Is this show okay to watch around my kids?

It's TV-PG, so there's nothing scarring, but it's filled with adult conversation about sex and conception. They'll likely be bored out of their minds anyway.

Why did this show get cancelled?

It was a mid-season replacement that struggled with low ratings and never quite found a solid audience in a crowded field of better comedies.

Is it anything like 'Modern Family'?

Not really. It's much more traditional and lacks the mockumentary style and heart that made Modern Family a hit. It's more of a standard 'couples' sitcom.

Notes from the Underbelly – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Notes from the Underbelly

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2007

45%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A 2007 time capsule of pregnancy anxiety and 'battle of the sexes' tropes that feels exactly as mid as its Metacritic score suggests.

39%

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Notes from the Underbelly

show

12, 2007

45%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A 2007 time capsule of pregnancy anxiety and 'battle of the sexes' tropes that feels exactly as mid as its Metacritic score suggests.

39%

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39%

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, it's fine. It's a 'Tubi find'—the kind of show that lived in the shadow of Knocked Up and Juno back in the late 2000s and never quite found its own voice. It’s not a must-watch by any stretch, but if you’ve exhausted every other parenting comedy and want something harmlessly mediocre, it’s there.

The real issue isn't the content—it's the 'mid' factor. It’s dated in a way that isn't quite 'classic' yet, just a bit out of sync with modern sensibilities about parenting and gender roles. It's background noise for your next laundry-folding session.

Age Fit

Best for adults. There is zero here for kids, and the themes of fertility, marital stress, and career-vs-baby trade-offs will bore anyone under 16 to tears. It's a show for people who are actually thinking about having kids, not the kids themselves.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It's a standard network sitcom about marriage. While it deals with the 'joys' of pregnancy, it relies heavily on snarky social dynamics and 'friendly' rivalries that aren't exactly modeling peak kindness.

Imaginative

Very formulaic mid-2000s television. It follows the standard single-camera sitcom blueprints of the era without pushing any creative boundaries.

Safe

Broadcast TV standards apply here. Expect plenty of sexual innuendo, talk about conception, and mild language. It's safe for adults, but the themes are mature by design.

Enriching

Offers some relatable 'I've been there' moments for parents, but it's mostly surface-level entertainment with little to say beyond the standard tropes of the genre.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Jennifer Westfeldt brings a neurotically-charming energy that keeps the lead character likable even when the script is thin.
If you're currently in the pregnancy trenches, the 'everything is changing' panic might actually land as relatable.
It’s a breezy, low-stakes watch that works well as background noise while you're doing literally anything else.

⚠

What to Watch For

The humor is very '2007 network sitcom'—expect jokes about sex, bodily functions, and gender stereotypes that feel pretty dusty now.
The 'selfish boss' and PA subplots are particularly dated and lean into workplace clichés that haven't aged well.
It’s not 'unsafe' for kids, but it is boring for them; the focus is entirely on adult relationship neuroses and fertility.

Conversation Starters

"Does the 'friendly rivalry' between these couples feel like a real thing people do, or just TV drama?"
"How much has the way we talk about pregnancy and 'having it all' changed since this aired in 2007?"
"Why do you think sitcoms from this era always portrayed bosses as total sociopaths?"

Deep Dive

The 2007 Pregnancy Boom

In the mid-2000s, Hollywood was obsessed with the 'unexpected pregnancy' and the 'panic of parenthood.' Notes from the Underbelly was ABC's attempt to capture that Juno energy in a weekly sitcom format. Based on the novel by Lauren Iungerich, it tries to be a bit more 'edgy' than your standard multi-cam sitcom but often falls back on the same tired tropes: the sensible husband, the emotive wife, and the wacky group of friends who are all terrified of diapers.

Why it struggles today

Watching this in 2026 feels like visiting a different planet. The gender dynamics are very 'Mars vs. Venus,' and the competitive parenting plotlines feel more stressful than funny. While Jennifer Westfeldt and Peter Cambor have decent chemistry, they’re trapped in a show that doesn't quite know if it wants to be a biting satire of suburbia or a warm-and-fuzzy family comedy.

If you're looking for a show that actually nails the chaos of modern parenting, you're better off with something like Catastrophe or even Workin' Moms. Notes from the Underbelly is a relic of a specific era of network television where every show had to have a 'selfish boss' and a 'brother who just doesn't get it.' It’s harmless, it’s occasionally cute, but it’s mostly a reminder of how much better TV has gotten at depicting real life.

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