The Starter Wife (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Starter Wife is a USA Network
television series based on the miniseries by the same name, and based on the novel by Gigi Levangie Grazer. It premiered on October 10, 2008. The series stars Debra Messing
as Molly Kagan, the now ex-wife of former studio executive Kenny Kagan. Picking up where the mini-series left off, Molly finds herself trying to carve out a new life as a single mother raising her daughter Jaden in the middle of the dysfunctional world surrounding the film industry. Molly has vowed to swear off men after the failure of her "happy ending" relationship with a homeless man, and soon finds herself developing as a writer even as her relationship develops with her writing group leader. The series ran one season, and was cancelled by USA in February 2009.
released Season 1 of The Starter Wife on DVD in Region 1. The DVD includes audio commentary on two episodes and a segment on the creation of the fantasy sequences.
It is shown on TV3 in New Zealand on Saturdays at 3:00pm
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
television series based on the miniseries by the same name, and based on the novel by Gigi Levangie Grazer. It premiered on October 10, 2008. The series stars Debra Messing
Debra Messing
Debra Lynn Messing is an American actress, voice artist, and comedienne. She is perhaps best known for her role as Grace Adler in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and as Molly Kagan in the mini-series The Starter Wife....
as Molly Kagan, the now ex-wife of former studio executive Kenny Kagan. Picking up where the mini-series left off, Molly finds herself trying to carve out a new life as a single mother raising her daughter Jaden in the middle of the dysfunctional world surrounding the film industry. Molly has vowed to swear off men after the failure of her "happy ending" relationship with a homeless man, and soon finds herself developing as a writer even as her relationship develops with her writing group leader. The series ran one season, and was cancelled by USA in February 2009.
Cast
- Molly Kagan (Debra MessingDebra MessingDebra Lynn Messing is an American actress, voice artist, and comedienne. She is perhaps best known for her role as Grace Adler in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and as Molly Kagan in the mini-series The Starter Wife....
) Now divorced, without the cushy settlement she'd anticipated, and with her children's book selling poorly, Molly struggles to find her voice as a writer - and a source of income. When she enrolls in a writing class, she meets a new man, and discovers she has a knack for observational writing. But before she can cash in, the source of her writing, her journal, is stolen, and its contents splashed across the web. At the same time, Molly finds herself both drawn to and frustrated by her ex-husband as he struggles to re-establish his career after being fired as a studio executive. - Joan McAllister (Judy DavisJudy DavisJudy Davis is an Australian actress best known for her roles in Husbands and Wives, Barton Fink, A Passage to India and in the TV miniseries Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows....
) Molly's closest friend. A recovering alcoholic, Joan finds herself working as a patient driver at a tony rehab clinic at Pappy's suggestion when she begins to struggle to remain sober. She is treated with mistrust by one of the staff, but soon finds her own approach to dealing with her problematic passengers. - Rodney Evans (Chris DiamantopoulosChris Diamantopoulos-Early Life:Diamantopoulos was born in Toronto, Canada and he attended East York Collegiate Institute. He is of Greek descent.-Career:He portrayed Robin Williams in Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Mork & Mindy', a television movie about the behind-the-scenes drama during the making of...
) Molly and Joan's gay friend. A designer, Rodney is constantly looking for love, but enjoys the chase more than a relationship until he meets closeted action hero Felix Jones. When the two fall in love, the road to romance is anything but smooth when Felix' career depends on his staying in the closet. - Kenny Kagan (David Alan BascheDavid Alan Basche-Life and career:Basche was born in Hartford, Connecticut. His first acting role was in a school production of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer when he was in the sixth grade at West Hartford's Norfeldt Elementary School...
) Molly's ex-husband, once a major player in Hollywood, but now desperately trying to market a movie bound to be a flop. Kenny tries to be a good father to Jaden, but equates the role with the money he spends on toys for his daughter, not the time he spends with her. - Liz Marsh (Danielle NicoletDanielle NicoletDanielle Nicolet is an American television and film actress.-Career:Born Danielle Diggs in Ashtabula, Ohio, Nicolet began acting in the 1990s when she appeared in a recurring role in the sitcom Family Matters. In 1996, she landed the role of Caryn on 3rd Rock from the Sun, a role she would reprise...
) The wife of a major league baseball player, she becomes Molly's friend. Liz has troubles of her own when her jealousy threatens her marriage to a major-league baseball star. - Jaden Kagan (Brielle Barbusca). Molly and Kenny's seven-year old daughter who wants what every kid wants: the toy of the moment and her parents back together.
- Zach McNeal (Hart BochnerHart BochnerHart Matthew Bochner is a Canadian film actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.-Life and career:Bochner was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Ruth , a concert pianist, and actor Lloyd Bochner...
) An attractive, divorced single father who teaches Molly's writing class. Zach's ex-wife is a casting director, so he knows the score where the Hollywood lifestyle is concerned.
Recurring characters
- Lou Manahan (Joe MantegnaJoe MantegnaJoseph Anthony "Joe" Mantegna, Jr. is an American actor, producer, writer,director, and voice actor. He is best known for his roles in box office hits such as Three Amigos , The Godfather Part III , Forget Paris , and Up Close & Personal...
) Molly's friend and Kenny's former boss. He once tried to kindle a romance with Molly, and now finds himself engaged to a woman who may not be all she seems to be. - Felix Jones (James BlackJames R. Black (actor)James Richard Black is an American actor and former professional football player.- Early life :Black was born in Lima, Ohio...
) The African-American action hero who hires Rodney to decorate his house and becomes his secret lover. - Devon Marsh (Reggie Austin) Liz' husband, a major league baseball player. Although loving and supportive of Liz, he has a secret that fuels her jealousy, nearly ending their marriage.
- David Shea (Daniel GerrollDaniel GerrollDaniel Gerroll is a British theatre, television, and film actor.Born in London, Gerroll has appeared on television in both the United Kingdom and the United States, although his greater contribution has been to the stage in both countries...
) A past-his-prime alcoholic Shakespearean actor Joan must shepherd through detox, who eventually becomes Joan's lover. - Pappy McAllister (Ronny CoxRonny CoxDaniel Ronald "Ronny" Cox is an American character actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Personal life:Cox, the third of five children, was born in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, the son of Lounette and Bob P. Cox, a carpenter who also worked at a dairy. He grew up in Portales, New Mexico...
) Joan's patient, loving husband, who suggests Joan work at the clinic, and later, gives Joan permission to have an affair, with a less than enthusiastic reception. When the two embark on a six-month cruise, Joan disappears from the boat and Pappy dies under mysterious circumstances.
Hollywood Metaphors
The series uses extensive Hollywood metaphors as part of its narrative structure. Each episode includes two or more fantasy sequences, featuring Molly as the lead character in a well-known, generally big box-office film. Every episode opens with the first of these, which takes place in the form of Molly's dreams about recent events in her life. Typical of this is the fantasy from the opening episode, a play on the end of the film Elizabeth. In the fantasy Molly swears off men in the manner of Elizabeth I declaring herself married to England at the film's end. Other fantasy sequences punctuate important story points. Similarly, episode titles are frequently corruptions of film titles (as with The French Disconnection and Look Who's Stalking) or suggestive of Hollywood phenomena (such as Mollywood, a play on the name Hollywood.)Episodes
| # | Title | Original Airdate | Fantasy Sequences |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-01 | "The Forty Year Old Virgin Queen" (Premiere, Part 1) | October 10, 2008 | Elizabeth Elizabeth (film) Elizabeth is a 1998 biographical film written by Michael Hirst, directed by Shekhar Kapur, and starring Cate Blanchett in the title role of Queen Elizabeth I of England, alongside Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Sir John Gielgud, Fanny Ardant and Richard Attenborough... (opening) |
| 1-02 | "The Diary of a Mad Ex-Housewife" (Premiere, Part 2) | October 10, 2008 | Mission Impossible (opening) |
| 1-03 | "The Remains of the Snow Day" | October 17, 2008 | Blair Witch Project (opening) |
| 1-04 | "Mollywood" | October 24, 2008 | Castaway Castaway (film) Castaway is a 1986 film starring Amanda Donohoe and Oliver Reed, and directed by Nicolas Roeg. It was adapted from the 1984 book of the same name by Lucy Irvine, telling of her experiences of staying for a year with writer Gerald Kingsland on the isolated island of Tuin, between New Guinea and... (opening); The Deer Hunter The Deer Hunter The Deer Hunter is a 1978 drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Russian American steel worker friends and their infantry service in the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, John Savage, John Cazale, and George Dzundza... |
| 1-05 | "Das Booty Call" | October 31, 2008 | Body Heat Body Heat Body Heat is a 1981 American neo-noir film written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. It stars William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, J.A. Preston, and Mickey Rourke. The film is inspired by Double Indemnity.... (opening) |
| 1-06 | "The Ex-Files" | November 7, 2008 | Hello, Dolly! Hello Dolly! (film) Hello, Dolly! is a 1969 romantic comedy musical film, based on the Broadway production of the same name; the film follows the story of Dolly Levi, a strong-willed matchmaker who travels to Yonkers, New York, in an attempt to find a match for the miserly "well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire,"... (opening) |
| 1-07 | "The French Disconnection" | November 14, 2008 | Scream Scream (film) Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette... (opening) |
| 1-08 | "Look Who's Stalking" | November 21, 2008 | The Godfather The Godfather The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard... (opening), Dirty Harry Dirty Harry Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan.... |
| 1-09 | "Her Old Man & The Sea" | December 5, 2008 | Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is a 2001 adventure thriller film adapted from the Tomb Raider video game series. Directed by Simon West and starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, it was released in U.S. theaters on June 15, 2001. The film was a commercial success... (opening), A Few Good Men A Few Good Men (film) A Few Good Men is a 1992 drama film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore. It was adapted for the screen by Aaron Sorkin from his play of the same name. A courtroom drama, the film revolves around the trial of two U.S... |
| 1-10 | "A Woman Over the Influence" (Series Finale) | December 12, 2008 | The Green Mile The Green Mile (film) The Green Mile is a 1999 American drama film directed by Frank Darabont and adapted by him from the 1996 Stephen King novel of the same name... (opening), Basic Instinct Basic Instinct Basic Instinct is a 1992 erotic thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, and starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone.... |
DVD release
On March 10, 2009, Universal Studios Home EntertainmentUniversal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
released Season 1 of The Starter Wife on DVD in Region 1. The DVD includes audio commentary on two episodes and a segment on the creation of the fantasy sequences.
International Broadcast
Currently The Starter Wife is shown on Irish TV Channel 3e3E
3E or 3-E may refer to:*3e, general entertainment channel operated in Ireland*3rd meridian east*Third edition in the Editions of Dungeons & Dragons*NY 3E, alternate name for New York State Route 104*OK-3E, abbreviation for Oklahoma State Highway 3...
It is shown on TV3 in New Zealand on Saturdays at 3:00pm