Each year, the best-of lists feature the big and buzzy shows that have attracted critical acclaim, massive viewership on streaming services, and are all but set to compete for the top honors at the Emmys. But there are often smaller shows that are left off that list, often comedies and definitely sitcoms, and that includes Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage.
Even though the Young Sheldon spinoff has consistently earned impressive ratings for CBS and remains well-regarded into its first season, it's not one of those shows that's talked about in the same sentences as the bigger, buzzier, "better" shows people deem worthy of watching and discussing. However, Georgie & Mandy has proven that there's a place for comfort comedy.
It's cliche to say that we need humor now more than ever, because when you zoom out, we've kind of never not needed the laughs to carry us through what's going on in the world or our lives. There have always been a large number of comedy series and sitcoms on the air, whether highly rated or cult favorites, to be that source of levity in the midst of chaos.
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage without question has risen as one of those shows for us right now. As a sitcom set in the '90s, it's taking us out of our current moment and doesn't have a responsibility to meet us where we are. That's not to say that shows that aren't set in the past have less value, but it's nice to be transported to somewhere completely different once a week.
But its setting isn't even its strongest aspect, and it's also not its Big Bang Theory lineage. We talk a lot about casts having chemistry and actors being so well-suited for their roles, but Georgie & Mandy really does have that lightning in a bottle kind of chemistry that's rarer than you think for comedies and, more specifically, multi-cam comedies.
There's an art to multi-cam comedies that not everyone recognizes because they can't stand the live audience laughter. I'm not sure at what point viewers turned on traditional sitcoms and laugh tracks, but it's more than just bringing attention to funny moments. It's acknowledgment that what those actors are doing is basically theater. When a sitcom is really good, that's what it is.
Since Hannah Montana premiered, I have followed Emily Osment wherever she goes and will always celebrate her comedic timing that deserves far more recognition. She's doing some of her best comedy work on Georgie & Mandy, and she's right at home in front of a live studio audience. Hers is the performance that anchors, steadies, and centers the entire operation.
Osment also brings the necessary nuance for a show that tends to weave in some dramatic moments, as Chuck Lorre sitcoms have been known to do since Mom (which Osment appeared in during a particularly moving and tragic arc). That's another reason the series is so special. It's related to a massive franchise but has its own DNA and tone that's singular and affecting.
When you break it down, there's nothing particularly revolutionary about Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, but there doesn't need to be. We've loved countless family sitcoms with similar stories. What makes this one unique and special? These actors, this writing, that unmistakable heart. It's been quietly becoming one of the year's best and, most importantly, building its longevity.
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage returns on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 with new episodes on CBS. Catch up with the series on Paramount+.