Honestly, it’s rare for a reboot to actually be better than the original. We live in an era of recycled intellectual property where most "reimaginings" feel like soulless cash grabs, but the tv sitcom One Day at a Time was the glaring, beautiful exception to that rule. Developed by Gloria Calderón Kellett and Mike Royce, this wasn't just a Latinx coat of paint on a 1970s Norman Lear classic. It was something else entirely. It was loud. It was vulnerable. It was deeply Cuban-American.
Most people remember the show for its heartbreaking cancellation—twice. First by Netflix after three seasons, then by Pop TV after a COVID-shortened fourth. But if you only focus on the drama behind the scenes, you're missing the actual magic of the Alvarez family living in that Echo Park apartment.
The Penelope Alvarez Factor
Let’s talk about Justina Machado. She plays Penelope, a nurse and Army veteran dealing with PTSD while raising two kids and living with her mother. Penelope isn't a "sitcom mom" in the traditional sense. She’s messy. She struggles with her mental health in a way that feels uncomfortably real for anyone who has ever had to hide a panic attack in a bathroom stall before going out to cook dinner for the family.
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The show handled her depression with a level of nuance usually reserved for prestige hour-long dramas. In the season two episode "Hello," we see her stop taking her meds because she feels "fine," only to spiral into a crushing darkness. It wasn't a "very special episode" trope. It was a lived-in portrayal of a chronic condition. It showed that being a "strong woman" doesn't mean you don't need help. Sometimes, the strongest thing you can do is admit your brain is lying to you.
Why the TV Sitcom One Day at a Time Worked When Others Failed
The secret sauce was the multi-cam format. A lot of critics will tell you the multi-cam sitcom—the kind with a live audience and a laugh track—is dead or "cheesy." They're wrong. When used correctly, that format creates a sense of intimacy that single-camera shows like The Bear or Modern Family can't quite replicate. It feels like theater.
When Lydia, played by the legendary Rita Moreno, draws those curtains to her bedroom, it’s a performance. You feel the energy of the room. Moreno, an EGOT winner, brought a level of theatricality that grounded the show’s more serious moments. She could transition from a joke about her "charms" to a devastating monologue about leaving Cuba during Operation Peter Pan without missing a single beat.
The writers understood that you can’t have the light without the dark. One minute you're laughing at Schneider, the rich, Canadian landlord played by Todd Grinnell, trying too hard to be part of the family. The next, you're watching Elena, the daughter played by Isabella Gomez, realize her father might never truly accept her for being gay. It’s a roller coaster. That's life, though, isn't it?
Breaking Down the Social Commentary
The show didn't just "touch on" issues. It dove into them headfirst.
- Identity: Elena’s journey as a queer woman and her eventual adoption of the term "Cuban-American" was handled with incredible care.
- Citizenship: The fear surrounding Schneider’s potential deportation in later seasons highlighted the precarity of "legal" status.
- Addiction: Schneider’s relapse in season three is one of the most painful things I’ve ever watched on television. No jokes. Just a man falling apart and a family trying to catch him.
- Religion: The constant tension between Penelope’s secularism and Lydia’s devout Catholicism.
The Tragedy of the Algorithm
Netflix cancelled the tv sitcom One Day at a Time in March 2019. The outcry was massive. The #SaveODAAT campaign wasn't just a few bots; it was a genuine movement of people who felt seen by a show for the first time. Netflix claimed the viewership wasn't there to justify the cost.
This is where the math of modern streaming fails art. A show like this builds a loyal, deep connection with its audience. It’s "appointment viewing" in a world of "background noise" content. When Pop TV picked it up for a fourth season, it felt like a miracle. Then, 2020 happened. Production shut down. An animated special was made—which was surprisingly good—but the momentum was gone.
What You Can Learn from the Alvarez Family
If you haven't watched it yet, or if you dropped off after season one, go back. There are lessons in this show that apply to basically everyone.
First, community is a choice. Schneider isn't related to the Alvarezes by blood, but he is their family. He shows up. He does the work. Second, tradition is negotiable. You can keep the parts of your culture that nourish you—the food, the music, the pride—while discarding the parts that hurt you, like the machismo or the stigma against therapy.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, the show teaches us that "one day at a time" isn't just a catchy title or an AA slogan. It’s a survival strategy. Whether you're dealing with a broken heart, a broken country, or a broken sink, you just handle the next twenty-four hours.
How to Experience the Show Today
To get the most out of the tv sitcom One Day at a Time, don't just binge it in the background while you're scrolling on your phone. It’s too dense for that.
- Watch the credits: The theme song, "This Is It," performed by Gloria Estefan, sets the mood perfectly. It’s an anthem of resilience.
- Pay attention to the background: The production design of the apartment is incredibly detailed. The photos on the walls are real family photos of the cast and crew.
- Research Operation Peter Pan: If you don't know the history of the Cuban exodus in the 1960s, Lydia’s backstory won't hit as hard. Between 1960 and 1962, over 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban minors were sent to the U.S. by parents who feared for their future under the new government.
- Follow the creators: Gloria Calderón Kellett is still one of the most vibrant voices in TV. Watching her other work, like With Love, helps you see the threads of what she was trying to build with the Alvarezes.
The series is currently split across platforms depending on where you live, with the first three seasons usually on Netflix and the fourth occasionally popping up on various VOD services. It is a complete story, even if the ending feels a bit abrupt. The growth of the characters is there. The love is there. It remains a masterclass in how to make people care about a group of humans living in a small apartment, trying their best to make it through the day.
Go start from the pilot. Watch Penelope try to convince Elena to have a Quinceañera. Watch Lydia emerge from her curtains. You'll see why people fought so hard to keep this show alive.