American Housewife is an ABC sitcom that ran for five seasons, from October 2016 to March 2021. It follows the daily life of Katie Otto (Katy Mixon), a stay-at-home mom living with her husband Greg (Diedrich Bader) and their three children (Meg Donnelly, Daniel DiMaggio, and Julia Butters) in Westport, Connecticut.
According to Katie’s narration, Westport is a perfect town, full of perfect mothers, perfect children, and perfectly manicured lawns. A little rough around the edges herself, Katie has no desire to live in an affluent town with neighbors who would rather eat veggie straws than French fries. Yet, Westport becomes home for the Ottos because of its excellent elementary school special needs program—perfect for their youngest member, Anna-Kat, and her overwhelming OCD.
American Housewife primarily relies on the tension between the Ottos’ true selves and the town they live in. Katie and Greg are happy with the colonial-style house they rent; Oliver, their son, laments that they look like paupers on a street full of mansions. Katie is confident, self-assured, and comfortable in her own skin; Anna-Kat’s classmates’ mothers deride Katie for her weight and her non-designer clothes. From this tension, we get the show’s unique, entertaining blend of comedy and heart. Despite the perceived pressures of Westport, Katie and Greg stay true to their values and continue to raise their children to be compassionate, open-minded individuals—with plenty of trial and error, of course.
Oliver is the Otto most prone to falling in with the trends of Westport living. Sarcastic and sophisticated, he is never seen wearing anything other than a collared shirt and slacks, his hair gelled just so. His best friend, Cooper Bradford (Logan Pepper), is a billionaire with multiple yachts and an arcade/bowling alley in his basement. (The most extravagant thing about the Otto basement is that Greg makes it into an escape room for one of Oliver’s birthday parties.) Oliver has a specific, carefully crafted plan: graduate with honors from Westport Unified, attend Harvard, and become a millionaire. If he has to befriend an aging white-collar-crime ex-con, study ballet, or even run a side hustle that “corrects” discount polo shirts so that they look designer, he will do it. Nothing is out of Oliver’s wheelhouse when it comes to scheming. Catch him giving his trademark smirk, and you’ll know he is up to something.
Taylor, on the other hand—the oldest Otto child—has none of Oliver’s smarts. She is a very trope-y sitcom daughter, easily duped, boy-crazy, and exceedingly proud to bring home a report card with straight Cs. She finds her niche, though, as a drama enthusiast in later seasons of the show, showcasing Meg Donnelly’s powerful vocals as the lead in the school play. Of course, she is cheered on by her adorable yet not-so-bright boyfriend, Trip (Peyton Meyer), who refers to Greg and Katie as “Mr. and Mrs. A.” (He thinks their last name is actually “Auto.”)
Although I love all of the Ottos, Anna-Kat is my favorite member of the clan. Because of her OCD, she is meticulous about every detail in her life, from school clothes to model ponies. (If, like me, you were a horse girl growing up, Anna-Kat’s dedication to the elaborate storylines she creates for her ponies is relatable and hilarious. And that’s before Trip becomes invested in them as well.) Although she is the baby of the Otto family, Anna-Kat is the brightest of the bunch, even when worrying unnecessarily about tornadoes or even combing their front lawn “like a loon,” as she puts it. She is obsessed with historic deaths and disaster stories, and frequently brings up the Donner Party in polite conversation. It’s no surprise that Julia Butters has gone on to act in major films like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Fabelmans. She is an incredible actress.
Katie and Greg’s relationship is another highlight of American Housewife. Katie is a little wild, interested in sports, and always ready for mischief. Greg, on the other hand, is a college history professor who eagerly participates in all of Westport’s Revolutionary War reenactments. Somehow, they fit together perfectly. It’s great to see such a positive take on marriage in a sitcom, since so many comedies rely on contentious relationships to propel a story forward.
The Otto family’s friends also play an important role in the show. Whether Katie is having “second breakfast” with besties Angela and Doris (Carly Hughes and Ali Wong) or dodging neighbor-turned-best-frenemy Viv (Leslie Bibb), there is always at least one memorable line or moment per episode.
Thankfully, American Housewife is streaming on Hulu, and available to purchase on YouTube and Amazon Prime Video. It’s a great watch!
