The Paley Center for Media held an event to preview ABC’s new fall schedule. The event featured pilot screenings as well as panels on two upcoming ABC comedies; Trophy Wife and Back in the Game. While I will review the pilots closer to their air dates, here is my recap on what was discussed at the panels which was moderated by Michael Scheider, LA Bureau Chief for TV Guide Magazine.
First up was Trophy Wife which was created by Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins. The concept is partly based on the life of Haskins who married Geoffrey Edwards, son of Blake Edwards and stepson of Disney Legend Julie Andrews. And while the title may be off-putting, they wanted to tell the story of a new wife trying to get involved in her husband’s kids lives and making a mess of everything. The title was so off-putting that even Malin Akerman, who plays the so-called trophy-wife, had no interest in participating based on the title but became involved once she fell in love with the script.
It is a good thing that Malin got involved because it was her participation that gave this concept a second chance after being passed over during a previous development cycle. Her involvement also had a secondary perk. Due to her pregnancy, the pilot had to be shot in December, much earlier than other pilots. This allowed the producers to get “first-dibs” on potential cast members which facilitated getting Bradley Whitford for the role of the husband, Pete. The producers wanted The West Wing actor to the point that the initial name of the character was Brad, that is until the actor felt it was creepy.
Pete’s two prior wives are performed by Marcia Gay Harden as “Dr. Diane Buckley”, the straight-laced first wife, and Michaela Watkins as Jackie, the free spirit Pete marries as the pendulum swings the other way following his first marriage. In many ways it’s a story like the three bears, with Pete’s new wife being “just right” after the extremes of the first two marriages.
One person you won’t see in the pilot is Bailee Madison as daughter Hillary since the role was recast following the filming of the pilot. You may recognize her when the second episode airs as young Snow White from Once Upon a Time or Maxine from Wizards of Waverly Place in the episode where Max turns into a girl.
One actor that appears to be the crowd favorite is Albert Tsai who plays adopted son Bert. This precocious nine-year old steals scenes while teaching his fellow cast mates about the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the U.S. Constitution. After meeting the actor who is plays her son, Michaela Watkins felt her role would be recast with an Asian actress, as she knew Albert was not going anywhere. They added that he was adopted into the script so everyone could keep their job. By the way, Albert credits the Disney Channel as his comedic inspiration.
While I am not inclined to watch a show called Trophy Wife, the cast seemed likable so I may give it a shot. What I keep asking myself is why they didn’t pick a different name for the show so they would not have to keep explaining that the lead is not actually a trophy wife. Seems like that would be a lot easier. I guess ABC never learned their lesson from Cougar Town. Trophy Wife premieres Tuesday, September 24 at 9:30/8:30c.
The second show was Back in the Game. The show stars James Caan as Terry “The Cannon” Gannon Sr. and Maggie Lawson as his daughter Terry Gannon Jr. The dad is a washed-up ballplayer. His daughter was pushed away after he tried to turn her into the son he always wanted. After her divorce, she moves back with her son who wants to play ball to impress a girl. Unfortunately he doesn’t make the cut and has to join a team of other outcasts coached by his mother.
The Cullen brothers who produced this show based on their overzealous coach/father. The brother would not even make this show until after their father had passed in order to avoid retaliation. Another source of inspiration was, that as they coached their son’s teams, they realized the drama in the stands was far more interesting than the action on the field.
The brothers, who worked with James Caan on Las Vegas, wanted him for the show. In fact, they would not make the show without him. When they gave him the script he said he hated the third act, but that was because he was not in it. So they gave Terry Sr a job in the announcer booth to give him more screen time.
Maggie Lawson from Psych and the Disney Channel Original Movie “Model Behavior” was cast after auditioning many actresses. Her softball skills made her a natural (no pun attended).
As the post-game pizza place is a little league staple, they had one built. They also added a live batting cage with a pitching machine that holds 185 balls which has a negative impact on crew productivity. The production also built their own field of dreams for the baseball scenes.
It is important to note that this is not a rehash on the Bad News Bears. First of all, only 30% of the show takes place in the world of baseball with the rest focused on the family. Another difference is that the producers realize that this team will never win. If they are lucky they may score a run.
I like baseball, I like Maggie Lawson, and I like James Caan. I guess I will be watching this show. It airs between The Middle and Modern Family at 8:30/7:30c, Wednesdays on ABC.