NETFLIX 'HIDDEN TREASURE' PARENTING SITCOM BEATS MOTHERLAND WITH 100% ON ROTTEN TOMATOES
If you're looking for a parenting sitcom to binge after Motherland or its recent spinoff Amandaland, there's a "hilarious, relatable" show on Netflix that could be just the ticket.
Australian series The Letdown follows new mum Audrey as she and her super-stressed husband Jeremy get to grips with parenthood in a middle class Sydney suburb.
Audrey, played by the show's co-creator Alison Bell, seeks support from her new eccentric 'mum friends' – and even the local drug dealer – while doing her best to look after baby Stevie and find time for Jeremy, all on little to no sleep.
The first season debuted in 2017, while a second season aired in 2019. The entire thing, which was written by Bell with Sarah Scheller, is now available to stream on Netflix.
It's been given a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics called it "top-notch", praising the writing, acting and the show's relatability.
Lucy Hunter Johnston, from the Standard, said: "Whether you see The Letdown as horror or hilarious is likely to depend on how near you are to the baby-making stage of life. Either way, it's addictive viewing."
The Age's Debi Enker said: "Written with humour, heart and truth by Bell and Sarah Scheller and perfectly paced...it offers many pleasures, including Noni Hazlehurst as the seen-it-all-before maternal health nurse and Patrick Brammall, hilarious as a local drug dealer."
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Lauren Carroll Harris, writing in The Guardian, said: "Grounded in that reality, the comedic tone is murky-funny: not connecting with your mothers' group, shifting your identity, losing your friends, negotiating your relationship -- these aren't always easy laughs."
Luke Buckmaster, also for the Guardian, added: "Tighter stories, with sharper intersecting plotlines would have given The Letdown a snappier rhythm. When the comedy is a little lacking, however, the drama has its back - and vice versa. The result overall is slight, but utterly endearing."
Viewers were just as impressed, with one calling The Letdown a "Fantastic series that presents an honest and hilarious take on new motherhood." Another added: "Very accurate depiction of being a new mom."
"Alison Bell serves us a refreshing Australian-comedy with a hint of awkward parent energy," commented one viewer. "The Letdown perfectly depicts the lives of those others whom aren't quite on top of things. This piece definitely gave me some good laughs. And a taste of parenthood. It's a must watch!"
On Reddit, another fan said: "The Letdown was the show I watched straight after Motherhood. It was a hidden treasure on Netflix and I loved it!" And on X, Shizuku wrote: "The Letdown is one of my fav shows on Netflix. The fact that Allison Bell is both writer and actor tells me a lot about its authenticity. I just love its honesty and how it portraits motherhood ambivalence."
Karl Quinn, from The Age, urged people to watch, writing: "If you haven't yet caught The Letdown, make sure you do. You won't be. Let down, that is."
2025-03-10T12:26:31Z