Fantasy Life

What it’s about

Sam leaves law school and loses his job as a paralegal, leaving him struggling with panic attacks. To make a living, he takes a job as nanny to the three granddaughters of his own psychiatrist. The girls' mother is Dianne, an actress whose once-promising career has stalled and whose marriage to rock bassist David is strained. When David goes on tour abroad, Sam and Dianne feel drawn to each other. Later, Sam joins the family on vacation as the nanny and ends up spending the summer in a house with Dianne, her husband, their children, all the grandparents, and his psychiatrist.

What hooks you

Amanda Peet plays Dianne, with Matthew Shear as Sam and Alessandro Nivola as David. The cast also includes Bob Balaban, Judd Hirsch, and Andrea Martin.

Who it’s for

It suits viewers who enjoy character-driven comedies about awkward family dynamics and romantic tension that builds slowly in close quarters.