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 was devastated to find out this show had been cancelled. I love all of the characters especially Molly. She exemplifies what it means to be a survivor and a strong independent woman. I have all the episodes on my iPod and watch it every few months. Please reconsider! We all need some decent entertainment.
Too bad this show has been cancelled. Gives separated / divorced woman inspiration and hope during their difficult transition and sheds light into what might feel as a despairing future. I have told many of my girlfriends who are going through a divorce to watch the starter wife and they have all loved it. Funny too!
The Starter Wife, without a doubt, is among the best I have ever seen on television. I didn’t think Debra Messing could outlive her Grace persona, but this show certainly left it in the veritable dust! If USA loved it as a mini-series, why not resurrect it as such? I hate that this show is off the air.
I have waiting and waiting to hear when the Starter Wife would resume its new season. I do a computer lookup and find that the Starter Wife has been cancelled. I agree with the others that this was an excellent show. It was very entertaining and I am shocked to hear of this cancellation. Please bring it back!
There are not many shows that we watch together, but we both loved this one. We’ve been married 49 years and will miss sharing this great show. I hope it’s cancellation is reconsidered. This was a well written and well acted show and we need more of those.
I loved The Starter Wife. I am very disappointed to hear that it was cancelled. It was very entertaining…very real….very funny and poignant. I thought it was a great 2nd to Debra Messings unforgettable character in Will and Grace. I wish that USA would reconsider and bring this great show back.
This sucks!! I loved this show. It was refreshing to see a show that was funny and also real!!! One of the only shows on USA that I watched!!
With all the same crap on TV you cancel one that doesn’t insult our intelligence.I like The Closer and Entourage. Every other show is a rip off of another. Give the viewers some points for liking Mad Men and Leverage and ring back lovely Debra in The Starter Wife.
It was a great show. Everyone I spoke to loved it. They. should have given it more time and more hype. Classy and hilarious show that deserved more respect
I agree that the writers’ strike cost this show a huge amount of its momentum. I hope USA, or one of the other networks, will consider renewing this smart, entertaining series. I was another one waiting for the next season and really disappointed to hear of the cancellation. I’m so sick of the “reality” shows that seem to take up the airwaves. I work, have a life and love to plunk down and watch a show that isn’t about how many bugs someone can stuff in their mouth without vomiting, or watch some clueless contestant sing a rendition of one… Read more »
I hate to hear the show has been cancelled. I’ve been looking forward to how Joan’s got out of her troubles with the law and who was Molly’s next love. It’s really sad we didn’t get to see the turn out. The finale really left us all hanging. Debra Messing is beautiful and I looked forward to seeing her outfits and how she did her hair. Joan was also such a mess it was fun to see what she got into next.
Loved this show!
Hey fellow fans…
You need to contact USA Network directly by email at: http://www.usanetwork.com/feedback/
AND/OR postal mail at:
USA Network
30 Rockefeller Plaza
21st Floor
New York, NY 10112
I can’t belive it’s been cancelled! It was so cleverly written and put together.
By the way “Mary”… you’re crazy!
I, too, have been waiting for The Starter Wife to begin, and just learned the show was cancelled. Shame on the Network. For those of us who may remember, I think the original Star Trek TV series faced the same problem and look what happened to that series when the fans wrote to NBC!