 | New Season: New Dads |
The march of TV Single Dads continues yearly. I move the previewed shows out of this page into the "production" pages as they air.
Note that the shows below are the only series so far which meet the qualifications for being a TV Single Dad show. There may be many other shows that turn up over the next few months, so please keep checking back!
FOUR TV Single Dad shows this year, including guys like Kelsey Grammer and Nathan Fillion taking up new roles.
DAD: Roman Pretty (Kelsey Grammer) / Widower?
DAD'S JOB: Rich Guy
KIDS: Three daughters- Jenni, Nikki, Kelli
WHERE'S MOM?: Dunno
STAND-IN "MOM": Unknown
This one's based off a BBC series that nobody ever wrote me about.
ABC Sez:
You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family. What happens when your family picks you? Ask Leo Park. Leo gets caught up in a whirlwind that is the Pretty family. This family, who seemingly has everything, just doesn't work without Leo. He is the one thing that keeps the Prettys just this side of crazy. Leo also comes to realize that he doesn't quite work without the Prettys either.
For the last 10 years Leo and Nikki (the middle of three Pretty daughters) have been in love. Everything changes when Nikki dumps Leo for Seb. Roman, the patriarch of the family and one of the richest men in America feels bad for Leo, but can see why Seb has won her over. Seb is interestingly bizarre and entertaining. Even though Leo is no longer dating his daughter, Roman won't let Leo out of his life. Roman insists on smothering Leo with his wonderful, crushing love. The rest of the family can't bear to lose him either. Leo has always been the brother they've never had. He set up his good friend Jace with the eldest daughter Jenny. He also counsels the smartest and youngest daughter Kelly who is desperately trying to be a tabloid star. Perhaps most importantly Leo is a protector for a family that isn't equipped to protect themselves.
From Executive Producer Ashton Kutcher (Miss Guided, Beauty and the Geek, Punk'd) and Tiger Aspect (Mr. Bean).
DAD: Joe (Beau Bridges) / Divorced
DAD'S JOB: Don't Know
KIDS: Daughter Lou (Alyssa Milano)
WHERE'S MOM?: Nearby
STAND-IN "MOM": Unknown
It's being blurbed like Lou lives at home with Dad. But maybe she lives with mom. She's a grown-up (if you've seen Alyssa Milano lately, that's quite true) so this may fall off the TVSD charts rapidly as there seems to be only conjecture about what her home life is like.
From the ABC Press room:
Meet Louisa. We'll call her Lou. This wistful mid-30's gal is thrilled that her divorced parents are leading exciting lives apart - really she is. Except both of them rely on Lou way too much: Dad needs her as a surrogate parent, and Mom counts on her 24/7 as a shrink and confidante. Hoping to finally live a full life all her own, Lou asks the universe for three teeny-tiny favors: A perfect wife for her dad. A perfect best friend for her mom. And the perfect guy for her. As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for... Before she knows it, she finds herself at Dad's house meeting Nancy, a sweet and generous aquarium tour guide who's soon to become Lou's new stepmom. Although Dad's crazy about Nancy, his two younger kids (Lou's half-siblings) can't stand her. Strike one. Meanwhile, Lou does meet Mr. Right, a hunky and sensitive Matthew McConaughey type who likes her, too, but he turns out to be Nancy's son, and Lou's own brother-to-be! Strike two. Finally, Lou's well-meaning mom announces she's finally found the companion she's been looking for all her life - Lou herself! Strike three? Perhaps, but it never hurts to have a mom on the scene...
Writer-producer Kristin Newman (That 70's Show, How I Met Your Mother) digs deep into her own history - and heart - to bring forth this wise, warm, witty half-hour. Alyssa Milano (Charmed, Who's the Boss) stars as the sweet, slightly-off, center of this family that's way too closely knit. From DreamWorks Television (Undeclared, Freaks and Geeks) comes a fast-paced comedy that has you rooting for Lou to find her way.
DAD: Dr. Mitch Malinow(Tom Amandes) / Widower?
DAD'S JOB: Famous Pediatrician
KIDS: Son Ethan (Josh Dean) 20-something doctor
WHERE'S MOM?: Dunno
STAND-IN "MOM": Unknown
Tom Amandes, ladies and gentlemen - - you'll remember him as the evil meany doctor from TVSD show Everwood just a few years back! And now HE is a TV Single Dad.
Well, maybe yes, or maybe not. It depends on the locale of son Ethan's living quarters.
Show is a mid-seasoner, so we'll have to wait for answers.
Here's the spin:
The legendary Dr. Mitch is back! Los Angeles' most in-demand pediatrician has made a triumphant return to his practice after months of world travel, and the appointment books are already full. Lugging didgeridoos and totems, and still bereaved over the death of a baby yak, Mitch has returned to dispense his patented blend of wisdom, charm, and medical advice. Never mind that the entire staff wants him to take a drug test before going back to work - everybody's celebrating, all the same. Everybody, that is, except for his son Ethan.
A newly-minted doctor who's just finished his residency, Ethan's a walking encyclopedia of minor health conditions; now that Dad's back, he's suffering from most of them. Next door, smart, strong OB/GYN Sandy warns her patients not to be fooled by men - yet can't take a dose of her own medicine now that manly Mitch is back. (She's socked away a bottle of Jack from her hair-metal groupie days for when the temptation's too much.) Meanwhile, sexy, vain Sofia, former Latin soap star and current office manager, is furious. She's threatened by Mitch's chirpy new hire Lily Birdsall and is buying beauty products made from endangered species in an attempt to preserve her youth. Ethan's fiancée Claire is upset too, not only because Mitch is a bad influence on Ethan, but because the famous pediatrician is her dad's number one rival. Only Reid, a male nurse and proud of it, isn't bothered. He's making a bundle on the side, running a bookie joint out of his nursing station - if he can keep his sports stats separate from the all-important patient records...
Partially scripted, partially improvised, and totally hilarious, This Might Hurt is written, directed and produced by Jason Winer of You, Me, and Dupree and Van Wilder and produced by Todd Komarnicki of Elf.
DAD: Nick Castle(Nathan Fillion) / Widower?
DAD'S JOB: Mystery Writer
KIDS: Alexis Castle (Molly C. Quinn) / 14-ish
WHERE'S MOM?: Dead
STAND-IN "MOM": Unknown
Yep, here's someone I won't get to interview.
Nathan Fillion gets to be a combination Joan Wilder / Ellery Queen's dad-type detective writer who is prone to adventures. Unlike Jessica Fletcher, though, he's probably capable of climbing fire escapes and dodging bullets. The 14-year-old daughter is probably in the script to act as a hostage every third episode.
Show is also a mid-seasoner. Wait and see.
And the PR Department said:
Cross a mystery novelist with a rock star and you would get Nick Castle. He's got Jagger's swagger and James Bond's way with the ladies. Although the handsome writer seems to have everything - fame, fans, and females - he's grown weary of it all. In fact, he's just killed off the legendary character who's sold millions of books for him. But when a real-world copycat murderer starts staging murder scenes from Nick's novels and NYPD Detective Beckett asks him for help, Nick feels the old blood pumping in his veins again. Is it the thrill of the chase - or the fact that Beckett is a strikingly beautiful woman? When Nick's freewheeler detective style clashes with Beckett's conservative approach, the sparks certainly fly - leading to both danger and a hint of romance. Keeping him grounded are his washed-up Broadway diva mother and his quick-witted teenage daughter; his poker playing buddies James Patterson, Sue Grafton, and Stephen King; and his long-suffering ex-wife Gina, who also happens to be his editor. From producer Armyan Bernstein (Spy Game, The Guardian, Children of Men) comes a comedic crime procedural centered around smooth yet self-effacing literary phenomenon Nick Castle. If it was a book, you wouldn't be able to put it down.
Jay Mohr pushes the envelope with a shared-custody Single Dad comedy.
DAD: Gary Barnes (Jay Mohr) / Divorced
DAD'S JOB: House Painter
KIDS: Louise (Laura Marano), 11, and Tom (Ryan Malgarini), 14
WHERE'S MOM?: Nearby
STAND-IN "MOM": Mom Allison(Paula Marshall) and possibly Vanessa(Jaime King) girlfriend
More proof that TV writers follow this site religiously. I swear they build shows to ride *right* on the lines of TVSD-ness.
CBS claims this as the truth:
PROJECT GARY stars Jay Mohr ("Ghost Whisperer") and Paula Marshall ("Nip/Tuck") in a comedy about Gary Barnes, a recently single painting contractor, and his controlling ex-wife, Allison, who face post-divorce mayhem after 15 years of marriage as they each embark on new relationships. He's the fun parent and she's the strict one. Together, they share custody of their two children - Louise (Laura Marano, "Without a Trace"), a politically correct and environmentally conscious 11-year-old, and Tom (Ryan Malgarini, "How to Eat Fried Worms"), their socially awkward 14-year-old son who is nervous around girls. Charming and acerbic, Gary hasn't dated since the split, but finally connects with Vanessa (Jaime King, "The Class"), a single mother whose condo he was hired to paint. He dreads telling Allison about Vanessa because it doesn't adhere to her belief in their marriage counselor's book, "Rules for the Perfect Divorce." However, when Allison tells him that she's engaged to their shrink, all bets are off and Gary decides it's time to move forward. Now, in pursuit of post-marriage happiness, Gary must juggle his eclectic world of an ex-wife, their two kids, their shrink and his gorgeous new girlfriend.
Ed Yeager ("Still Standing") and Ric Swartzlander ("8 Simple Rules") are the executive producers for ABC Studios and CBS Paramount Network Television.
Nothing so far - - but maybe there are undiscovered TV Single Dads buried in the scripts - - let me know if you spot these dads.
Bernie Mac shows up with a *possible* TV Single Dad show. Need to check on the details when the show premieres.
DAD: Bernie (Bernie Mac) / Divorced
DAD'S JOB: Unknown
KIDS: Bernard (Bert Belasco) / 20's
WHERE'S MOM?: Nearby
STAND-IN "MOM": unknown
This one may fall through the floorboards as it seems to defy the Grandpa Munster Mortgage Act. Premise is that Bernie Mac moves in with his son after a divorce. Wait, watch, and see.
Steven Weber shows up with a series loosely based on 2006's The Riches, only with a Single Dad twist.
DAD: Tripp Stringer (Steven Weber) / Unknown Marital Status
DAD'S JOB: Unknown
KIDS: Ellie (Kay Panabaker) Nelson (Troy Gentile)
WHERE'S MOM?: unknown
STAND-IN "MOM": Hugo Suarez (Bernardo De Paula) /Sidekick
NBC says: FAMILY MAN. CON MAN. Trip Stringer loves his two kids. He also loves being a rich guy in Beverly Hills the only problem is he doesn't have any money. But Trip is determined to fake it until he makes it. Living just inside the 90210 boundary so the kids can get a good education, Trip is always within striking distance of the Beverly Hills elite the people he will con on his way up the economic ladder. With the aid of his loyal protege, Hugo, Trip will confront Russian gangsters, Texan thieves, Chinese tourists and parenthood with equal resolve on his quest to become the next great American success story.
Got more news? E-mail me.
All this is copyright © 2008 Jim O'Kane www.TVDads.com
