Living With Fran
Encyclopedia
Living With Fran is an American
sitcom
that debuted on The WB network in April 2005 that starred Fran Drescher
. The show last aired on March 2006.
d mother of two. Her son, Josh, recently dropped out of medical school
and now lives at home with his younger sister, Allison, his mother and her young boyfriend, Riley Martin. Fran deals with the visits of her lazy ex-husband, Ted, and her divorced cousin, Merrill. Fran also must deal with the fact that others, including her son, disapprove of the relationship she has with her much younger boyfriend. In the episode 'Dreaming With Fran', Fran breaks up with Riley because of the age distance but in the next episode, Rilley preposes to Fran and moves back into the house.
. The show returned Friday, January 13, 2006, at 8:30pm. The second season finale aired on Friday, March 24, 2006. In the episode, Riley proposed to Fran; the episode was a cliffhanger, and Fran's answer was not revealed. On May 17, 2006, one day before the upfronts, it was announced that Living with Fran would not be returning for a third season.
The series was executive produced by actor/comedian Jamie Kennedy
best known for his roles in the Scream trilogy movies. He also appeared on an episode of the first season as a flamboyant, stripper
-coach Fran hires to surprise Riley for their anniversary.
The series was originally titled Shacking Up and was not renamed until very close to its premiere; episodes of television entertainment shows like Extra
can be found on the internet discussing the show with the cast and previewing clips while still calling it Shacking Up.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that debuted on The WB network in April 2005 that starred Fran Drescher
Fran Drescher
Francine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist...
. The show last aired on March 2006.
Premise
Drescher plays Fran Reeves, an interior designer and divorceDivorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d mother of two. Her son, Josh, recently dropped out of medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
and now lives at home with his younger sister, Allison, his mother and her young boyfriend, Riley Martin. Fran deals with the visits of her lazy ex-husband, Ted, and her divorced cousin, Merrill. Fran also must deal with the fact that others, including her son, disapprove of the relationship she has with her much younger boyfriend. In the episode 'Dreaming With Fran', Fran breaks up with Riley because of the age distance but in the next episode, Rilley preposes to Fran and moves back into the house.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | First air date | Last air date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | April 8, 2005 | May 13, 2005 | 6 Episodes (Unaired) |
| 2 | 13 | September 16, 2005 | March 24, 2006 |
Season 1: 2005
- Pilot
- "Riley's Parents"
- "The Ex Factor"
- "The Reunion"
- "Oh, Baby"
- "Who's the Parent?"
- "Carriage Ride"
- "The Concert"
- "Josh Works for Riley"
- "Riley's Ex" .
- "School Ties"
- "Girl Talk"
- "Plastered"
Season 2: 2005-2006
- "A Year of Living with Fran"
- "Going to the Bar Mitzvah with Fran"
- "Sweet Sixteen Again with Fran"
- "Learning with Fran"
- "Ahead of the Plan with Fran"
- "Going Crazy With Fran"
- "Coupling With Fran"
- "Healing With Fran"
- "The Whole Clan with Fran"
- "Masquerading With Fran"
- "Going to Bed With Fran"
- "Dreaming with Fran"
- "Reuniting with Fran"
Regular
- Fran DrescherFran DrescherFrancine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist...
as Fran Reeves
Fran plays an interior designer who is the mother of two. She had her first kid, Josh Reeves, at seventeen. - Ryan McPartlinRyan McPartlinRyan McPartlin is an American actor, best known for his role as Devon "Captain Awesome" Woodcomb on NBC's Chuck.-Early life:...
as Riley Douglas Martin
Riley is Fran's younger boyfriend who is twenty-six years old. - Misti Traya as Allison Reeves
Allison is Fran's fifteen-year-old daughter. She and her brother Josh do not get along all the time. Unlike Josh, she does not seem to mind her mother dating a younger man. - Ben FeldmanBen Feldman (actor)Ben Feldman is an American television and film actor. He has done stage acting, including the Broadway play The Graduate along with Alicia Silverstone and Kathleen Turner. He also played a leading character in The Perfect Man and portrayed Fran Drescher's son on the television series Living with...
as Josh Reeves
Josh is Fran's twenty-one-year-old son who dropped out of medical school. It is revealed that he was forced to go in the first place because of his father, but could not handle the sight of blood. He starts working at a video store. Unlike Allison, he is opposed to his mother dating a younger guy, and often makes fun of the two by comparing their ages. Despite this, he gets along quite well with Riley's father upon his appearance.
Recurring
- Charles ShaughnessyCharles ShaughnessyCharles George Patrick Shaughnessy, 5th Baron Shaughnessy , simply known as Charles Shaughnessy, is a British peer, and television, theatre and film actor. He is known for his roles on American television, as Shane Donovan on the soap opera Days of our Lives and as Maxwell Sheffield on the sitcom...
as Ted Reeves
Ted Reeves is Fran's ex-husband. He's a doctor, and the man who forced Josh into medical school. He is described in one episode as being unsupportive of Josh's dreams. He later makes an appearance in person, and seems to have a poor relationship with his kids, mainly Josh. He enjoys making fun of his son, Riley, and Fran during his appearances, but takes more "kindly" to his daughter, Allison. He also flirts a lot with younger women. - Debi MazarDebi MazarDeborah "Debi" Mazar is an American actress, perhaps best known for her Jersey Girl-type roles; as sharp-tongued women in independent films; and for her recurring role as press agent Shauna Roberts on the HBO series Entourage.-Early life:...
as Merrill
Merill is Fran's unmarried cousin who appears in several episodes. She later gets hooked up with one of Riley's friends, and in season two, she is engaged. During her engagement party in the last episode, Riley and Fran are broken up. - Ryan DevlinRyan DevlinRyan Patrick Devlin is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role opposite Calista Flockhart on the ABC show Brothers & Sisters where he played her younger boyfriend Seth. In addition, he recurs in the role of Smith in the ABC-TV comedy Cougar Town...
as Todd
Todd is Allison's older boyfriend who makes appearances in a few episodes. He is disliked by Fran and Riley. In season 2 he is dumped by Allison after lying to her. - Lainie KazanLainie KazanLainie Kazan is an American actress and singer.-Personal life:Kazan was born Lanie Levine in Brooklyn, New York City, the daughter of a Russian Ashkenazi Jewish father who worked as a bookie and a Turkish Sephardic Jewish mother, Carole, whom Kazan has described as "neurotic, fragile and...
as "Nana" Cookie
Cookie is Fran's mother who first appears in season 2. She likes Riley, but her relationship with her daughter is another story. Whenever Fran tries to make a decision, she claims she's not going to say anything, but ends up disgreeing with her decision anyhow and then pointing out her mistakes. She also blames Fran for her missing a concert because she got into an accident on the exact day that Cookie was going to go see it. - Caitlin CrosbyCaitlin CrosbyCaitlin Crosby is an American singer-songwriter and actress.-Life and career:While in junior high school, Crosby began playing music in church bands. During her teenage years, she was accepted into Beverly Hills High School theater program, where she first began her acting career...
as Becca
Allison's best friend who at one point, had a crush on Josh, at which temporarily ruined her friendship with Allison until Josh told her he was not interested. She appears in several episodes in both season one and two, spending time with Allison. She plays the guitar and sings, later revealed in season two when she sings at Merill's engagement party in the episode "Reuniting with Fran".
Guest
- Hal LindenHal LindenHal Linden is an American stage and television actor and television director, best known for his role in the television comedy series Barney Miller and as presenter on the ABC educational series Animals, Animals, Animals....
as Grandpa Hal
Hal is Cookie's husband and Fran's father. According to the family members, he "hates" Riley and believes Fran is taking care of him. He loses all his money to Riley in a bet, but Riley uses the money to send he and his wife on a vacation, possibly resolving their differences. - Marilu HennerMarilu HennerMary Lucy Denise "Marilu" Henner is an American actress, producer and author. She is best known for her role as Elaine O'Connor Nardo on the sitcom Taxi from 1978 to 1983.-Early life:...
as Donna Martin
Donna is Riley's mother who always makes rude comments about Fran's age, even comparing her to an antique. This amuses Fran's son, Josh. By the end of the episode, however, she and Fran start to get along better after he ends up in the hospital for a cut. After her first appearance, Donna makes no more appearances in person, but does call during the arrival of her daughter, Jenny, making sure she's okay. - John SchneiderJohn Schneider (television actor)John Richard Schneider III is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Bo Duke in the 1980s American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, and as Jonathan Kent on Smallville, a 2001 television adaptation of Superman.Alongside his acting career, Schneider performed as a...
as Tom Martin
Tom is Riley's father. Unlike his wife, he's not as rude, and supports his son in everything he does. He and Josh get along very well in the series, forming a father-and-son-like relationship. - Jenny Martin
Jenny is Riley's younger sister around Josh's age. She innocent and sweet, and Donna appears to be quite protective of her, calling Fran repeatedly before her arrival. She and Josh accidentally get married after they get drunk, but their marriage is terminated later based on the circumstances. She is engaged to be married.
Production
On October 18, 2005, Living with Fran was removed from The WB's Friday night schedule and was replaced with the new series TwinsTwins (TV series)
Twins is an American situation comedy series that first aired on The WB in the United States and on CTV in Canada in September 2005. The series is produced by KoMut Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television...
. The show returned Friday, January 13, 2006, at 8:30pm. The second season finale aired on Friday, March 24, 2006. In the episode, Riley proposed to Fran; the episode was a cliffhanger, and Fran's answer was not revealed. On May 17, 2006, one day before the upfronts, it was announced that Living with Fran would not be returning for a third season.
The series was executive produced by actor/comedian Jamie Kennedy
Jamie Kennedy
James Harvey "Jamie" Kennedy is an American comedian, rapper, and actor.-Early life:Kennedy, the youngest of six children, was born in Upper Darby Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family is of Irish descent and he was raised Roman Catholic. He attended and graduated from...
best known for his roles in the Scream trilogy movies. He also appeared on an episode of the first season as a flamboyant, stripper
Stripper
A stripper is a professional erotic dancer who performs a contemporary form of striptease at strip club establishments, public exhibitions, and private engagements. Unlike in burlesque, the performer in the modern Americanized form of stripping minimizes the interaction of customer and dancer,...
-coach Fran hires to surprise Riley for their anniversary.
The series was originally titled Shacking Up and was not renamed until very close to its premiere; episodes of television entertainment shows like Extra
Extra (TV series)
Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
can be found on the internet discussing the show with the cast and previewing clips while still calling it Shacking Up.