Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce: Season One

Much has been made of this alternately funny, cruel, cutting, poignant, lovable, and uncomfortable show being Bravo's first scripted original series. But it's perfect for the cable channel's demographic, exploring themes that are more genuine than those found on many reality shows about the love lives of actual people. Lisa Edelstein is delightful as Abby McCarthy, a seriously flawed self-help author who hasn't really followed her own advice and now finds herself negotiating the choppy waters of a failed marriage. The show is too snide and snarky to be drama, but far too biting to qualify as pure comedy (there's a raunchy, in-your-face attitude to the inherent messiness of personal lives that hits very close to home). Friendship among women is the core focus here, and while every character has some kind of likability issue, Janeane Garofalo, Beau Garrett, and Necar Zadegan are terrific as the key members of Abby's support group. As Abby's soon-to-be ex, Paul Adelstein is the most sympathetic jerk since Homer Simpson. Friends, kids, work, and play are all relevant subjects—as is sex: hook-ups, long term relationships, and all manner of bedroom battles. Compiling all 13 episodes from the 2014-15 debut season, extras include deleted scenes and a gag reel. Recommended. (T. Fry)