The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, April 25, 2014 2 By Shona Dustan TV Media F riendship has been the crux of many a successful comedy series. From legendary classics such as "Laverne & Shirley" to mod- ern favorites such as "Friends" and "How I Met Your Mother," friendship has been the back- bone of so many sitcom suc- cesses. USA Network hopes to cash in on this long-term trend this year with the launch of the new comedy, "Playing House." Catch the premiere episode Tuesday, April 29, on USA. This spring marks the first time in more than 15 years that the cable network has launched a new half-hour comedy series. In March, "Si- rens" — based on a 2011 Brit- ish series of the same name about a group of off-beat para- medics, and both penned and produced by Dennis Leary ("Rescue Me") — premiered as USA's first foray back into the world of sitcoms, and "Playing House" is set to pre- miere hot on its heels. Regarding these shows, net- work co-president Jeff Wachtel said: "Our new series come from some of the best comedic talent in the business, and re- flect USA's style — with great characters, strong execution and compelling storytelling." Execs are confident that "Play- ing House" will hook viewers quickly and become yet anoth- er USA Network success story. The minds behind the pro- gram are incredibly qualified to be writing about best-friend- ship. In fact, the single-camera comedy is inspired by the real- life relationship between its co- creators, Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair. The pair have been close friends and writing partners for ages (they even have a shared Tumblr account) and describe their friendship as "ultra-close." They previously penned a sitcom for NBC, "Best Friends Forever," which, unfortunately, only lasted one season, but both they and USA executives believe their writing style and chemistry is better suited for cable than network television. Not content to cre- ate, write and produce the se- ries, Parham and St. Clair also star as best friends Maggie Caruso and Emma Crawford, respectively. In a promotional video for the show's premiere, the ladies explain the premise of the show: "Our new show, 'Playing House,' is the story of a newly single pregnant lady whose friend moves in to help her raise her baby. It's a comedy about two best friends," says St. Clair. "Exactly," Parham re- sponds. "It's going to be just like 'Thelma and Louise.' " "But without the dying," St. Clair quickly adds. Parham stars as the eight- month-pregnant Maggie, a woman who's fallen on hard times but is determined to pull herself together and provide a happy, stable home for her child. When she discovers that her husband is having a scan- dalous, online affair with a strangely muscular German lady, Maggie kicks him to the curb and sets out on her own. Well, not quite "her own," as she convinces her best friend to embark on her newest ad- venture with her. Parham has had lots of im- pressive experience in the comedy world. Besides having starred in the previously men- tioned, short-lived "Best Friends Forever," she's guest- starred in hit sitcoms such as "Parks and Recreation," "Ar- rested Development" and "How I Met Your Mother," and appeared in feature films such as "Hysterical Psycho" (2009) and "Confessions of a Shopa- holic" (2009). Her resume also boasts some impressive stage appearances — after spending years in the New York offshoot of revered comedy troupe The Second City, she later moved on to the Upright Citizens Bri- gade Theater, later starring in her own one-woman show called "She Tried to Be Nor- mal," which ran in Los Angeles, New York and Montreal. St. Clair spent time perform- ing with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater along with Parham and has certainly done well for herself in the comedy world. She can frequently be seen on the HBO comedy "Veep" in a recurring role and has had major roles in comedy films such as "The Dictator" (2012), "Wanderlust" (2012), "She's Out of My League" (2010) and "Bridesmaids" (2011). Besides the short run of "Best Friends Forever," she's also guest-starred in other television sitcoms such as "Weeds," "United States of Tara," "Parks and Recreation" and "The Office." In "Playing House," St. Clair stars as Emma Crawford, a competitive, ca- reer-driven woman who values her relationship with best friend, Maggie, above every- thing else. When she gets Mag- gie's call, she comes running, leaving her hard-earned busi- ness career in China behind and moving back to Pinebrook, their hometown, to help Mag- gie raise the baby. Returning to her hometown proves complicated for Emma, who left behind a long-term boyfriend (and almost-fiancé) when she skipped off to China. Acclaimed comedian Keegan- Michael Key ("Key and Peele") plays Mark, Emma's former flame, who settled down with a former classmate after Emma fled. His presence stirs up old feelings for Pinebrook's prodi- gal daughter, but he also grounds her in reality when her flair for the dramatic gets the better of her. Emmy-winner Jane Kaczmarek ("Malcolm in the Middle") plays Emma's mother, Gwen, who was once judgmental and opinionated and now finds herself in what USA calls "a midlife renais- sance." The often hilarious mother-daughter dynamic adds depth to the storyline and characters. Christopher's Coins 2 x 2 coverstory Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair in a scene from "Playing House" Through thick and thin Lifelong friends at center of USA's new comedy By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: Why doesn't the TV series "The Mod Squad" ever get replayed? A: It's hard to say why a show falls out of favor for syndica- tion. The fact is, there are far more shows available to be rerun than the networks have airtime to fill. However, some shows certainly fare better than others. The biggest problem with "The Mod Squad," which aired from 1968 to 1973, is style. Shows like it (and other youth-ori- ented, spirit-of-an-era shows of its ilk, such as "Miami Vice" and "21 Jump Street") become dated too quickly and obvious- ly. Anyone born before 1960 would only need to look at the outfits and hairstyles on "The Mod Squad" to pinpoint the air- date to within about two years. That kind of currency is a plus during a show's initial run — indeed, "The Mod Squad" is still applauded for its ground- breaking attempt to put (relatively) real youth on screen. In re- runs, though, it can be a liability — it's hard to take Officer Linc Hayes seriously when he's describing his big crime bust as "groovy." Q: On "NCIS," Gibbs has a number of rules he lives by. What are the rules that have been aired in this series thus far? A: In the Season 3, "NCIS's" paternal team leader Leroy Jethro Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon) told one of his agents, Ziva, that there are "about 50" items in his list of life and workplace rules, and that, "My job is to teach them to you." That teaching process has been a slow one. After 11 sea- sons, he's still only revealed 29 of them, and not in order — for example, in the seventh season finale, he revealed Rule 51 (in fact, "Rule 51" is the name of the episode), and in the ninth season he jumped to Rule 69. Though he said in that Season 3 episode that the rules aren't written down anywhere (and actually he has since gone back on that little rule, too), CBS sells an official "NCIS" T-shirt that helpfully lists what it calls Gibbs's 10 favorites: Rule 1: Never let suspects stay together. Rule 2: Always wear gloves at a crime scene. Rule 3: Don't believe what you're told. Double check. Rule 7: Always be specific when you lie. Rule 8: Never take anything for granted. Rule 12: Never date a co- worker. Rule 15: Always work as a team. Rule 18: It's better to seek forgiveness than ask permission. Rule 22: Never, ever bother Gibbs in interrogation. And finally, Rule 23: Never mess with a Marine's coffee if you want to live. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. hollywoodQ&A