Jump to content

Playing House (TV series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 101.160.132.62 (talk) at 14:25, 27 January 2015. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Playing House
GenreComedy
Created by
Starring
Opening theme"Back Before We Were Brittle" by Say Hi
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1 (2 ordered)
No. of episodes10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Lennon Parham
  • Jessica St. Clair
  • Scot Armstrong
  • Judah Miller
  • Ravi Nandan
Producers
  • Keith Raskin
  • Jake Aust
Camera setupSingle-camera
Production companies
Original release
NetworkUSA Network
ReleaseApril 29, 2014 (2014-04-29) –
present

Playing House is an American comedy series which premiered on April 29, 2014, on the USA Network.[1][2] Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair created and star in the series, which is inspired by the real-life friendship between the two.

On December 8, 2014, Playing House was renewed for a second season.[3]

Premise

When mother-to-be Maggie ends her marriage upon discovering her husband's affair with a woman online, she turns to her best friend Emma for support. In order to help Maggie in her time of need, Emma gives up her successful business in China to return to their hometown of Pinebrook, and help her friend raise her newborn baby.

Cast

Main

  • Lennon Parham as Maggie Caruso – Emma's best friend since childhood. Pregnant and newly single after a sudden separation from her husband.
  • Jessica St. Clair as Emma Crawford – Maggie's best friend since childhood. She leaves her overseas job in China to come home and to help Maggie.
  • Keegan-Michael Key as Mark Rodriguez – A local cop and childhood friend of Maggie and Emma. Mark and Emma used to date in high school.
  • Zach Woods as Zach Harper – Maggie's younger brother.
  • Brad Morris as Bruce Caruso – Maggie's ex-husband.

Recurring

  • Jane Kaczmarek as Gwen Crawford – Emma's estranged mother.
  • Lindsay Sloane as Bird Bones aka Tina - Mark's wife and nemesis to Emma.
  • Gerry Bednob as Mr. Nanjiani – A local Pakistani townsperson.
  • Marissa Jaret Winokur as Candy – a bartender at Rosie's, the local restaurant.
  • Ian Roberts as Ian – Mark's partner on the police force.
  • Sandy Martin as Mary Pat – Bruce's mother.
  • Norma Michaels as Ms. Johannsen – a prickly old woman living in the town.

Episodes

Playing House
GenreComedy
Created by
Starring
Opening theme"Back Before We Were Brittle" by Say Hi
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1 (2 ordered)
No. of episodes10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Lennon Parham
  • Jessica St. Clair
  • Scot Armstrong
  • Judah Miller
  • Ravi Nandan
Producers
  • Keith Raskin
  • Jake Aust
Camera setupSingle-camera
Production companies
Original release
NetworkUSA Network
ReleaseApril 29, 2014 (2014-04-29) –
present

Playing House is an American comedy series which premiered on April 29, 2014, on the USA Network.[4][2] Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair created and star in the series, which is inspired by the real-life friendship between the two.

On December 8, 2014, Playing House was renewed for a second season.[3]

Premise

When mother-to-be Maggie ends her marriage upon discovering her husband's affair with a woman online, she turns to her best friend Emma for support. In order to help Maggie in her time of need, Emma gives up her successful business in China to return to their hometown of Pinebrook, and help her friend raise her newborn baby.

Cast

Main

  • Lennon Parham as Maggie Caruso – Emma's best friend since childhood. Pregnant and newly single after a sudden separation from her husband.
  • Jessica St. Clair as Emma Crawford – Maggie's best friend since childhood. She leaves her overseas job in China to come home and to help Maggie.
  • Keegan-Michael Key as Mark Rodriguez – A local cop and childhood friend of Maggie and Emma. Mark and Emma used to date in high school.
  • Zach Woods as Zach Harper – Maggie's younger brother.
  • Brad Morris as Bruce Caruso – Maggie's ex-husband.

Recurring

  • Jane Kaczmarek as Gwen Crawford – Emma's estranged mother.
  • Lindsay Sloane as Bird Bones aka Tina - Mark's wife and nemesis to Emma.
  • Gerry Bednob as Mr. Nanjiani – A local Pakistani townsperson.
  • Marissa Jaret Winokur as Candy – a bartender at Rosie's, the local restaurant.
  • Ian Roberts as Ian – Mark's partner on the police force.
  • Sandy Martin as Mary Pat – Bruce's mother.
  • Norma Michaels as Ms. Johannsen – a prickly old woman living in the town.

Episodes

Template loop detected: List of Playing House episodes

Production and development

Playing House first appeared on the USA Network development slate in February 2013, under the name Untitled Lennon Parham/Jessica St. Clair Project. The series was created by Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair who also star in the series as well executive produce alongside Scot Armstrong and Ravi Nandan, and the production companies Universal Cable Productions and American Work.[5]

Casting announcements began in February 2013, with Parham, St. Clair and Zach Woods announced as starring in the series when USA Network ordered the presentation. Parham and St. Clair signed on to play the lead roles of Maggie, an expectant mother who turns to her career-driven best friend Emma. Keegan Michael Key and Brad Morris then signed on to the series, with Key playing the role of Mark, a cop who holds resentment towards Emma because she turned down his proposal and left town, and Morris playing the role of Bruce, Maggie's husband, who cheats on her.[6]

On May 16, 2013, Playing House was ordered to series, making it the second original half-hour comedy series for the USA Network after Sirens.[2]

On December 8, 2014, USA Network renewed Playing House for an eight-episode second season. Through a new model, each of the episodes will be released on video-on-demand platforms before airing a week later on USA.[3]

Reception

The first season of Playing House scored 65 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 13 "generally favorable" reviews.[7] On another review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 76% rating with an average rating of 7.1 out of 10, based on 17 reviews.[8]

Awards and nominations

In 2015, Playing House was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without a regular LGBT character) for the episode "Let's Have a Baby".[9]

References

  1. ^ "USA Network to Premiere 'Playing House' on Tuesday April 29". TV by the Numbers. February 28, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "USA Network Greenlights Its First-Ever Original Half Hour Comedies". The Futon Critic. May 16, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (December 8, 2014). "'Playing House' Renewed For Season 2 By USA With VOD As Primary Window". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  4. ^ "USA Network to Premiere 'Playing House' on Tuesday April 29". TV by the Numbers. February 28, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  5. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 15, 2013). "USA Orders Jessica St. Clair/Lennon Parham Comedy Presentation". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  6. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (March 12, 2013). "'Key and Peele' Star to Topline USA Network Comedy (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  7. ^ "Playing House Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  8. ^ "Playing House: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  9. ^ "GLAAD Media Awards Nominees Unveiled". Deadline.com. January 21, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015.

Production and development

Playing House first appeared on the USA Network development slate in February 2013, under the name Untitled Lennon Parham/Jessica St. Clair Project. The series was created by Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair who also star in the series as well executive produce alongside Scot Armstrong and Ravi Nandan, and the production companies Universal Cable Productions and American Work.[1]

Casting announcements began in February 2013, with Parham, St. Clair and Zach Woods announced as starring in the series when USA Network ordered the presentation. Parham and St. Clair signed on to play the lead roles of Maggie, an expectant mother who turns to her career-driven best friend Emma. Keegan Michael Key and Brad Morris then signed on to the series, with Key playing the role of Mark, a cop who holds resentment towards Emma because she turned down his proposal and left town, and Morris playing the role of Bruce, Maggie's husband, who cheats on her.[2]

On May 16, 2013, Playing House was ordered to series, making it the second original half-hour comedy series for the USA Network after Sirens.[3]

On December 8, 2014, USA Network renewed Playing House for an eight-episode second season. Through a new model, each of the episodes will be released on video-on-demand platforms before airing a week later on USA.[4]

Reception

The first season of Playing House scored 65 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 13 "generally favorable" reviews.[5] On another review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 76% rating with an average rating of 7.1 out of 10, based on 17 reviews.[6]

Awards and nominations

In 2015, Playing House was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without a regular LGBT character) for the episode "Let's Have a Baby".[7]

References

  1. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 15, 2013). "USA Orders Jessica St. Clair/Lennon Parham Comedy Presentation". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  2. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (March 12, 2013). "'Key and Peele' Star to Topline USA Network Comedy (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference seriespickup was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (December 8, 2014). "'Playing House' Renewed For Season 2 By USA With VOD As Primary Window". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  5. ^ "Playing House Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  6. ^ "Playing House: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  7. ^ "GLAAD Media Awards Nominees Unveiled". Deadline.com. January 21, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015.