ABC has picked up Imaginary Mary from the creators of The Goldbergs (Adam Goldberg) and Disney Animation’s Feast (Patrick Osborne)
When Alice (Jenna Elfman) was a little girl her family life was… downright crappy. Growing up in a broken home with no siblings, five-year-old Alice was on her own until the day she dreamed up her very own imaginary friend, Mary, a snuggly, fiercely loyal, foul-mouthed creature who would give Alice the love and support she needed.
With Mary’s help, shy little Alice grew into a kickass woman who rocks a karaoke mic, runs her own PR firm repping famous athletes and avoids relationships and commitments at all costs. No family life, pudgy husband or mom jeans for Alice, thank you very much. At least that was the plan Mary and Alice had agreed on many years ago, which is why Mary “disappeared” from Alice’s life. But like any imaginary friend, Mary has been lurking in the back of Alice’s mind. And Mary has decided it’s time to come back, because suddenly… the plan is blowing up.
If you ask Mary, Alice is now about to throw away EVERYTHING because she has “stupidly” fallen in love with Ben (Stephen Schneider), a good-looking, adorable, quick-witted divorced dad of three: Andy, 16, a kind hearted, outgoing neurotic whose biggest obstacle is himself; Dora, 14, a fan-girl super geek and the toughest nut to crack; and Bunny, 6, sweet and adorable but obsessed with life’s darkest mysteries. So when Alice agrees to finally meet the kids, Mary returns to convince Alice to “dump the chump” and his “annoying” kids – she’s a cuddly badass on a mission. Of course, even though Mary’s looking out for Alice, she’s also giving voice to Alice’s deepest fears that were formed in her less-than-perfect childhood — she won’t be able to make a serious relationship last, she lacks the maternal instincts to be a “mom type person” to Ben’s kids, families only end in disaster. According to Mary, there’s only one option: run!
But it doesn’t look like Mary’s misguided efforts, Alice’s lack of mothering experience, or even Ben’s kids can break apart true love. With Ben’s help and the realization that there may be something special – maybe even joyous – about family life after all, Alice is ready to take small steps toward the next stage of her life. But since there is no guarantee that things will work out, Mary has decided she’ll stick around so she can “help” Alice through this transition. And so in series Mary will give voice to the unfiltered, uncensored thoughts we all have about family life from time to time, while we root for Alice and this evolving family to find their way.