The Help
Encyclopedia
The Help is an American
situation comedy
television series which premiered on The WB
on March 5, 2004. The show was a raunchy comedy that focused on the hard-lucked life of a beauty school dropout, who now must work for the wealthy and spoiled Ridgeway family. The rest of the hired help are also very unusual in their own ways. The WB only aired seven episodes, the show ending on April 16, 2004, and canceled it in May 2004.
Despite the premiere being the best performance in the time slot of the season on The WB the critics have nothing positive to say. Virginia Heffernan of The New York Times
said the show "comes off like a school play, clumsily blocked, loudly acted and nearly shouted down by obligatory laughter and applause." Robert Bianco of USA Today
pointed out that "this is the kind of show that opens with a doggie-doo joke and still finds a way to go downhill." Perhaps the most harsh was Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe
: "The WB's claim that "The Help" is a "biting satire" is only half true. No, it's not a satire, but yes, it does indeed bite. And it will be biting the dust before long, unless it can find a new cast, new writers, new producers, a new set, and an entirely new premise." In her review of the 2003-04 season Kay McFadden, television critic for The Seattle Times
, classified The Help as "Never should have aired".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
television series which premiered on The WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
on March 5, 2004. The show was a raunchy comedy that focused on the hard-lucked life of a beauty school dropout, who now must work for the wealthy and spoiled Ridgeway family. The rest of the hired help are also very unusual in their own ways. The WB only aired seven episodes, the show ending on April 16, 2004, and canceled it in May 2004.
Summary
Maria is studying to be a beautician when she has to come home and nurse her sick mother. After her mother's death, Maria is forced to take her place as the wealthy Ridgeway family's maid. She soon discovers not only a class struggle between the Ridgeways and the help, but also an all-out war among the servants.Main cast
- Camille GuatyCamille GuatyCamille Guaty is an American film and television actress. She is known for her role as Daisy on Gotta Kick It Up!.-Early life:Guaty was born in California of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent...
as Maria, the maid - Al Santos as Ollie, the chauffeur
- Brenda StrongBrenda StrongBrenda Lee Strong is an American actress and yoga instructor, known for her roles as as Capt. Deladier in the 1997 hit movie Starship Troopers and Mary Alice Young on the television show Desperate Housewives....
as Arlene Ridgeway, the rich lady - Keri Lynn PrattKeri Lynn PrattKeri Lynn Pratt is an American actress of film and television. She is well known for her role of Missy Belknap on Jack & Bobby or as Dee Vine in the film Drive Me Crazy, which was her debut role....
as Veronica Ridgeway, the pop-star daughter - Megan FoxMegan FoxMegan Denise Fox is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2001 with several minor television and film roles, and played a regular role on Hope & Faith. In 2004, she launched her film career with a role in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen...
as Cassandra Ridgeway, the spoiled daughter - Mindy CohnMindy CohnMindy Heather Cohn is an American actress, comedian known for her role as Natalie Green, the smart, overweight student of Edna Garrett , on the TV show The Facts of Life, and also being the current voice for Velma Dinkley in the Scooby-Doo franchise, which she has held since 2002.She currently...
as Maggie, the cook - Marika DominczykMarika Dominczyk-Personal:Dominczyk moved with her family from Kielce, Poland, to New York City when she was three, after her parents were expelled from their native Poland for her father's involvement with Amnesty International and then the Solidarity movement....
as Anna, the nanny - Graham Murdoch as Douglas Ridgeway, the "baby"
- Antonio Sabato Jr. as Dwayne, the trainer
Recurring cast
- Tori SpellingTori SpellingVictoria Davey "Tori" Spelling is an American actress. Spelling became known in the early 1990s for her role as Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210. Spelling then had roles in a string of made-for-television films, such as A Friend to Die For and Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?...
as Molly, the dog walker - Esther ScottEsther ScottEsther Scott is an American actress. She has had regular spots in shows such as The Geena Davis Show, City Guys and The Tracy Morgan Show. She has guest starred in Ellen, Less Than Perfect and 7th Heaven. She lives in Los Angeles....
as Doris, the older nanny - Jack Axelrod as Grandpa Eddie
- David FaustinoDavid FaustinoDavid Anthony Faustino is an American actor and rap artist primarily known for his role as Bud Bundy on the sitcom Married with Children.-Early life:...
as Adam Ridgeway, the oldest son
Episodes
| # | Title | Director | Writer(s) | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|
Reception
The premiere of The Help was the most watched program in the Friday 9:30-10:00 time slot on The WB in the 2003-04 season. The premiere was more popular among women than men aged 12-34 (2.0/8 versus 1.3/5).Despite the premiere being the best performance in the time slot of the season on The WB the critics have nothing positive to say. Virginia Heffernan of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said the show "comes off like a school play, clumsily blocked, loudly acted and nearly shouted down by obligatory laughter and applause." Robert Bianco of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
pointed out that "this is the kind of show that opens with a doggie-doo joke and still finds a way to go downhill." Perhaps the most harsh was Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
: "The WB's claim that "The Help" is a "biting satire" is only half true. No, it's not a satire, but yes, it does indeed bite. And it will be biting the dust before long, unless it can find a new cast, new writers, new producers, a new set, and an entirely new premise." In her review of the 2003-04 season Kay McFadden, television critic for The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
, classified The Help as "Never should have aired".