Playing House (TV series)

Playing House is an American sitcom that premiered on April 29, 2014, on the USA Network.[1][2] Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair created and star in the series, which is inspired by their real-life friendship.

Playing House
GenreSitcom
Created by
Starring
Opening theme"Back Before We Were Brittle" by Say Hi
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Keith Raskin
  • Jake Aust
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkUSA Network
Original releaseApril 29, 2014 (2014-04-29) –
July 14, 2017 (2017-07-14)

On January 14, 2016, the series was renewed for a third season,[3] which aired from June 23 to July 14, 2017 with each episode available via VOD.

On October 30, 2017, series stars and creators Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham, announced over an emotional video message that USA Network canceled the show.[4]

Premise

When mother-to-be Maggie ends her marriage upon discovering her husband's affair with a woman online, she turns to her best friend Emma for support. In order to help Maggie in her time of need, Emma gives up her successful business career in China to return to their hometown of Pinebrook and help her friend raise her newborn baby.

Cast

Main
  • Lennon Parham as Maggie Caruso – Emma's best friend since childhood, who was pregnant and newly single after a sudden separation from her husband in the first season. She is the mother of Charlotte Emma Caruso.
  • Jessica St. Clair as Emma Crawford – Maggie's best friend since childhood. She leaves her overseas job in China to come home and to help Maggie.
  • Keegan-Michael Key as Mark Rodriguez – A local cop and childhood friend of Maggie and Emma. Mark and Emma used to date in high school.
  • Zach Woods as Zach "Zoo" Harper – Maggie's younger brother.
  • Brad Morris as Bruce Caruso – Maggie's ex-husband. He is the father of Charlotte.

Recurring
  • Jane Kaczmarek as Gwen Crawford – Emma's mother.
  • Lindsay Sloane as Tina "Bird Bones" Steigerman – Mark's wife and former nemesis to Emma.
  • Gerry Bednob as Mr. Nanjiani – a local townsperson, originally from Pakistan.
  • Marissa Jaret Winokur as Candy – a bartender at Rosie's, the local restaurant.
  • Ian Roberts as Ian – Mark's partner on the police force.
  • Sandy Martin as Mary Pat – Bruce's mother.
  • Norma Michaels as Ms. Johannsen – a prickly old woman living in the town.
  • Kyle Bornheimer as Dan – a Rabbi.
  • Ben Willbond as Dr. Clive Ericson, a cold and distant doctor supervising Maggie on clinical rotation.

Episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
110April 29, 2014 (2014-04-29)June 17, 2014 (2014-06-17)
28August 4, 2015 (2015-08-04)September 8, 2015 (2015-09-08)
38June 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)July 14, 2017 (2017-07-14)

Season 1 (2014)
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUS viewers
(millions)
11"Pilot"Jeffrey BlitzLennon Parham & Jessica St. ClairApril 29, 2014 (2014-04-29)0.847[5]
22"Bird Bones"Jamie BabbitAnthony KingApril 29, 2014 (2014-04-29)0.766[5]
33"Unfinished Business"Fred SavageJoe WengertMay 6, 2014 (2014-05-06)0.783[6]
44"Totes Kewl"Tristram ShapeeroAnthony KingMay 13, 2014 (2014-05-13)0.864[7]
55"Drumline"Fred SavageJudah MillerMay 20, 2014 (2014-05-20)0.802[8]
66"Bosephus and the Catfish"Tim KirkbyJohn LutzMay 27, 2014 (2014-05-27)0.859[9]
77"Spaghetti and Meatballs"Tim KirkbyJudah MillerJune 3, 2014 (2014-06-03)0.983[10]
88"37 Weeks"Michael TrimVera SantamariaJune 10, 2014 (2014-06-10)1.094[11]
99"Let's Have a Baby"Jeffrey BlitzLennon Parham & Jessica St. ClairJune 17, 2014 (2014-06-17)0.846[12]
1010"Bugs in Your Eyes"Tim KirkbyLennon Parham & Jessica St. ClairJune 17, 2014 (2014-06-17)0.648[13]

Season 2 (2015)
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUS viewers
(millions)
111"Hello, Old Friend"Stuart McDonaldLennon Parham & Jessica St. ClairAugust 4, 2015 (2015-08-04)0.413[14]
122"Sleepless in Pinebrook"Stuart McDonaldAnthony KingAugust 4, 2015 (2015-08-04)0.321[14]
133"Cashmere Burka"Stuart McDonaldGavin StecklerAugust 11, 2015 (2015-08-11)0.367[15]
144"Knotty Pine"Stuart McDonaldVera SantamariaAugust 18, 2015 (2015-08-18)0.440[16]
155"Employee of the Month"Stuart McDonaldAnthony KingAugust 25, 2015 (2015-08-25)0.439[17]
166"Kimmewah Kup"Stuart McDonaldChristine NangleSeptember 1, 2015 (2015-09-01)0.484[18]
177"Officer of the Year"Stuart McDonaldVera SantamariaSeptember 8, 2015 (2015-09-08)0.486[19]
188"Celebrate Me Scones"Stuart McDonaldLennon Parham & Jessica St. ClairSeptember 8, 2015 (2015-09-08)0.368[19]

Season 3 (2017)
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUS viewers
(millions)
191"Cookie Jar"Jessica St. ClairLennon Parham & Jessica St. ClairJune 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)0.381[20]
202"None of Your Business"Chris AddisonVera SantamariaJune 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)0.287[20]
213"Gwen or Lose"Lennon ParhamShaun Diston & Andrew BarbotJune 30, 2017 (2017-06-30)0.360[21]
224"Paging Doctor Yes Please"Chris AddisonAnthony KingJune 30, 2017 (2017-06-30)0.269[21]
235"You Wanna Roll With This?"Jeffrey BlitzLennon Parham & Jessica St. ClairJuly 7, 2017 (2017-07-07)0.395[22]
246"Ride the Dragon"Ian RobertsVera SantamariaJuly 7, 2017 (2017-07-07)0.294[22]
257"Game of Tweens"Bob RoeAnthony KingJuly 14, 2017 (2017-07-14)0.353[23]
268"Reverse the Curse"Bob RoeLennon Parham & Jessica St. ClairJuly 14, 2017 (2017-07-14)0.245[23]

Production and development

Playing House first appeared on the USA Network development slate in February 2013, under the name Untitled Lennon Parham/Jessica St. Clair Project. The series was created by Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair who also star in the series and executive produce alongside Scot Armstrong and Ravi Nandan, and the production companies Universal Cable Productions and American Work.[24]

Casting announcements began in February 2013, with Parham, St. Clair and Zach Woods announced as starring in the series when USA Network ordered the presentation. Parham and St. Clair signed on to play the lead roles of Maggie, an expectant mother who turns to her career-driven best friend Emma. Keegan-Michael Key and Brad Morris then signed on to the series, with Key playing the role of Mark, a cop who holds resentment towards Emma because she turned down his proposal and left town twelve years earlier, and Morris playing the role of Bruce, Maggie's husband, who cheats on her.[25]

On May 16, 2013, Playing House was ordered to series, making it the second original half-hour comedy series for the USA Network after Sirens.[2]

On December 8, 2014, USA Network renewed Playing House for an eight-episode second season. Through a new model, each of the episodes will be released on video-on-demand platforms before airing a week later on USA.[26] On January 14, 2016, Playing House was renewed for a third season.[3]

Reception

The first season of Playing House scored 65 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 13 "generally favorable" reviews.[27] On another review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 76% rating with an average rating of 7.1 out of 10, based on 17 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham are a comedy duo worth watching, and their chemistry helps to make Playing House reasonably enjoyable and perceptive."[28]

The second season was met with even more positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an average of 100% with an average of 7 out of 10, based on 6 reviews.[29]

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Recipients Outcome
2015 GLAAD Media Award[30] Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without a regular LGBT character) Let's Have a Baby Nominated
2016 Critics' Choice Award[31] Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Keegan-Michael Key Nominated

References
  1. "USA Network to Premiere 'Playing House' on Tuesday April 29". TV by the Numbers. February 28, 2014. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  2. "USA Network Greenlights Its First-Ever Original Half Hour Comedies". The Futon Critic. May 16, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  3. Iannucci, Rebecca (January 14, 2016). "Playing House Renewed for Season 3". TV Line. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  4. "Playing House Cancelled at USA". TV Line. October 30, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  5. Yanan, Travis (April 30, 2014). "Tuesday's Cable Ratings & Broadcast Finals: "The Voice" Tops Demo Race, "NCIS" Leads Total Viewers". The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  6. Kondolojy, Amanda (May 7, 2014). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs Win Night + 'Deadliest Catch', '19 Kids and Counting', 'Tosh.0' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  7. Bibel, Sara (May 14, 2014). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs Win Night, 'Deadliest Catch', 'Little Couple', 'Fargo', 'True Tori', 'Faking It' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 15, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  8. Kondolojy, Amanda (May 21, 2014). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: NBA Conference Finals Lead Night + 'Deadliest Catch', '19 Kids and Counting', 'Ink Master' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 22, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  9. "Tuesday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs Win Night, 'Deadliest Catch', 'The Haves and the Have Nots', 'Bad Girls Club', 'True Tori' & More - Ratings". TVbytheNumbers.Zap2it.com. May 29, 2014. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  10. Kondolojy, Amanda (June 4, 2014). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Deadliest Catch' Leads Night + '19 Kids and Counting', 'The Haves and the Have Nots', 'The Little Couple' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  11. Bibel, Sara (June 11, 2014). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Pretty Little Liars' & 'Deadliest Catch' Win Night, 'Fargo', 'Royal Pains', 'Chasing Life', 'Faking It' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 14, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  12. "Tuesday Cable Ratings: World Cup Soccer Leads Night + 'Deadliest Catch', 'Rizzoli & Isles', 'The Haves & the Have Nots', 'Pretty Little Liars' & More - Ratings". TVbytheNumbers.Zap2it.com. June 18, 2014. Archived from the original on June 22, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  13. "Tuesday's Cable Ratings & Broadcast Finals: "America's Got Talent" Claims Top Spots". The Futon Critic. June 18, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  14. Bibel, Sara (August 5, 2015). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Deadliest Catch' & 'The Haves and the Have Nots' Win Night, 'Pretty Little Liars', 'Rizzoli & Isles', 'Scream: The TV Series' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 8, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  15. "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 100 Tuesday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 8.11.2015". ShowBuzzDaily.com. August 12, 2015. Archived from the original on August 15, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  16. "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 100 Tuesday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 8.18.2015". ShowBuzzDaily.com. August 19, 2015. Archived from the original on August 20, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  17. "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 100 Tuesday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 8.25.2015". ShowBuzzDaily.com. August 26, 2015. Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  18. "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 100 Tuesday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 9.1.2015". ShowBuzzDaily.com. September 2, 2015. Archived from the original on September 3, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  19. "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 100 Tuesday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 9.8.2015". ShowBuzzDaily.com. September 10, 2015. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  20. "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.23.2017". ShowBuzzDaily. June 26, 2017. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  21. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.30.2017". ShowBuzzDaily. July 5, 2017. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  22. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 7.7.2017". ShowBuzzDaily. July 10, 2017. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  23. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 7.14.2017". ShowBuzzDaily. July 17, 2017. Archived from the original on July 18, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  24. Andreeva, Nellie (February 15, 2013). "USA Orders Jessica St. Clair/Lennon Parham Comedy Presentation". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  25. Goldberg, Lesley (March 12, 2013). "'Key and Peele' Star to Topline USA Network Comedy (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  26. Andreeva, Nellie (December 8, 2014). "'Playing House' Renewed For Season 2 By USA With VOD As Primary Window". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  27. "Playing House Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  28. "Playing House: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  29. "Playing House: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  30. "GLAAD Media Awards Nominees Unveiled". Deadline.com. January 21, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  31. "Critics' Choice Awards Nominations: 'Mad Max' Leads Film; ABC, HBO, FX Networks & 'Fargo' Top TV". Deadline.com. December 14, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
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