist.” — MammaM!a.

☆☆☆☆ “The comparisons to Big Little Lies are inevitable, and although Bad Mothers is superficially similar, the tone is actually closer to that of Ten’s AFL drama Playing for Keeps – another show that featured a death in its launch episode and took a while to find its feet … There are violent lurches in style in early episodes, with some of the cast members seemingly acting in very different shows from one another. That’s down to the fact that, besides the homicide and ongoing police investigation that dominates the plot, there’s a lightness to Bad Mothers.” — Who.

☆☆☆☆ “Creators Rachel Land and Gavin Strawhan offer a script that is intriguing, captivating and full of surprises. The casting is also excellent, with all the main cast giving very solid performances. Tess Haubrich is a star on the rise, but it’s the friendship between the five leads that holds the most attention. With the pilot just a starting point, Bad Mothers is shaping up to be THE murder mystery of 2019.” — Ryno’s TV.