The Starter Wife is a 2007 USA Network television miniseries, based on the 2006 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,[1] 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 her husband 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.
Although initially intended as a one-shot miniseries, USA subsequently ordered The Starter Wife as a new series for the 2008 spring season.[2] 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.
Molly Kagan (Debra Messing) 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 Davis) 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 Otto) 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.
Kenny Kagan (Miniseries: Peter Jacobson) 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 Moyer) 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 DUI.
Lou Manahan (Joe Mantegna) 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 Rose) 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 Glover) 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.
starter, wife, miniseries, starter, wife, 2007, network, television, miniseries, based, 2006, novel, same, name, gigi, levangie, grazer, title, derived, from, concept, starter, marriage, filmed, over, four, months, queensland, australia, plot, focuses, molly, . The Starter Wife is a 2007 USA Network television miniseries based on the 2006 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 1 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 her husband leaves her for a younger woman The Starter WifeCreated byGigi LevangieWritten byJosann McGibbonSara ParriottGigi Levangie novel Directed byJon AvnetStarringDebra MessingJudy DavisMiranda OttoChris DiamantopoulosPeter JacobsonStephen MoyerJoe MantegnaAnika Noni RoseCountry of originUnited StatesNo of episodes5ProductionProducersJon AvnetStephanie DavisHoward KleinGigi LevangieJosann McGibbonSara ParriottProduction companiesHaypop Productions3 Arts EntertainmentMcGibbon Parriott ProductionsDistributorNBCUniversal Television DistributionReleaseOriginal networkUSA NetworkOriginal releaseMay 31 2007 05 31 June 28 2007 2007 06 28 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 miniseries was nominated for ten Emmy Awards including Outstanding Miniseries Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Debra Messing Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Joe Mantegna Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Judy Davis and Writing for a Miniseries Movie or Dramatic Special Josann McGibbon amp Sara Parriott Davis was the sole winner while Messing was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Actress 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 2 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 Contents 1 Characters 2 Nielsen Ratings by episode 3 International broadcasting 4 Awards and nominations 5 References 6 External linksCharacters EditMolly Kagan Debra Messing 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 Davis 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 Otto 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 Diamantopoulos one of Molly s best friends is a gay interior decorator suffering a financial setback Kenny Kagan Miniseries Peter Jacobson 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 Moyer 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 DUI Lou Manahan Joe Mantegna 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 Rose 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 Glover 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 EditEpisode Title Air Date Rating 3 25 54 4 Viewers Cable Rank 5 1 amp 2 Premiere May 31 2007 3 7 2 8 5 39 53 Hour 3 June 7 2007 2 7 3 92 74 Hour 4 June 14 2007 2 5 3 55 95 Hour 5 June 21 2007 2 2 3 15 226 Finale June 28 2007 1 7 2 82 29International broadcasting EditCountry TV Network s Series Premiere Weekly Schedule United States USA Network May 31 2007 Canada A Channel September 10 2007 Mondays at 9 00 pm Australia Network Ten December 5 2007 Wednesdays at 8 30 pm Thailand Hallmark Channel October 21 2007 Sundays at 8 00 pm Malaysia Sundays at 9 00 pm Singapore Hong Kong Philippines Portugal MOV December 2007TVI November 2009 Thursdays at approximately 00 15 am Brazil Rede Telecine People Arts October 2007 United Kingdom Sky Movies Drama December 10 2007 Mondays at 9 40 pm Turkey CNBC e September 18 2008 Thursdays at 9 00 pm Sweden Kanal 5 March 11 2008 Tuesday at 9 00 pm Germany Premiere February 19 2008 Tuesdays at 8 15 pm Croatia Nova TV announced TBA France Canal August 7 2008 Thursdays at 8 50 pm 2 episodes Spain Cosmopolitan TV cable February 2 2009TVE 2 July 2009 Italy Mya September 4 2008 Thursdays at 9 00 pm Switzerland SF zwei November 17 2008 Monday at 8 00 pm Hungary TV2 May 26 2009 Friday at 10 15 pm Japan Star Channel CS October 2008The Middle East Showseries Showtime Arabia Netherlands RTL8 January 3 2010 Sundays at 8 00 pm Ireland TG4 Belgium La Une June 2010 Thursdays at 10 00 pm 2 episodes Serbia Fox LifeAwards and nominations EditYear Award Category Nominee s Result Ref 2007 Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting Television Mini Series Mary Jo Slater Steve Brooksbank and Tom McSweeney Won 6 Online Film amp Television Association Awards Best Miniseries Nominated 7 Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Debra Messing NominatedBest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Joe Mantegna NominatedBest Costume Design in a Motion Picture or Miniseries NominatedPrimetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Miniseries Josann McGibbon Sara Parriott Jon Avnet Stephanie Davis Howard Klein Gigi Levangie Grazer Jeff Hayes and Marsha Oglesby Nominated 8 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Debra Messing NominatedOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Joe Mantegna NominatedOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Judy Davis WonOutstanding Writing for a Miniseries Movie or a Dramatic Special Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott NominatedPrimetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie Tracey Gallacher Brian Edmonds and Rolland Pike NominatedOutstanding Casting for a Miniseries Movie or a Special Mary Jo Slater Steven Brooksbank and Tom McSweeney NominatedOutstanding Costumes for a Miniseries Movie or a Special Marion Boyce Debra McGuire and Vanessa Loh for Part 1 NominatedOutstanding Makeup for a Miniseries Movie or a Special Non Prosthetic Viv Mepham and Deborah Lanser NominatedOutstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie Robert Florio for Part 3 NominatedSatellite Awards Best Miniseries Nominated 9 Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television Debra Messing NominatedBest Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television Judy Davis Nominated2008 Art Directors Guild Awards Excellence in Production Design Award Television Movie or Mini series Tracey Gallacher Brian Edmonds and Michelle McGahey Nominated 10 Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actress Judy Davis Nominated 11 Costume Designers Guild Awards Outstanding Made for Television Movie or Miniseries Debra McGuire and Marion Boyce Nominated 12 Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television or Miniseries Jon Avnet Nominated 13 Golden Globe Awards Best Actress Miniseries or Television Film Debra Messing Nominated 14 Gracie Awards Outstanding Female Lead Mini Series Won 15 Outstanding Supporting Actress Mini Series Judy Davis WonNAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie Mini Series or Dramatic Special Anika Noni Rose Nominated 16 Producers Guild of America Awards David L Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long Form Television Jon Avnet Josann McGibbon Marsha Oglesby and Sara Parriott Nominated 17 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Debra Messing Nominated 18 Writers Guild of America Awards Long Form Adaptation Sara Parriott and Josann McGibbon Based on the book by Gigi Levangie Grazer Nominated 19 References Edit The Starter Wife krista net com Retrieved July 15 2008 Adalian Josef October 16 2007 Starter Wife evolves on USA Variety TV Ratings on Zap2it TV Ratings on BroadcastingCable Week of December 11th 17th 2006 complete ratings 2007 Artios Awards www castingsociety com Retrieved November 5 2007 11th Annual TV Awards 2006 07 Online Film amp Television Association Retrieved May 15 2021 The Starter Wife Emmys com Academy of Television Arts amp Sciences Retrieved July 13 2017 2007 Satellite Awards Satellite Awards International Press Academy Retrieved July 10 2021 Nominees Winners Art Directors Guild Retrieved July 28 2018 Winners amp Nominees 2008 AACTA Awards Retrieved December 6 2008 10th Costume Designers Guild Awards Costume Designers Guild Retrieved May 21 2016 60th DGA Awards Directors Guild of America Awards Retrieved July 5 2021 The Starter Wife Golden Globes HFPA Retrieved July 5 2021 2008 Gracies Gala Winners Gracie Awards Retrieved September 11 2022 The 39th NAACP Image Award Nominations Variety Retrieved January 8 2008 DiOrio Carl January 21 2008 PGA unveils final producer lists The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved April 3 2020 The 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards Retrieved May 21 2016 Previous Nominees amp Winners 2007 Awards Winners Writers Guild Awards Archived from the original on May 12 2015 Retrieved May 7 2014 External links EditOfficial Site at USA Network The Starter Wife at IMDb The Starter Wife Review at Variety com The Starter Wife Review at Reuters Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Starter Wife miniseries amp oldid 1117696367, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
