In the Motherhood
Encyclopedia
In the Motherhood is an American television sitcom that debuted on ABC
as a midseason entry and ran from March 26, 2009 to June 25, 2009. The series was produced by ABC Studios in association with Cabloom! and Mindshare.
Rosemary, who has been married numerous times but currently single, is a fast and loose free-wheeling mom with a teenaged son, Sid, who seems to be more responsible than his non-traditional mother.
Rosemary’s best friend, Jane, is a recently divorced mother of two girls, pre-teen Annie, and eight-month-old Sophie. As she tries to keep her career and home afloat, Jane has also hired a "manny," Horatio, to help her out with her working mother duties. Horatio also has the ability to "communicate" with Sophie and believes she is the only person that really "gets" him
Jane’s younger sister, Emily, is a model stay-at-home-super-mom for her two young children, Esther and Bill. Emily also believes in perfection which she sees as key to her family life and takes parenting as seriously as any mother could. Her home is a work of art, and her kids are polite and sweet. Emily is married to Jason, the breadwinner in the family, who likes his food to be organic and determined to make sure that his family is at the top of their class.
, Jenny McCarthy
, and Chelsea Handler
in the lead roles, Handler was supposed to be the only cast member from the series to make the transition to the small screen, but on November 24, 2008, TV Guide
reported that the series will instead star Megan Mullaly and Cheryl Hines
. In addition, Horatio Sanz
and Jessica St. Clair
have also been cast, with Sanz playing Hines' manny and St. Clair playing Hines' "intimidating younger sister," who doesn't discipline her children. Handler decided to drop out of the project due to her scheduling commitments to her E!
show Chelsea Lately
.
ABC had planned to air the final 2 episodes on April 23 and April 30 respectively. But after airing its last outing on April 16, 2009, ABC announced that it was pulling the series altogether on April 21, 2009 and that it would air a rerun of Grey's Anatomy
in its place on April 23, 2009, followed by the return of Ugly Betty
to the schedule on April 30, 2009. On May 15, 2009 ABC announced that In the Motherhood would return to the schedule on Thursday June 25, to burn off the remaining episodes. But on June 30, 2009, ABC announced that they pulled In the Motherhood and instead doubled up on Samantha Who?
for Thursday, July 2 and Thursday, July 9 at 8:30PM Eastern/7:30PM Central.
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
as a midseason entry and ran from March 26, 2009 to June 25, 2009. The series was produced by ABC Studios in association with Cabloom! and Mindshare.
Plot
The series focused on Rosemary, Jane, and Emily, three women who represent mothers we all know, loosely inspired by real-life everyday moms.Rosemary, who has been married numerous times but currently single, is a fast and loose free-wheeling mom with a teenaged son, Sid, who seems to be more responsible than his non-traditional mother.
Rosemary’s best friend, Jane, is a recently divorced mother of two girls, pre-teen Annie, and eight-month-old Sophie. As she tries to keep her career and home afloat, Jane has also hired a "manny," Horatio, to help her out with her working mother duties. Horatio also has the ability to "communicate" with Sophie and believes she is the only person that really "gets" him
Jane’s younger sister, Emily, is a model stay-at-home-super-mom for her two young children, Esther and Bill. Emily also believes in perfection which she sees as key to her family life and takes parenting as seriously as any mother could. Her home is a work of art, and her kids are polite and sweet. Emily is married to Jason, the breadwinner in the family, who likes his food to be organic and determined to make sure that his family is at the top of their class.
Production
Loosely based on the popular online web series created by Mindshare and produced by Science + Fiction in 2007 in conjunction with Suave hair care products and Sprint Nextel, this adaptation chronicled the daily and hilarious perils of three mothers, with most of their stories being adapted from everyday real-life mothers. The success of the webisodes led to ABC's announcement to order 13 initial episodes for the 2008-2009 TV season, which was cut down to an order of 7 after the premiere. Sprint and Suave had an involvement in the series as well.Casting
Whereas the webisodes featured Leah ReminiLeah Remini
Leah Marie Remini is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens and as Stacey Carosi on the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell...
, Jenny McCarthy
Jenny McCarthy
Jennifer Ann "Jenny" McCarthy is an American model, comedian, actress, author, activist, and game show host. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for Playboy magazine and was later named their Playmate of the Year. McCarthy then parlayed her Playboy fame into a successful television and...
, and Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Joy Handler is an American stand-up comedian, humorist, television host, actress, model and best-selling author. She currently hosts a late-night talk show titled, Chelsea Lately on the E! Cable Television Network. In 2009 she won a Bravo A-List Award...
in the lead roles, Handler was supposed to be the only cast member from the series to make the transition to the small screen, but on November 24, 2008, TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
reported that the series will instead star Megan Mullaly and Cheryl Hines
Cheryl Hines
Cheryl Ruth Hines is an American actress and director, known for her role as Larry David's wife Cheryl on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. She currently appears on the ABC sitcom Suburgatory...
. In addition, Horatio Sanz
Horatio Sanz
Horatio Sanz is a Chilean-born American actor and comedian best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1998-2006. Sanz most recently starred alongside his former SNL castmate Chris Parnell in the Comedy Central series Big Lake.-Early life:Sanz, the youngest of three sons, was born in...
and Jessica St. Clair
Jessica St. Clair
Jessica St. Clair is an American actress, writer, sketch comedian and comedy improviser who often performs at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York and Los Angeles, usually as a member of the improv group Mother. Jessica has been a regular on the show Best Week Ever, offering her...
have also been cast, with Sanz playing Hines' manny and St. Clair playing Hines' "intimidating younger sister," who doesn't discipline her children. Handler decided to drop out of the project due to her scheduling commitments to her E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
show Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately is an American late night comedy talk show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler on E!. The show debuted on July 16, 2007, and is produced by Handler's production company, Borderline Amazing Productions...
.
Reception and scheduling
The series had not been received well by critics and despite ABC's promotional push in the hopes that would weaken NBC's Thursday night comedy lineup, not many viewers, especially fans of the online website for which this series is named, flocked to see the show.ABC had planned to air the final 2 episodes on April 23 and April 30 respectively. But after airing its last outing on April 16, 2009, ABC announced that it was pulling the series altogether on April 21, 2009 and that it would air a rerun of Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
in its place on April 23, 2009, followed by the return of Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
to the schedule on April 30, 2009. On May 15, 2009 ABC announced that In the Motherhood would return to the schedule on Thursday June 25, to burn off the remaining episodes. But on June 30, 2009, ABC announced that they pulled In the Motherhood and instead doubled up on Samantha Who?
Samantha Who?
Samantha Who? is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from October 15, 2007 to July 23, 2009. The series was created by Cecelia Ahern and Don Todd, who also served as producers...
for Thursday, July 2 and Thursday, July 9 at 8:30PM Eastern/7:30PM Central.
US Nielsen ratings
| Order | Episode | Airdate | Rating | Share | Rating/Share Nielsen Ratings Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States... (18-49) |
Viewers (millions) |
Rank (Overall) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "It Takes a Village Idiot" | March 26, 2009 | 4.6 | 7 | 2.2/6 | 6.69 | TBA |
| 2 | "Vacation" | April 2, 2009 | 3.4 | 6 | 1.6/5 | 5.00 | TBA |
| 3 | "Bully" | April 9, 2009 | TBA | TBA | TBA | 4.57 | TBA |
| 4 | "Practice What You Preach" | April 16, 2009 | TBA | TBA | TBA | 4.70 | TBA |
| 5 | "Shepfather" | June 25, 2009 | 2.0 | TBA | 0.7/2 | 2.69 | TBA |
| 6 | "Where There's a Will, There's a Wake" | Unaired | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 7 | "In Sickness and In Health" | Unaired | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Cast
- Cheryl HinesCheryl HinesCheryl Ruth Hines is an American actress and director, known for her role as Larry David's wife Cheryl on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. She currently appears on the ABC sitcom Suburgatory...
: Jane - Megan MullallyMegan MullallyMegan Mullally is an American actress and singer.After working in the theatre in Chicago, Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and began to appear in supporting roles in film and television productions. She made her Broadway debut in Grease in 1994 and she has since appeared in several Broadway...
: Rosemary - Horatio SanzHoratio SanzHoratio Sanz is a Chilean-born American actor and comedian best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1998-2006. Sanz most recently starred alongside his former SNL castmate Chris Parnell in the Comedy Central series Big Lake.-Early life:Sanz, the youngest of three sons, was born in...
: Horatio - Jessica St. ClairJessica St. ClairJessica St. Clair is an American actress, writer, sketch comedian and comedy improviser who often performs at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York and Los Angeles, usually as a member of the improv group Mother. Jessica has been a regular on the show Best Week Ever, offering her...
: Emily - RonReaco LeeRonReaco LeeRonReaco Lee is an American television and film actor.-Television:Lee began his acting career in 1983 as the host of the short-lived television show Kids Beat...
: Jason