American Housewife (Season 5 Premiere Review)

Who's that girl? Daniel DiMaggio, Meg Donnelly and newcomer Giselle Eisenberg stand near Diedrich Bader and Katy Mixon.

AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE began its fifth season on a very odd note. It narrowly survived cancellation though its audience numbers suffered from constant air date changes. 

And then COVID hit, forcing the industry to take a break.  When shooting re-started, health and safety became first in mind. On the set of AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE, everything is wiped down once an hour, cast and crew wear masks. Some actors mentioned on social media that as a result everything takes longer to shoot.

And if that wasn't enough, fan favorite Julia Butters (who played the youngest child, Anna-Kat, the quirky and precocious one), quit the series after basking in the warm glow of her fledgling movie career. Butters shared the screen with Leonardo DiCaprio in ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD and she is now off to pursue a movie career instead. Butters was replaced by Giselle Eisenberg (LIFE IN PIECES).

Throughout television history, sitcoms have gone through cast changes with mixed results. It might take a while (if at all) for the new cast member to find their groove.  Longtime fans may remember that AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE already had a cast change from its pilot episode, when Meg Donnelly successfully replaced Johnny Sequoya as the eldest daughter, Taylor. 

So the fifth season premiered on an episode that was actually written to be the end of season four. Every member of the Otto family is dealing with a crisis. Taylor is ready to graduate from high school but, in a plot line borrowed from THE MIDDLE, a long overdue library book is holding her back. Katie ends up dealing with Principal Ablin (Jerry Lambert) to negotiate Taylor's graduation by arranging his wedding to Maria (Julie Meyer). Greg battles with Lonnie (Matt Shively) on how to finish Lonnie's autobiography. Anna-Kat is at odds with Franklin (Evan O'Toole) over going to summer camp. And Cooper (Logan Pepper) discovers that his family is relocating to Florida.

What worked? The sharp writing and fast paced snaps and comebacks are back. It's a feat to juggle so many cast members. And it's always been that teetering with PG-13 rated innuendo-laced dialogue where AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE shines. Greg to Katie, "I'm going to have to give him that happy ending that he wants." Oliver to Cooper, "I'm happy for you, fiscally." And Cooper to the Otto's, "You drink tap water, which is practically like drinking toilet water."  Yeah, that's the stuff.

What didn't? Sorry, it will take more than a couple episodes to get used to the new Anna Kat. To the showrunner's credit, they didn't cast a Julia Butters lookalike but to their detriment, it will take some time to get used to the blonde stranger with the lower voice  walking around the Otto house. Eisenberg is 13 years old. Butters is 11. It's just one episode, but Eisenberg hasn't found Butter's Anna Kat's tone or enthusiasm. She doesn't necessarily have to - eventually Eisenberg will make the Anna Kat character her own - but it will be these transition episodes that will stick out the most.

Finally, what was also jarring about this premiere episode was that it was written pre-COVID (as part of Season four) but shot just a month ago. To be in AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE's Westport where the school students are not wearing masks or practicing safe distancing was immediately noticeable.  By the time we hit the graduation ceremony, I was looking at the crowd and thinking, wow, those people are sitting way too close together. In a year where no one in America had a normal graduation ceremony, seeing one on TV made the episode look immediately dated.

Chalk it up to a very odd 2020. I would have preferred an AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE Halloween episode, but it's great to have the Otto's back to keep us company during the pandemic. It's like a nice big plate of comfort food - Katie's meatloaf anyone?  And this episode's script serves up a lot of elements for the new season ahead. Spoiler alert - how will Oliver's new roommate deal with such a small house?

Harrison Cheung is the author of the award-winning biography of Christian Bale (BenBella Books) and a contributor to Brave New Hollywood and The TV Ratings Guide.

@harrisonic (Twitter)

Bless This Mess Ordered by ABC

Bless This Mess has been ordered to series by ABC for midseason. The single-camera comedy was created by Liz Meriwether (New Girl, Single Parents) and actress Lake Bell. Bell will also star in the series, alongside Dax Shephard. Bless This Mess follows a newlywed couple that moves from the city to Nebraska to live a simpler life, though that doesn’t work out like they planned.

What do you think of this news? Let us know in the comments below!

ABC Orders The Kids Are Alright to Series

ABC has given a series order to a The Kids Are Alright, the formerly untitled comedy pilot from Tim Doyle.

The Kids Are Alright is a single-camera period comedy. Prior to creating the series, Doyle wrote episodes for other ABC comedies: Speechless, Dr. Ken, and Last Man Standing.

The logline for the series, from Deadline: "Set in the 1970s, an Irish-Catholic family with a working-class dad, traditional mom and eight boisterous sons navigates changes big and small during one of America’s most turbulent decades." ABC Studios produces the series.

What do you think of this news? Are you interested in this show? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

ABC Passes on Comedy Pilots

ABC has decided not to order to series...

Crazy Wonderful is a single-camera comedy created by writer Bobby Bowman, whose credits include developing short-lived ABC comedy Family Tools, and producing My Name is Earl. The cast includes Brooke Elliot, who led the Lifetime series Drop Dead Diva. The logline for the pilot, from Deadline: "Inspired by Bobby Bowman’s childhood growing up with a father with mental illness, it features a dysfunctional family that perseveres despite their differences and finds happiness in unexpected places." ABC Studios produces the project.

How May We Hate You is a single-camera comedy that "revolves around two guest service associates at a high-end resort and the co-workers and guests that they’re stuck with for eight to 16 hours a day" (logline from Deadline). It is based on the book and blog "How May We Hate You?" and stars Kat Dennings, who starred on 2 Broke Girls through its six-season run. The project is created by Brooklyn Nine-Nine writer Justin Noble, and is produced by CBS Studios, in co-production with ABC Studios.

Man of the House is a multi-camera hybrid comedy. How I Met Your Mother's Alyson Hannigan stars in the project, which is produced by Scandal star Kerry Washington. The logline for the pilot, from Deadline: "Two recently divorced sisters decide to move in together to raise their kids under one roof. The oldest kid and only son is left to figure out what manhood means in a world where he’s now completely surrounded by females." ABC Studios produces the project.

The Greatest American Hero is a reboot of the hourlong 1981-1983 ABC series, this time as a half-hour. This incarnation of the series stars New Girl's Hannah Simone, is created by Fresh Off the Boat writer Rachna Fuchbom, and its executive producers include Fresh Off the Boat creator Nahnatchka Khan. The logline for the pilot, from Deadline: "Meera is a 30-year-old woman who loves tequila and karaoke and has spent her life searching and failing to find meaning, much to the chagrin of her traditional Indian-American family. An inexplicable event occurs that will change the course of Meera’s life forever: She is entrusted with a super suit to protect the planet. Meera finally might have found purpose, but the world has never been in more unreliable hands." It is produced by 20th Century FOX, in co-production with ABC Studios.

Most Likely To is a multi-camera comedy starring Yvette Nicole Brown, most recently on ABC's recently-canceled The Mayor. Greg Berlanti, known for producing the CW's DC TV shows, among others, is a producer on the series, created by Diablo Cody, who formerly created Showtime comedy United States of Tara and co-created Amazon comedy One Mississippi. The logline for the pilot, from Deadline: "In high school, Liz Cooney had everything and Markie McQueen had nothing. Twenty years later, they’re reunited under the same roof as single moms and unlikely housemates." The project is produced by Warner Bros.

What do you think of this news? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

ABC Passes on Steps

ABC has decided not to order comedy pilot Steps to series.

Steps is a single-camera comedy, based on a Swedish series whose title translates to "Bonus Family". The project is developed by Kristin Newman, whose past credits include writing on The Real O'Neals, The Neighbors, and That 70s Show.

The logline for the pilot, from Deadline: "Four adults in three houses raise three kids after two divorces — together." ABC Studios produces the project.

What do you think of this news? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

ABC Passes on Southern Hospitality

ABC has decided not to order comedy pilot Southern Hospitality to series.

Southern Hospitality is a single-camera comedy. It stars Annaleigh Ashford, from Showtime's Masters of Sex, and is created by Sherry Bilsing-Graham and Ellen Kreamer, whose most recent creation was the short-lived FOX comedy I Hate My Teenage Daughter, and who also previously wrote on Friends.

The logline for the pilot, from Deadline: "Rebecca left her family’s Texas ranch years ago to work at an upscale hotel in New York, but after being promised ownership of the ranch by her smooth-talking cowboy dad Beau, she’s back and ready to utilize her big-city tactics to turn their rustic ranch into a destination spot oozing Southern hospitality. Getting her siblings to fall in line with her vision will be the real thorn in Rebecca’s side — and that’s going to be even harder once Beau reveals a life-changing family secret." ABC Studios produces the project.

What do you think of this news? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

ABC Orders Single Parents to Series

ABC has given a series order to comedy pilot Single Parents.

Single Parents is a single-camera comedy, whose ensemble includes SNL's Taran Killam and Everybody Loves Raymond star Brad Garrett. The series is created by New Girl writer J.J. Philbin, and the producers include Liz Meriwether, creator of New Girl.

The logline for the series, from Deadline: "A group of dysfunctional single parents lean on one another as they raise their kids, look for love and ultimately realize survival is only possible with the help of one another." The series is produced by 20th Century FOX, in co-production with ABC Studios.

What do you think of this news? Are you interested in Single Parents? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

"The Second Fattest Housewife in Westport" Comedy Gets a Pilot Order at ABC

Deadline reports that ABC has ordered a pilot for comedy The Second Fattest Housewife in Westport. The show is said to be about a "slightly larger" woman who is raising a flawed family in a
suburban town where everyone else seems perfect.

What do you think of this news? Let us know in the comments below!

Ted Danson Leaving CSI: Cyber

It's just been announced that Kristen Bell and Ted Danson will headline a new NBC comedy already ordered to series, called "Good Place". The series was created by The Office's Mike Schur. This more than likely means that CSI: Cyber is dead, but fans can still hold out hope.

Fresh Off the Boat Season 2 Premiere Review

Hi, I'm Hunter and I will be reviewing Fresh Off the Boat this season. I loved the first season of Fresh Off the Boat earlier this year and I thought it was the best new comedy since Go On in fall 2012. Constance Wu was hilarious as Jessica, and the rest of the family was great as well. It was one of the top two returning shows I have been looking forward to this fall, and I have been very excited for more of Fresh Off the Boat.


S2E1 "Family Business Trip"

In this episode, Eddie is desperate to have something cool to say he has done over the summer when 7th grade starts. He thought he had something great with new shoes that he buys, but as the summer goes on they become uncool, and now the summer is almost over and he has nothing. Jessica started off the new season hilarious as ever, and the tooth fairy note joke was hilarious. When Louis is going to go on a business trip and it is by Gator World and he is bringing things such as tennis balls and a swim suit. This makes Jessica think that it is a vacation, so she insists that it is now a family business trip.

Going on the trip resulted in a lot of classic Jessica moments. She did not want to pay for any extra charges, and she wanted to get her money's worth out of everything. When she found out how much Gator World cost, she decided that instead they would go on a different ride, the shuttle bus through the parking lot.

Louis ended up admitting that he was on a vacation, and he encouraged Jessica to relax. It took her a little bit, and that meant some funny moments, such as when she wore clothes to the massage and made comments about the whales singing. But, of course, she was right all along, and it turned out that their bill was huge due to hidden fees. But, Jessica took care of the situation, because that's what she does. She pulled out Evan's tooth and claimed that it came out when he slipped by the pool with no lifeguard on duty.


I think that this was a fantastic season premiere that really showcased all of the characters. It was a great episode, and I am sure that this season will provide us with more like it.

What did you think of "Family Business Trip"? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

ABC Comedy Parts 6+7: The Wednesday Rebound and What's Next

ABC righted a wrong when they decided to move The Goldbergs to 8:30. They also premiered Blackish at 9:30, the first family comedy ever to air after Modern Family. For the first time, ABC had a comedy night consisting solely of family comedies. With it, we found out that compatibility truly does matter. The Middle and Modern Family both became extremely steady, with The Goldbergs being the second comedy ever to improve upon its 8pm lead-in, and Blackish holding onto enough of Modern Family to stay in the range of both The Middle and The Goldbergs. The comedies fit together as a glove, and for the first time since the comedy block began in 2009, all four comedies aired full seasons there, with no other comedies airing on Wednesday outside of the premiere of Fresh Off The Boat.

ABC Still Figuring Out Tuesday…

Despite the newfound all-around success of ABC Wednesday, it surprised few people that the Selfie-Manhattan Love Story Tuesday duo flopped. Both hit levels that went as low or even lower than Trophy Wife, and both were down significantly from the fall numbers seen by The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife the season before. When they were quickly pulled from the schedule, ABC filled the time slot temporarily with Shark Tank, which not only improved on the time slot, but also improved upon what it did there a few years prior when it was its regular time slot.

Things got tricky midseason. ABC only had one comedy with a midseason premiere date, Fresh Off The Boat, but had two comedy spots to fill. So what they did was quietly pick up reality filler Repeat After Me. The latter did not do well at all, typically being at the 1.0 range, but the former surprised as a moderate success. The ratings did fall significantly from its Wednesday premiere, but were good enough for a renewal considering the circumstances (only Tuesday comedy to proved ok numbers that season, had to face The Voice and typical Daylight Savings Time drops).

…And Friday

Like we have seen for the previous two seasons, ABC has been having trouble pairing something up with ok-for-Friday Last Man Standing. In the 2014-2015 season, they tried multi-cam Cristela. Like previous time slot occupants Malibu Country and The Neighbors, it performed well enough to warrant a full season, but not well enough to get a renewal. Meanwhile, Last Man Standing, which itself was on the bubble due to Tim Allen’s contract, held well enough to be renewed. Just like the breakout 2011-2012 season, ABC had every reason to renew six of their comedies.

Part 7: What’s Next?

It truly looks like ABC will have a strong comedy year next season. Of course, there are no guarantees here, but it seems like they finally figured out that compatibility is key. Tuesdays should improve, at least in the fall, with The Muppets leading off the night, which in turn should bring some more exposure to Fresh Off The Boat. They also kept the Wednesday comedy block as is, and the only show right now which is not reviewing too well is Dr. Ken, which already has a midseason replacement anyway. But although I predict ABC having a great season on the comedy side, it is more questionable what happens in the long run. The Middle and Modern Family must have two or three seasons left at best, meaning that others shows will have to take the baton. Could The Muppets be that show to take over for Modern Family? It is a family mockumentary show, after all. And could The Goldbergs be the next The Middle, all while Fresh Off The Boat and Blackish provide solid ratings as well? Time will tell, but there is one thing we can all learn: ABC’s comedy Wednesday experiment back in fall 2009 truly did pay off. Sure, there were some struggles along the way, but could you imagine a world when their top comedy struggled to hit a 1.0? It is hard to believe how relatively recent those days were.

ABC Comedy Part 4: The Collapse

Sorry for the long wait while I was giving priority to other articles. Here is part 4/6 of the ABC Comedy article. To see Parts 1, 2, and 3, click here.

Part 4: The Collapse

The Wednesday Problems

Time to get a little bit gloomy here. ABC did not have the best next two seasons in the comedy department. It started with The Middle and Modern Family having their first ever year-to-year losses. The fall was much more dramatic for the latter than the former, but down is down. Then, there was an unnecessary scheduling change: Suburgatory aired post-Modern Family. Why this happened is anyone’s guess. First off, it was not owned by ABC Studios. Getting an in-house produced comedy should have been a priority for the network, and airing such a comedy in the best time slot they have would be the easiest way to do so. Their closest in-house production to syndication, Cougar Town, had recently been cancelled, which should have made it even more of a priority. However, instead of airing one of their three comedies (The Neighbors, Malibu Country, Happy Endings) after Modern Family, they picked a comedy which was doing just fine on its own, and which was drastically improving the 8:30 time slot. Believe it or not, Suburgatory underwhelmed there, and like Cougar Town, was renewed for a short third season to premiere mid-season. And its not like The Neighbors did as well or better than what Suburgatory was getting in the 8:30 time slot. In fact, it also underwhelmed, yet was issued a renewal. Later on in the year, Family Tools aired at 8:30, and completely flopped. Does goes another comedy.

The Tuesday and Friday Problems

With Last Man Standing off to Friday and Cougar Town, Man Up!, and Work It cancelled, ABC had to start over on Tuesday nights. They decided to do this with the two comedies which aired after Modern Family: Happy Endings at 9 and Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 at 9:30. Both were also two of the three ABC-produced comedies, making it somewhat surprising that they were both kicked off of Wednesday night. Unfortunately for ABC, both of them bombed badly. The last time they aired together, Happy Endings had a 1.3 rating, and Apartment 23 a 1.1. The former was burned off on Fridays at 8 and 8:30 in late spring, while the latter was pulled from the schedule after just 9 episodes (it would later air in the summer). Happy Endings dipped into the low 0s, and was subsequently cancelled itself.

Speaking of Last Man Standing being shipped off to Fridays, it saw close to a 30% year-to-year drop. Regardless, the ratings were still good enough for Friday standards, and was renewed for a third full season. Meanwhile, its companion, ABC-produced Malibu Country, also a multi-cam, was consistently hitting numbers in the low 1s. Despite compatibility, ABC decided to cancel the show.

The Missed Opportunity

In April, ABC premiered How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) after Modern Family. It had respectable ratings, and even when Modern Family was a rerun was in the mid 1s. That was enough to put it ahead of Happy Endings, Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23, Malibu Country, Last Man Standing, and in the same range as The Neighbors. However, it was cancelled after one season, something ABC may have somewhat regretted after seeing what would happen the following season…

How FOX Saved ABC Comedy

Get ready to hear one of the greatest paradoxes in modern day television.

Back to You (2007-2008)

Remember Back to You? Probably not. It was a short-lived comedy series that had the misfortune of airing in the 2007-2008 season. A.k.a, Writers' Strike season. This meant that after airing just seven episodes, the show would have to go on hiatus for about 3.5 months. It went on to air seven more episodes in the spring, when it was cancelled by FOX.

Wait, so how did FOX canceling a mediocrely rated show save ABC comedy? That doesn't even make any sense!

Actually, yes it does. Let's start with the two stars of Back to You: Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton. Both were understandably paid much to star in the shows given their strong backgrounds on hit comedy series (Cheers and Frasier for the former, Everybody Loves Raymond for the latter). The result of their high salaries was that FOX was willing to cancel it over the lower-rated 'Til Death due to expenses. The show was subsequently pitched to other networks, and CBS was reportedly very interested until negotiations fell through.

But that only meant that these two huge sitcom stars were back on the market. Kelsey Grammar was recruited by ABC to star in their upcoming sitcom Hank, and Patricia Heaton in fellow sitcom The Middle. Hank and The Middle were ordered to series with these big names attached, and made up the first hour of ABC's all-new comedy Wednesday in fall 2009 (you can find more about that in the ABC Comedy article here).

Would either of them been on the air without them? Possibly for Hank (but it wouldn’t matter since if Kelsey Grammar couldn’t save it, barely anyone could), but The Middle more than likely would not. See, it was first developed in the 2006-2007 season as a Ricki Lake vehicle, but was not ordered to series. It was then redeveloped for the 2009-2010 TV season, with only Atticus Shaffer as youngest child Brick keeping his role. ABC told the creators that in order for them to consider picking it up, however, was if they could get a big star to play the role of Frankie. When Patricia Heaton signed up, ABC ordered a pilot, and later picked it up to series. Now, The Middle is entering its seventh season, and has been ABC’s most stable comedy since its start.

Now, let’s move onto the people behind the scenes of Back to You. It was created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan. Names ring a bell, Modern Family fans? That’s because the creators of Back to You were also the creators of Modern Family. The two arranged for Ty Burrell, who played a supporting character on Back to You, to play the breakout role of Phil on Modern Family. He has since been nominated for and/or won multiple major awards and has been considered one of the best parts of the show. They also arranged for Fred Willard, fellow Back to You supporting character, to recur as Phil’s dad on Modern Family. Modern Family was not pitched to FOX due to the creators being bitter about the cancellation of their previous show. ABC loved the pilot, and made it the centerpiece of its all-new Wednesday night lineup.

Breaking In (2011-2012)

So FOX cancelling Breaking In wasn’t exactly something that saved ABC comedy—though Back to You indeed was—but ABC was indeed allowed to take a major step forward with their comedy slate with the cancellation news. How, and why? I’ll tell you.

The creator of Breaking In was a man named Adam F. Goldberg. Yes, Goldberg. That name sound familiar to fans of ABC’s The Goldbergs? That’s because he created this show as well, a biopic about his family’s life narrated by Patton Oswald as grown-up Adam, which he created quickly enough to get a series order the season after Breaking In was cancelled. After a slow ratings year in Season 1, The Goldbergs escalated into a breakout sophomore hit when moved into the time slot between—you guessed it—The Middle and Modern Family. The three shows are currently ABC’s top three sitcoms.

So fans of The Middle, The Goldbergs, and Modern Family: you have FOX to thank for their existance as much as you do ABC.