Following a successful mini-series, USA Network assumed that viewers would want to watch a weekly version of The Starter Wife. After 10 episodes, it seems the numbers weren’t big enough and the TV show’s been cancelled.
The Starter Wife mini-series stars Debra Messing as Molly Kagan, a Hollywood wife/mother who has it all. Her life is turned upside down when her studio exec husband, Kenny (Peter Jacobson, later David Alan Basche), dumps her for a young starlet. Within hours, Molly’s social circle discards her and all that she knows is in turmoil. She slowly rebuilds her life and, by the time the TV show begins, Molly’s on her way to thriving. Castmembers include Judy Davis, Chris Diamantopoulos, Joe Mantegna, Stephen Moyer, Anika Noni Rose, Novella Nelson, Aden Young, Bethany Whitmore, Miranda Otto, Trilby Glover, Hailee Denham, Gigi Edgley, Hart Bochner, Danielle Nicolet, Reggie Austin, James Black, Brielle Barbusca, and Daniel Gerroll.
The mini-series of Starter Wife kicked off on May 31, 2007 and ran for six installments. The premiere attracted 5.4 million viewers with over half of those being in the coveted 18-49 demographic. Based on the numbers, USA announced plans to make Starter Wife a regular series. Unfortunately, the October 2007 announcement coincided with the writers strike and nothing happened for several months.
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That delay may have been particularly costly for any momentum the show could have had. The Starter Wife TV show debuted a year later, on October 10, 2008. The viewership was much less smaller. Though the show’s season average of 2.4 million is impressive for a cable audience, USA’s other series have been attracting more than double that number.
Despite Messing’s being featured in USA’s current “Characters Welcome” campaign, the network has opted not to renew Starter Wife for a second season.
A statement from USA reads, “The Starter Wife was an award-winning, critical and creative success. We were thrilled with its performance as a mini-series, expanded and enriched it through an additional 10 episodes and reached what we all feel is a satisfying conclusion.”
Unfortunately, viewers may not agree. How will their new life in San Francisco affect Devon and Liz? What will happen to Joan and her troubles with the law? Is there any hope for Molly and Zach’s relationship? We’ll likely never know.
Image courtesy USA Network.
I LOVE this show. It is great!! I can NOT believe that they are not going to continue with the show. It was the best thing since Sex and The City!! I really hope that the USA Network decides to bring back The Starter Wife for a second season and maybe even more!! My friends and I truely LOVE this show!!
I just loved the show, but was hard to find the tv listing when it was on. Please bring it back!
Oh No!!!
I am so upset by this announcement! I really fell inlove with this show and all of its castmembers! With so much crap out there, this decision is truly disappointing. Let’s start a writing campaign to USA Network to show support for The Starter Wife!
It’s interesting to see what people have to say about why they didn’t like it, or why the weekly series wasn’t as good a the mini-series. Personally, I found it very entertaining. Who cares if we don’t know what happened to the Otto character, who cares if the boyfriend wasn’t the best choice, or if the ex-husband became a choice. It was funny! What are our other choices on TV? Reality – bah humbug! Crime shows! Our lives are full of drama and crime without watching it on TV. Give me a good comedy with Debra Messing (delightful!) anyday! Bring… Read more »
Murphy said: murphy Says:
February 23rd, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I didn
I’m shocked that this show is going to be cancelled,
I’m a fan of Debra Messing and I really enjoyed this show. I was looking forward to season 2!
I didn’t like the series as much as the mini-series. I thought it was strange they never explained what happened to Miranda Otto’s character, and I hate what they did with Joan. Plus ,the love interest in this one was terrible. He was to unattractive and stiff. Personally, I loved the new ex-husband, but he was too cute and charming. Too many reasons to go back to him. And all the plot lines involving the school were boring.
i cannot get over the shock the show was cancelled.
the show was a refreshing change on tv.
i was a fan of the mini series and an even bigger fan of the show.
i think usa dropped the ball on this and shouldnt have cancelled.
it needed a better night.. friday was a hard night for people to tune in.
so sad the show wont be back.
I enjoyed this series. Even thou there were changes that you needed to adjust to, I think that given time, the viewers would return. That’s what’s wrong with TV today. To haste to draw the line and the bottom line is all that matters
Heh…why not replace it with another of Reality Show, or CSI Michigan, or Law and Order “something”…we just don’t have enough of them do we??
I loved this show and only started watching it as the series then went back and watched the mini-series. I think who ever you watch first is who you get used to b/c I loved the new husband and her new set of friends better than the ones in the mini-series. I am very disappointed this show will not return – USA should have given it a little but longer to gather momentum. It was the freshest show on TV in a long time.
I initially really liked the show, but when it came back after a break (I guess that was maybe when it went from mini-series to “series”) I wasn’t crazy about all the changes. I did like this as a vehicle for Debra Messing though. I loved her character.
I enjoyed the mini-series and really looked forward to the tv series. Once I knew Molly’s ex would be changed out to the non-dork guy, I was disappointed but I came along anyway. And what happened to Miranda Otta who played her other friend? What about the black security guard lady and her mom? And I don’t think the demographic the producers are going for appreciate every show doing a “gay” thing, I think they’re over it. And honestly, Molly just wasn’t interesting anymore. If it were not for Joan, I would have stopped watching all together. Her life, hysterical… Read more »
Well, Phooey. We watched it, and really enjoyed it. Loved the ensemble. Molly and Judy Davis were just terrific together. And i loved Lou, and her other guy friend…forgot his name, but he was wonderful. It was a little different with Molly’s ex recast. It was more fun when he was such a dork cartoon character. But i saw that he was working on House, so i guess that’s why they couldn’t get him for the series. Well, darn anyway. We’ll miss this show.
I have seen this show and I for one think it’s alright but it doesn’t quite have the zing that the mini-series had. I mean there is a reason why it was better as a mini-series in the first place. Many shows that start out as mini-series that span to a full series tend to have the same fate do to the fact that the story written for them was made for a mini-series and not a full one. It’s like some movies, most are made to help get the point of the story out there and leave it up… Read more »