The Starter Wife
Encyclopedia
The Starter Wife is a 2007 USA Network
television miniseries
, based on the novel of the same name by Gigi Levangie Grazer. Its title is derived from the concept of a starter marriage
. Filmed over four months in Queensland, Australia, the plot focuses on Molly Kagan (Debra Messing
) who, after years of marriage to a Hollywood
film mogul, is forced to redefine herself and her role in society when he leaves her for a younger woman.
The mini-series premiered with a two-hour presentation on May 31, 2007 at 9:00 pm ET
. The premiere
attracted 5.4 million viewers, with 2.8 million of them being adults aged 25–54 (the network's target demographic). Ratings steadily decreased as the series progressed. The series is available for purchase on iTunes
(to American customers only) and was available for DVD purchase starting September 11, 2007.
The mini-series was nominated for ten Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Miniseries, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie (Debra Messing), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie (Joe Mantegna) and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie (Judy Davis). Davis was the sole winner. Messing was also nominated for a 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or a TV Movie and a 2008 SAG Award
for Outstanding Female Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie.
Although initially intended as a one-shot miniseries, USA subsequently ordered The Starter Wife as a new series
for the 2008 spring season. Production on the series first ten-episode season was delayed due to the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike, and began airing October 10, 2008.
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
television miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, based on the novel of the same name by Gigi Levangie Grazer. Its title is derived from the concept of a starter marriage
Starter marriage
A starter marriage is a first marriage that lasts five years or less and ends before the couple has children. The term, a play on the expression "starter home", appears as one of the footnotes in Douglas Coupland's 1991 novel Generation X...
. Filmed over four months in Queensland, Australia, the plot focuses on Molly Kagan (Debra Messing
Debra Messing
Debra Lynn Messing is an American actress, voice artist, and comedienne. She is perhaps best known for her role as Grace Adler in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and as Molly Kagan in the mini-series The Starter Wife....
) who, after years of marriage to a Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
film mogul, is forced to redefine herself and her role in society when he leaves her for a younger woman.
The mini-series premiered with a two-hour presentation on May 31, 2007 at 9:00 pm ET
North American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
. The premiere
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
attracted 5.4 million viewers, with 2.8 million of them being adults aged 25–54 (the network's target demographic). Ratings steadily decreased as the series progressed. The series is available for purchase on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
(to American customers only) and was available for DVD purchase starting September 11, 2007.
The mini-series was nominated for ten Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Miniseries, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie (Debra Messing), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie (Joe Mantegna) and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie (Judy Davis). Davis was the sole winner. Messing was also nominated for a 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or a TV Movie and a 2008 SAG Award
Screen Actors Guild Awards
A Screen Actors Guild Award is an accolade given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by its members. The statuette given, a nude male figure holding both a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy, is called "The Actor"...
for Outstanding Female Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie.
Although initially intended as a one-shot miniseries, USA subsequently ordered The Starter Wife as a new series
The Starter Wife (TV series)
The Starter Wife is a USA Network television series based on the miniseries by the same name, and based on the novel by Gigi Levangie Grazer. It premiered on October 10, 2008. The series stars Debra Messing as Molly Kagan, the now ex-wife of former studio executive Kenny Kagan...
for the 2008 spring season. Production on the series first ten-episode season was delayed due to the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike, and began airing October 10, 2008.
Characters
- Molly Kagan (Debra MessingDebra MessingDebra Lynn Messing is an American actress, voice artist, and comedienne. She is perhaps best known for her role as Grace Adler in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and as Molly Kagan in the mini-series The Starter Wife....
) is a 41-year-old wife and mother of five-year-old daughter Jaden (Miniseries: Bethany Whitmore; Series: Brielle Barbusca). Soon after the characters are introduced, she is abandoned by her husband and is forced to rebuild her life and assert herself within the film community, most of which ignores her after the split. - Joan McAllister (Judy DavisJudy DavisJudy Davis is an Australian actress best known for her roles in Husbands and Wives, Barton Fink, A Passage to India and in the TV miniseries Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows....
) is Molly's oldest friend and an alcoholic socialite who lends Molly her beachfront Malibu home when she pretends to jet off to Paris but actually enters a rehab center in Ojai. She later calls upon Molly to impersonate her non-existent sister "Bambi", upon whom she has placed all blame for her failings, when her therapist insists the two confront each other and work out their hostilities. - Cricket Stewart (Miranda OttoMiranda OttoMiranda Otto is an Australian actress. The daughter of actors Lindsay and Barry Otto and the sister of actress Gracie Otto, she began acting at age eighteen, and has performed in a variety of independent and major studio films....
) is one of Molly's friends whose allegiance to her is tested when her film director husband, a business associate of Kenny's, demands she break all ties with her. When she discovers him in a compromising situation with their children's nanny, she orders him to leave the house and reconnects with Molly. She later takes him back but has difficulty forgetting the image of her husband with the nanny. After she discovers she is pregnant she tells Molly that she has finally found the image to replace the one of her husband cheating. - Rodney Evans (Chris DiamantopoulosChris Diamantopoulos-Early Life:Diamantopoulos was born in Toronto, Canada and he attended East York Collegiate Institute. He is of Greek descent.-Career:He portrayed Robin Williams in Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Mork & Mindy', a television movie about the behind-the-scenes drama during the making of...
), one of Molly's best friends, is a gay interior decorator suffering a financial setback. - Kenny Kagan (Miniseries: Peter JacobsonPeter JacobsonPeter S. Jacobson is an American film and television actor.-Life and career:Jacobson was born to a Jewish family in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Chicago news anchor Walter Jacobson. He is a graduate of Brown University and Juilliard...
) is Molly's soon-to-be ex-husband and President of Production at Durango Pictures. He leaves Molly for a woman half his age and aims to replace the current CEO of the company. - Sam Knight (Stephen MoyerStephen MoyerStephen Moyer is an English actor who has starred as vampire Bill Compton in the HBO series True Blood since 2008.-Early life and career:Moyer was born in Brentwood, Essex...
) is a homeless beach bum who saves Molly from drowning. He openly scorns her as superficial but the two eventually become involved in a romantic relationship. It is later revealed he spent five years in prison for involuntary manslaughter after his best friend was killed in a car crash caused by Sam's DUIDriving under the influenceDriving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
. - Lou Manahan (Joe MantegnaJoe MantegnaJoseph Anthony "Joe" Mantegna, Jr. is an American actor, producer, writer,director, and voice actor. He is best known for his roles in box office hits such as Three Amigos , The Godfather Part III , Forget Paris , and Up Close & Personal...
) is the head of Durango Pictures. He fakes his suicide by drowning to start anew, yet cannot help but attend his memorial service (disguised as a woman) to see how his friends and colleagues react to his death. - Lavender (Anika Noni RoseAnika Noni RoseAnika Noni Rose is an American singer and actress known for her Tony Award winning performance in the Broadway production of Caroline, or Change and her starring roles in the films Dreamgirls and The Princess and the Frog....
) is the security guard at the entrance to the gated community where Joan lives. Molly takes her and her grandmother under her wing when they are evicted from their apartment for having a dog. - Shoshanna (Trilby GloverTrilby GloverTrilby Glover is an Australian actress known for her roles as Shoshanna in The Starter Wife mini-series opposite Debra Messing and Jessica in the feature film Righteous Kill with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.-Career:...
) is a young pop music singer who becomes involved with Kenny. It is revealed she was only using him to advance her career and she dumps him when he is fired from his job.
Nielsen Ratings by episode
| Episode # | Title | Air Date | Rating | 25–54 | Viewers | Cable Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 & 2 | "Premiere" | May 31, 2007 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 5.39 | #5 |
| 3 | "Hour 3" | June 7, 2007 | 2.7 | ? | 3.92 | #7 |
| 4 | "Hour 4" | June 14, 2007 | 2.5 | ? | 3.55 | #9 |
| 5 | "Hour 5" | June 21, 2007 | 2.2 | ? | 3.15 | #22 |
| 6 | "Finale" | June 28, 2007 | 1.7 | ? | 2.82 | #29 |
International broadcasting
| Country | TV Network(s) | Series Premiere | Weekly Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
 United States United States |
USA Network USA Network USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various... |
May 31, 2007 | |
 Canada Canada |
A-Channel | September 10, 2007 | Mondays at 9:00 pm |
 Australia Australia |
Network Ten Network Ten Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country... |
December 5, 2007 | Wednesdays at 8:30 pm |
 Thailand Thailand |
Hallmark Channel Hallmark Channel The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family... |
October 21, 2007 | Sundays at 8:00 pm |
 Malaysia Malaysia |
Sundays at 9.00 pm | ||
 Singapore Singapore |
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 Hong Kong Hong Kong |
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 Philippines Philippines |
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 Portugal Portugal |
MOV MOV (TV channel) MOV is a Portuguese television channel operated by Dreamia S.L.U. , the spun-off media arm of Portugal Telecom. MOV was launched on December 1, 2007, on the PT Multimédia-owned TVCabo cable operator.... |
December 2007 | |
| TVI | November 2009 | Thursdays at approximately 00:15 am | |
 Brazil Brazil |
Rede Telecine Rede Telecine Rede Telecine are six premium television channels in Brazil, jointly owned by Globosat, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, MGM and DreamWorks.-Telecine Premium:... / People+Arts People+Arts Liv is an entertainment television channel in Latin America. It is jointly owned by Discovery Communications.The channel was launched in October 1997 as the local version of Travel Channel... |
October 2007 | |
| United Kingdom | Sky Movies Drama | December 10, 2007 | Mondays at 9:40 pm |
 Turkey Turkey |
CNBC-e CNBC-e CNBC-e is a hybrid business/financial and entertainment channel operated in Turkey by CNBC Europe and the NTV Group.The channel shares its name with a co-owned magazine about CNBC-e.... |
September 18, 2008 | Thursdays at 9:00 pm |
 Sweden Sweden |
Kanal5 | March 11, 2008 | Tuesday at 9:00 pm |
 Germany Germany |
Premiere | February 19, 2008 | Tuesdays at 8:15 pm |
 Independent State of Croatia Croatia |
Nova TV | announced | TBA |
 Early Modern France France |
Canal+ Canal+ Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted... |
August 7, 2008 | Thursdays at 8:50 pm (2 episodes) |
 Spain Spain |
Cosmopolitan TV (cable) | February 2, 2009 | |
| TVE 2 TVE 2 La 2 , is Spain's second state-owned television channel for the public broadcasting service. Its first broadcast was on 15 November 1966... |
July 2009 | ||
 Italy Italy |
Mya Mya (TV channel) Mya is an Italian Entertainment TV channel, owned by Mediaset and broadcasted on Premium Gallery, a pay television network available on Digital terrestrial television in Italy... |
September 4, 2008 | Thursdays at 9:00 pm |
 Switzerland Switzerland |
SF zwei | November 17, 2008 | Monday at 8.00 pm |
 Hungary Hungary |
TV2 TV2 (Hungary) TV2 is a Hungarian commercial television channel operating since 1997, providing a large variety of programming. It is owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG... |
May 26, 2009 | Friday at 10.15 pm |
 Japan Japan |
Star Channel(CS) | October 2008 | |
| The Middle East | Showseries Showtime Arabia | ||
 Netherlands Netherlands |
RTL8 | January 3, 2010 | Sundays at 8.00 pm |
 Republic of Ireland Ireland |
TG4 TG4 TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland.... |
||
 Belgium Belgium |
La Une La Une La Une is a Belgian national television channel, owned and operated by RTBF.- INR :The Institut National de Radiodiffusion began experimental television in Belgium on 2 June 1953, with the crowning of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom... |
June 2010 | Thursdays at 10:00 pm (2 episodes) |
External links
- Official Site at USA Network
- The Starter Wife Review at Variety.com
- The Starter Wife Review at ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...