Playing House (TV series)

Last updated

Playing House
Playing House intertitle.png
Genre Sitcom
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 setup Single-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network USA Network
ReleaseApril 29, 2014 (2014-04-29) 
July 14, 2017 (2017-07-14)

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.

Contents

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

Recurring

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 10April 29, 2014 (2014-04-29)June 17, 2014 (2014-06-17)
2 8August 4, 2015 (2015-08-04)September 8, 2015 (2015-09-08)
3 8June 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 Blitz Lennon Parham & Jessica St. Clair April 29, 2014 (2014-04-29)0.847 [5]
22"Bird Bones" Jamie Babbit Anthony King April 29, 2014 (2014-04-29)0.766 [5]
33"Unfinished Business" Fred Savage Joe WengertMay 6, 2014 (2014-05-06)0.783 [6]
44"Totes Kewl" Tristram Shapeero Anthony KingMay 13, 2014 (2014-05-13)0.864 [7]
55"Drumline"Fred Savage Judah Miller May 20, 2014 (2014-05-20)0.802 [8]
66"Bosephus and the Catfish" Tim Kirkby John Lutz May 27, 2014 (2014-05-27)0.859 [9]
77"Spaghetti and Meatballs"Tim Kirkby Judah Miller June 3, 2014 (2014-06-03)0.983 [10]
88"37 Weeks" Michael Trim Vera 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 McDonald Lennon Parham & Jessica St. Clair August 4, 2015 (2015-08-04)0.413 [14]
122"Sleepless in Pinebrook"Stuart McDonald Anthony King August 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. Clair Lennon Parham & Jessica St. ClairJune 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)0.381 [20]
202"None of Your Business" Chris Addison Vera 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 Addison Anthony King June 30, 2017 (2017-06-30)0.269 [21]
235"You Wanna Roll With This?" Jeffrey Blitz Lennon Parham & Jessica St. ClairJuly 7, 2017 (2017-07-07)0.395 [22]
246"Ride the Dragon" Ian Roberts Vera 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

YearAwardCategoryRecipientsOutcome
2015 GLAAD Media Award [30] Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without a regular LGBT character)Let's Have a BabyNominated
2016 Critics' Choice Award [31] Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Keegan-Michael Key Nominated

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References

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