Boomerang

Karine and Patrick had a plan. A restaurant, a shared dream, and the conviction that they were building something together. Then the bankruptcy arrived, and with it a far less comfortable reality: a temporary stay in the basement of Karine's parents' bungalow.

The operative word is temporary. Both of them say so, with the kind of optimism that only works if you don't look too closely at the numbers.

Boomerang is a French-Canadian romantic comedy built around the growing phenomenon of adults returning to live with their parents after life fails to cooperate. The series draws its energy from the friction between two generations forced into unexpected proximity. Karine's father had plans for retirement that did not include a son-in-law in the cellar. Her mother has opinions about everything. And Patrick, affectionate but chaotic, is not entirely sure how he ended up here or how long he can last.

The comedy comes from character, not contrivance. The cast, led by Antoine Bertrand and Catherine-Anne Toupin, both award-winners for their roles, keeps the tone warm even when the situations are not. The series ran for five seasons on TVA, was adapted in Sweden, and acquired by Amazon Prime France.