2016–2020 · Based on 4 seasons through June 11, 2020 ·
Adam Burns is a building contractor who lives near Pittsburgh with his wife, Andi, and their three children. Andi returns to work, so Adam takes on more school runs, childcare, and daily problems at home. Adam soon learns that raising children takes more effort than being the fun parent after work. The comedy follows their marriage, family business, and mistakes, with Adam's brother Don often making things worse. The show makes a father's move into daily childcare a main part of its story. Andi often challenges Adam's views about what women should do, and one episode shows a skilled woman winning a construction job over seven male applicants. Another episode questions princess stories that teach girls to wait for a man, while a brief sex talk includes same-sex couples. These ideas appear within a loving family comedy that also lets Adam solve problems and makes fun of Andi's mistakes.
Community feedback
Was our 48% Woke rating accurate?
Loading review details…
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Man with a Plan.
Woke representation / casting
Not present. The family, coworkers, and school characters fit a present-day Pittsburgh setting.
0%
Woke political dialogue
Andi calls Adam sexist when he considers only men for a construction job in season 2. Andi argues that princess stories teach girls to depend on male rescue in “King for a Day.” Adam later tells Emme that girls should stand on their own. Andi also includes same-sex couples in season 1's sex talk. These lines promote equal gender roles and LGBTQ inclusion across separate episodes.
38%
Identity-driven story themes
Adam takes on the traditionally female role of daily caregiver as a central part of the series. Andi repeatedly pushes him to handle more of the children's needs while she works. Zara takes a traditionally male leadership role and proves more qualified than the male applicants in season 2. Adam also supports Kate's effort to enter boys' soccer after hearing Zara's story. These stories endorse changes to familiar male and female roles.
42%
Western institutional / cultural critique
Andi treats princess stories about male rescue as a harmful lesson for girls in season 2. Adam eventually agrees that girls should stand on their own. Zara describes parents who tried to block her construction career because she was a woman. The family praises her choice to reject that limit. These episodes challenge traditional expectations that restrict women's work or make girls depend on men.
32%
Woke character or canon changes
Not present in this title.
0%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
A conservative media outlet published complaints about three episodes in seasons 1 and 2. One article accused the sex talk of pushing Hollywood's inclusion agenda. Another called the female-hiring story a liberal lecture that made men look bad. A third attacked the princess story and Ginsburg doll as politically correct parenting. These repeated published complaints targeted the show's gender and sexuality messaging.
42%
Creator track record context
Gregg Mettler's stored history includes promoting diverse casting and stories about racism and queer life. Alex Herschlag's stored history includes calls for more LGBT representation. Pamela Fryman's stored history includes support for female directors. The creative team's clearest representation-focused history sits with these contributors, alongside lower stored scores for the Filgos and Matt LeBlanc.
25%
Production
TV Show · 2018
Lifelong best friends Alexa and Katie are eagerly anticipating the start of their freshman year of high school.
TV Show · 2021
Follow Jeremy Clarkson as he embarks on his latest adventure, farming. The man who on several occasions claims to be allergic to manual labour takes on the most manually labour…
TV Show · 2016
Maya DiMeo is a mom on a mission who will do anything for her husband, Jimmy, and kids Ray, Dylan, and JJ, her eldest son with special needs.
TV Show · 2025
As Christmas approaches, a blundering-all-the-way dad juggles housesitting a posh London penthouse with an unexpected pickle: caring for a lost baby.
TV Show · 2016
Being a pro athlete didn't pan out for Colt. Now he's helping his dad and brother keep the ranch afloat, and figuring out how he fits into the family.
TV Show · 2020
A series of short form cartoons starring the iconic and beloved Looney Tunes characters. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and other marquee Looney Tunes characters are featured…
TV Show · 2017
The early life of child genius Sheldon Cooper, later seen in The Big Bang Theory.
TV Show · 2024
John Taylor lives in quiet solitude, designing puzzles for a living, under the nom-de-plume of 'Ludwig'. When his identical twin, James, disappears off the face of the earth, John…
