Samantha Who?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Samantha Who? | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Format | Situation comedy |
| Created by | Cecelia Ahern Don Todd |
| Starring | Christina Applegate Jennifer Esposito Kevin Dunn Melissa McCarthy Tim Russ with Barry Watson and Jean Smart |
| Narrated by | Christina Applegate |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 15 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Don Todd Peter Traugott |
| Camera setup | Single-camera setup |
| Running time | Approx. 22 min. |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Original run | October 15, 2007 – present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Samantha Who? is an American television sitcom which premiered on October 15, 2007 on ABC. The series stars Christina Applegate and was created by Cecelia Ahern and Don Todd. Todd also serves as executive producer alongside Peter Traugott, with Ahern and Applegate producing. The show is about Samantha Newly, a 30-year-old vice president of a real estate company who, after becoming the victim of a hit-and-run accident, develops full retrograde amnesia and has to rediscover her life, her relationships and herself, despite the fact that she doesn't like the person that she was.[1]
Samantha Who? was, for its first seven episodes, the highest-rated freshman sitcom of the 2007-2008 TV season.[2]
On February 11, 2008, ABC picked up Samantha Who? for the 2008-09 television season.[3]
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Samantha Newly is a vice-president at a Chicago realty firm. When she gets hit by a car, she falls into a coma. For eight days she is asleep, but upon waking, she finds she has retrograde amnesia; she has retained all general knowledge but hasn't a clue as to who she is or what she's done with her life. Soon, Sam finds out she's been very, very cruel to those around her. Taking her amnesia as a sign that it's time for change, Sam sets about making up for what the old, evil Sam did, and tries to change her life and herself for the better.
[edit] Cast
[edit] Main characters
| Character | Actor/Actress | Description |
| Samantha "Sam" Newly | Christina Applegate | A hit-and-run accident leaves Samantha in a coma for eight days; when she wakes up she has retrograde amnesia. As the series progresses, Sam begins to remember bits and pieces of her lost memory but she still needs her friends and family to remind her of key events in her life that she has forgotten. She worked as a Vice President at a Chicago realtor's firm. She quit her job in the 4/21/08 episode. |
| Todd Deepler | Barry Watson | Todd Deepler is Samantha's ex-boyfriend. Todd lived with Samantha before they broke up and still lives in her apartment (while she lives with her parents). Todd is a freelance photographer who sells pictures to newspapers and also holds gallery exhibits. |
| Regina Newly | Jean Smart | Regina is Samantha's mom; she wants to have a relationship with her daughter but prior to her coma they hadn't spoken to each other for two years. She, like Samantha, has a 'bad' side, and has commented that the 'bad' side improves in every generation (episode "The Car"). |
| Andrea | Jennifer Esposito | Andrea is Samantha's best friend and co-worker. She's a party girl and wishes Samantha would go back to who she was before the accident. Regina thinks Andrea is a bad influence on Sam, and regularly chastises her for being a drunk. |
| Dena | Melissa McCarthy | Dena is Samantha's childhood best friend whom Samantha hasn't seen since seventh grade. When Samantha wakes up from her coma she convinces Samantha that they have always been best friends. While Andrea eventually forces her to reveal the truth, Samantha still remains friends with her. She lives alone with her two dogs. |
| Howard Newly | Kevin Dunn | Howard is Samantha's dad; he's happy he has his daughter back and loves to go hunting. |
| Frank | Tim Russ | Frank is Todd and Samantha's doorman. He is observant and sarcastic, and gives advice to Samantha. She considers him a friend, though he insists that they are not. |
[edit] Secondary characters
| Character | Actor/Actress | Description |
| Tracy | Joy Osmanski | Tracy is Samantha's sycophantic assistant. |
| Chase Chapman | Rick Hoffman | Chase Chapman is Samantha's business-minded former boss. He is also Dena's boyfriend. |
| Kevin Eisling | Eddie Cibrian | Kevin Eisling is Samantha's hockey-loving ex-boyfriend. |
| Chloë | Kiele Sanchez | Chloë is Todd's third ex-girlfriend. After Todd dumped her secretly for Samantha, Chloë went to Samantha for comfort. |
| Winston Funk | Timothy Olyphant | Winston Funk is the co-owner of Chapman & Funk, Inc. He had an affair with Samantha before her accident and, after divorcing his wife, still finds himself attracted to Samantha. Funk is extremely wealthy and annoys Chapman, who is significantly less charming. |
| René | William Abadie | René is Samantha's former, secret boyfriend. He is from France. |
[edit] Episodes
[edit] U.S. television ratings
[edit] Standard ratings
In the following summary, "rating" is the percentage of all households with televisions that tuned to the show, and "share" is the percentage of all televisions in use at that time that are tuned in. "18-49" is the percentage of all adults aged 18-49 tuned into the show. "Viewers" are the amount of viewers, in million, watching at the time. "Rank" how well the show did compared to other TV shows aired that week.
Unless otherwise cited, the overnight rating, share, 18-49 and viewing information come from Your Entertainment Now.[4] The weekly ranks come from The Programming Insider[5] and ABC Medianet.[6]
| # | Episode | Air Date | U.S. Timeslot (EST) | Rating | Share | 18-49 | Viewers | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | October 15, 2007 | Monday 9:30PM | 10.2 | 15 | 4.2 (#2) | 14.42 (#1) | #10 |
| 2 | "The Job" | October 22, 2007 | 9.6 | 14 | 4.6 (#2) | 13.68 (#1) | #18 | |
| 3 | "The Wedding" | October 29, 2007 | 10.5 | 15 | 4.9 (#2) | 14.18 (#1) | #14 | |
| 4 | "The Virgin"† | November 5, 2007 | Monday 9:45PM | 10.3 | 16 | 4.6 (#2) | 12.86 (#1) | #18 |
| 5 | "The Restraining Order" | November 12, 2007 | Monday 9:30PM | 9.5 | 14 | 4.4 (#2) | 13.69 (#1) | #15 |
| 6 | "The Hypnotherapist" | November 19, 2007 | 10.1 | 15 | 4.8 (#2) | 14.38 (#1) | #13 | |
| 7 | "The Hockey Date" | November 26, 2007 | Monday 9:00PM | 8.4 | 12 | 4.1 (#2) | 11.69 (#2) | #22 |
| 8 | "The Car" | December 3, 2007 | 5.0 | 7 | 2.9 (#3) | 7.16 (#3) | #49 | |
| 9 | "The Break-Up" | December 10, 2007 | 4.4 | 7 | 2.8 (#3) | 6.72 (#3) | #47 | |
| 10 | "The Girlfriend" | April 7, 2008 | Monday 9:30PM | 7.3 | 11 | 3.4 (#2) | 11.80 (#2) | #19 |
| 11 | "The Boss" | April 14, 2008 | 6.4 | 10 | 3.0 (#3) | 9.98 (#3) | #25 [7] | |
| 12 | "The Butterflies" | April 21, 2008 | 7.0 | 11 | 2.9 (#3) | 10.13 (#3) | #27 | |
| 13 | "The Gallery Show" | April 28, 2008 | TBA | TBA | 3.1 (#3) | 9.87 (#3) | TBA | |
| 14 | "The Affair" | May 5, 2008 | 7.1 | 11 | 3.0 (#3) | 10.53 (#4) | #24 | |
| 15 | "The Birthday" | May 12, 2008 | 7.5 | 11 | 3.2 (#5) | 11.02 (#4) | #17 |
† This episode started at 9:45PM,[8] so the ratings are estimated and are the average of the 9:30 half hour and the 10:00 half hour.
-
- For the first six episodes of Samantha Who?, the show held the title of Highest Rated sitcom.[citation needed] A title which was held consistently by Two and a Half Men for the previous two television seasons.[9][10]
- Samantha Who? was, for its first seven episodes, the highest rated sitcom which debuted during the 2007-2008 television season.[2]
[edit] Seasonal ratings
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of Samantha Who? on ABC:
Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, or occasionally early June, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.
| Season | Timeslot (EDT) | Series premiere | Series finale | TV season | Rank | Viewers (in millions) |
18-49 Rating/Share (rank) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monday 9:30 P.M. (October 15, 2007 - October 29, 2007) Monday 9:45 P.M. (November 5, 2007) Monday 9:30 P.M. (November 12, 2007 - November 19, 2007) Monday 9:00 P.M. (November 26, 2007 - December 10, 2007) Monday 9:30 P.M. (April 7, 2008 - May 12, 2008) |
October 15, 2007 | May 12, 2008 | 2007 – 2008 | #25 | 11.9[11] | TBA (TBA)
|
[edit] Ratings competition
- Further information: Mondays in the 2007-08 Television Season
- Further information: Mondays in the 2007-08 Television Season (Fall Follow-Up)
Samantha Who? first aired against fellow freshmen show K-Ville on FOX. It also aired against Rules of Engagement on CBS, Heroes on NBC and The Game on The CW — each in their second season. This was for the first six episodes Samantha Who? aired at 9:30pm.
On November 26, Samantha Who? shifted to the 9pm timeslot. Its competition shifted from The Game to Girlfriends on The CW and from Rules of Engagement to Two and a Half Men on CBS. Sophomore sitcom Notes from the Underbelly assumed the 9:30pm position.
[edit] Production history
Produced by ABC Studios and Brillstein-Grey Television, the series was officially greenlit and given a thirteen-episode order on May 11, 2007.[12]
The show was originally named Sam I Am until ABC renamed it Samantha Be Good due to conflicts with the estate of Dr. Seuss.[13][14] TV Guide later reported that ABC had changed the title of the series once more to Samantha Who?.[15] Early television promotions for the series, playing off of the concept of its lead character's amnesia, appeared without stating any specific title. The lack of stated title (with a question mark shown instead) was attributed in promotions to Applegate's character not remembering the name of the series.
The series premiered on October 15, 2007 at 9:30PM Eastern/8:30PM Central and moved to 9:00PM Eastern/8:00PM Central on Mondays on November 26, 2007.
On October 25, 2007, ABC ordered 6 additional scripts for Samantha Who?.[16]
On October 30, 2007, ABC ordered a full season of 22 episodes for Samantha Who?.[17]
On February 11, 2008, ABC picked up Samantha Who? for the 2008-09 television season. [18]
[edit] Awards
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Recipient | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Won | People's Choice Awards | Favorite New Television Comedy | [19][20] | |
| Nominated | Golden Globe Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical | Christina Applegate | [21] | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Christina Applegate | [22] |
[edit] DVD release
| DVD name | Release date | Ep # | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | September 23, 2008 | 15 | Bonus features include deleted scenes and bloopers. |
Samantha Who?: The Complete First Season will be released on Region 1 DVD on September 23, 2008. The DVD collection will include all 15 episodes from the First Season.[23]
[edit] International distribution
| Country | TV Network(s) | Series Premiere | Weekly schedule (local time) |
|---|---|---|---|
 Australia |
Channel 7 | February 3, 2008 | Sundays at 8:00pm, Thursdays 7:30pm[24] |
 New Zealand |
TV2 | May 9, 2008 | Fridays at 8:00 PM |
 Philippines |
Studio 23 | May 11, 2008 | Sundays at 9:00 PM |
 Singapore |
Channel 5 | May 27, 2008 | Tuesdays at 9:00 PM |
 Turkey |
ComedyMax | January 23, 2008 | Wednesdays at 8:00 PM |
[edit] References
- ^ Samantha Who? at the The Futon Critic; last accessed June 13, 2007
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (2007-10-25). New schedule for freshman 'Samantha'. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 2007-12-01.
- ^ ABC Announces Scripted Show Renewals
- ^ Your One Stop Shop For All Things Entertainment. Retrieved on 2007-10-16.
- ^ Berman, Marc. Weekly Results (The Programming Insider). Retrieved on 2007-10-16.
- ^ ABC Medianet
- ^ ABC Medianet
- ^ "The Virgin" Press Release at The Futon Critic
- ^ 2005-06 primetime wrap; Series Programming Results. The Hollywood Reporter (2006-05-26). Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
- ^ 2006-07 primetime wrap; Series Programming Results. The Hollywood Reporter (2007-05-25). Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
- ^ ABC Medianet (2008-05-13). "I. T. R. S. Ranking Report 01 thru 218 (Out of 218 programs) Daypart: Primetime Mon-Sun From 09/24/07 through 05/11/08". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-05-17.
- ^ Sullivan, Brian Ford. "ABC ADDS 10 NEWCOMERS, RENEWS 'NOTES,' 'ROAD'", The Futon Critic, 2007-05-11. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ Adalian, Josef (2007-06-18). Seuss gives ABC sitcom new name. Variety. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
- ^ ABC RENAMES 'SAM I AM,' EYES FRIDAY CHANGES. The Futon Critic (2007-06-19). Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
- ^ Webb Mitovich, Matt. "Christina Applegate Series Now Hears a Who?", 2006-06-26. Retrieved on 2007-06-27.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2007-10-25). 'Samantha' among who's who of fall TV. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2007-10-31). 'Samantha' gets full-season pickup. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
- ^ ABC Announces Scripted Show Renewals
- ^ NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR "THE 34TH ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS," TO BE HOSTED BY QUEEN LATIFAH AND WILL AIR JANUARY 8 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK. CBS. The Futon Critic (2007-11-09). Retrieved on 2007-12-23.
- ^ The 'People's Choice Awards' Winners. The Insider (2008-01-08). Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
- ^ Sassone, Bob (2007-12-13). The Golden Globe Nominations. TV Squad. Retrieved on 2007-12-13.
- ^ Bruno, Mike (2007-12-20). The 14th Annual SAG Award Nominations. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
- ^ Joint Press Release for 1st Seasons of Private Practice, Dirty Sexy Money & Samantha Who TVOnMedia.com - Jeff Hodges (04/28/2008)
- ^ TV Preview 2008 - Yahoo!7 TV - Yahoo!7
