Instant Mom
Instant Mom is an American sitcom produced for the NickMom block on the Nick Jr. Channel.[1] It was developed by Howard Michael Gould and stars Tia Mowry as a stepmother of three children alongside her husband.
| Instant Mom | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Jessica Butler Warren Bell |
| Developed by | Howard Michael Gould |
| Starring | Tia Mowry-Hardrict Michael Boatman Sydney Park Sheryl Lee Ralph Tylen Jacob Williams Damarr Calhoun |
| Composer | David Wilde |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 65 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Howard Michael Gould Aaron Kaplan |
| Producer | Tia Mowry-Hardrict |
| Production locations | Paramount Studios Hollywood, California |
| Cinematography | Peter Smokler |
| Editor | Art Kellner |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 20–22 minutes |
| Production companies | Stockholm Syndrome Kapital Entertainment Nickelodeon Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | Nick at Nite NickMom TV Land |
| Original release | September 29, 2013 – December 19, 2015 |
The series first aired on September 29, 2013, on both Nickelodeon's Nick at Nite block (at 8:30 p.m.) and the NickMom block (at 10:30 p.m.).[2] The debut was the highest-rated premiere in the history of both blocks.[3] On November 22, 2013, the series was renewed for a second season of 20 episodes.[3][4] It was renewed for a third season on September 9, 2014.[5][6] Nickelodeon announced on October 21, 2015, that Instant Mom wouldn't extend beyond its third season and would end its run with the 65 episodes produced.[7] The third season premiered first on another ViacomCBS-owned channel, TV Land.[8]
Premise
Set in Philadelphia, Stephanie Phillips is a food blogger and party girl, who has to drastically tone down her lifestyle when she marries Charlie Phillips, an older man with three children. She now has to be a mother to Charlie's teenage daughter, Gabrielle, and his grade school-age sons James and Aaron.[9] Stephanie has to quickly learn how to be a full-time stepmom with the help of her overbearing mother, Maggie, while attempting to keep her social life active.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Network | |||
| 1 | 23 | September 29, 2013 | June 12, 2014 | Nick at Nite NickMom | |
| 2 | 16 | October 2, 2014 | June 3, 2015 | ||
| 3 | 26 | September 19, 2015 | December 19, 2015 | TV Land | |
Cast and characters
- Stephanie Turner-Phillips (Tia Mowry-Hardrict) is the new step-mom and trying to be the best that she can be. She is a food blogger and a party girl.
- Charlie Phillips (Michael Boatman) is Stephanie's older husband who is a doctor and the father of three children by his first wife.
- Maggie Turner (Sheryl Lee Ralph) is Stephanie's mom who often butts into her daughter's personal life, usually with the explanation that she's trying to make the inexperienced Stephanie a better mother when there is a family crisis.
- Gabrielle "Gabby" Beatrice Phillips (Sydney Park) is the eldest sibling and only daughter of Stephanie and Charlie. She is 15 years old at the start of the series and, like many other teenage girls, she is very fashion-conscious. She is also a very smart honor student. She is seen as the most unimaginably smart, pretty, popular, talented, funny and stylish person ever.
- James Phillips (Tylen Jacob Williams) is the middle sibling of Gabby and Aaron. He is known as the trickster of the family, and is frequently pulling pranks on both his siblings and parents. He doesn't admit it, but he is envious of Gabby's superiority and popularity and tries to pull pranks on her, often having them redirected at him.
- Aaron Phillips (Damarr Calhoun) is the youngest sibling of Gabby and James. He is seen as the child who acts the cutest among all the family members. When he comes to realize this, he starts trying to use it to his advantage.
Production
On August 3, 2012, Nickelodeon announced that it had green-lit the Instant Mom pilot.[10] Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Duane Martin, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Sydney Park, Tylen Williams, and Damarr Calhoun were cast on November 26, 2012.[11] Michael Boatman would later replace Duane Martin.[12] It was announced on April 3, 2013, that Instant Mom was officially picked up for a 13-episode first season to air on NickMom in late 2013.[13][14] Later on August 19, 2013, Nickelodeon ordered seven additional episodes bringing the series' first season to 20 episodes.[15] On November 22, 2013, six additional episodes were added first season.[4] Both NickMom and Nick at Nite aired episodes on the same nights until the NickMom block closed on September 28, 2015.[15] Filming took place at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, California.[16] The series aired 65 episodes over three seasons, premiering on September 29, 2013, and ending on December 19, 2015. The series outlasted the NickMom programming block by three months.
Reception
Critical response
Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave the show 4 out of 5 stars.[17] Brian Lowry of Variety said the show mirrors Trophy Wife.[18]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 20th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards | Comedy | Won |
| 2015 | 21st Annual NAMIC Vision Awards | Comedy | Nominated |
References
- ^ "NickMom Picks Up 13 Episodes of "Instant Mom," the TV Block's First Original Scripted Comedy Series Starring Tia Mowry-Hardrict" (Press release). Viacom. April 3, 2013.
- ^ "Nick at Nite Debuts "Instant Mom," Original Family Comedy Starring Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Sunday, Sept. 29, at 8:30 P.M. (ET/PT)" (Press release). Viacom. September 5, 2013.
The series also will air on the adult-targeted NickMom comedy block on the Nick Jr. channel at 10:00/9:00c.
- ^ a b "Nickelodeon Greenlights Second Season of Nick at Nite Original Family Comedy Instant Mom, Starring Tia Mowry-Hardrict" (Press release). Viacom. November 22, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
- ^ a b Kondolojy, Amanda (November 22, 2013). . TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 9, 2014). "Nick Comedy 'Instant Mom' Renewed For Season 3". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
- ^ Elavsky, Cindy (April 30, 2015). "Celebrity Extra". King Features. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 21, 2015). "'Instant Mom' To End Run After 3 Seasons At Nick at Nite". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
- ^ Instant Mom on Nickelodeon, The Futon Critic
- ^ Villarreal, Yvonne (July 26, 2013). . Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013.
- ^ Morabito, Andrea (August 3, 2013). "TCA: Nick Greenlights 14 New Projects". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 26, 2012). "Duane Martin Cast In Nick Pilot 'Instant Mom', Natalie Morales In ABC's 'Trophy Wife'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 30, 2012). "Michael Boatman Replaces Duane Martin In Nick At Nite Comedy Pilot 'Instant Mom'". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Ng, Philiana; Goldberg, Lesley (April 3, 2013). "Tia Mowry's 'Instant Mom' Comedy Gets Series Order". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ^ "NickMom Picks Up 13 Episodes of "Instant Mom," the TV Block's First Original Scripted Comedy Series Starring Tia Mowry-Hardrict". The Futon Critic (Press release). April 3, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (August 19, 2013). "New Nick Comedy 'Instant Mom' Gets Launch Date, Order For 7 More Episodes". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ "Tia Mowry-Hardict Talks About Her Son Becoming an Actor". CocoaFab. August 28, 2013. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
- ^ "Instant Mom". Common Sense Media. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
- ^ "TV Review: 'Instant Mom'". Variety. September 24, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
External links
- Instant Mom at IMDb