If you haven’t seen “Sideswiped” on YouTube Premium yet, creator and star Carly Craig offers a great reason to check it out. You see, if you watch the comedy series — and laugh — you’ll essentially be laughing at her own, real-life, super-awkward dating experiences.
“This is a multigenerational show about dating in the digital age,” Craig told TheWrap in a recent interview (watch it above).
“Sideswiped” is also loosely based on Craig’s own life. The 38-year-old actress and showrunner dove into dating apps, including Tinder, to research for the show. During the process, she met her fiancé. But, she said, that part probably won’t be written into the show, as she wants to keep it focused on single life.
During her research period, using an array of dating apps, Craig said she encountered a whole lot of awkward situations. The most awkward, however, happened when a date quite literally cried on her shoulder. And yes, she wrote it into the show.
“The guy started crying when we were making out — that really happened,” she said. “I looked up and am like, ‘Are you crying?’ And he said, ‘Yes… My parents were hard on me.’”
The series, created, produced and written by mostly women, features Rosanna Arquette as Mary, Olivia’s (Craig’s) mother — who had her at a young age and lives with her since the death of her husband.
“She’s very maternal just naturally,” Craig said of Arquette, adding that the “Desperately Seeking Susan” star offered her herbs to take.
Watch TheWrap’s interview with Craig above.