Roommates (TV series)

Last updated
Roommates
Roommates Logo.JPG
The cast of Roommates.
Created by Robin French
Matt Green
Kieron Quirke
Developed byRobin French
Kieron Quirke
Written byRobin French
Kieron Quirke
Ryan Christopher Mouritsen
StarringDorian Brown
Tyler Francavilla
Tamera Mowry
Tommy Dewey
David Weidoff
Opening theme"Mess" by his Orchestra
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Camera setup Multi-camera setup
Running time21 minutes approx.
Production companiesQuench
ProdCo Original
Original release
Network ABC Family
ReleaseMarch 23 (2009-03-23) 
May 4, 2009 (2009-05-04)

Roommates is an American television sitcom developed by ABC Family and Acme Productions that premiered on March 23, 2009. [1] On April 29, 2009, it was announced that Roommates would not return for a second season. [2]

Contents

Overview

The show focuses on a group of twentysomethings who move in together after college. The show is ABC Family’s first scripted half-hour comedy. [3]

The series follows five very different characters and their struggles through life. The main focus of the show revolves around Mark, a struggling actor, who thinks his dream has come true when he runs into high school crush Katie and finds she is looking for a new roommate. Mark takes the chance, moves in, and starts to find a way to win her heart. Katie, who is completely oblivious to Mark's motives, has a hard time getting over her previous boyfriend, Ben, and looks to Mark for support.

The other two roommates, Hope and James, both have their own problems. Hope is longing for an upscale job after losing her job at the television studio, and James brings in a slapstick sensibility as he takes a delight in watching Mark's attempts to "woo" Katie. The series also includes Thom, Mark's ex-roommate, who feels he is destined to help Mark in his quest to be a unit with Katie. [4]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring and special appearances

Episodes

Each episode began with the title "The" similar to Seinfeld. Only thirteen episodes of the series were aired before it was cancelled.

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"The Roommate" Andrew D. Weyman Robin French, Matt Green & Kieron QuirkeMarch 23, 2009 (2009-03-23)
Mark gets the chance he has been waiting for when he moves in with his high school crush Katie.
2"The Tarot"Andrew D. WeymanRobin French & Kieron QuirkeMarch 30, 2009 (2009-03-30)
Katie goes to see someone who reads tarot cards, and finds out that she has already met the man of her dreams.
3"The Lie"Andrew D. WeymanChris CaseApril 6, 2009 (2009-04-06)
Hope persuades Mark and Tom into hiding her secret from Katie about her job.
4"The Break In" Ellen Gittelsohn Eric Siegel & Eric D. WassermanApril 13, 2009 (2009-04-13)

When Hope's father comes in a surprise visit, he realizes that his daughter's life is a mess, and wants her to move back home. Hope, trying to prove that her life is not that bad, and asks Mark to pretend to be her boyfriend. Can Mark help Hope with another one of her lies or will she be on her way home with her father?

Special Guest star: Tim Reid as Mr. Stanley Daniels. NOTE: This is the second time that Tim Reid and Tamera Mowry played father and daughter, the first time being on Sister, Sister .
5"The Set-Up" Jack Kenny Robin French & Kieron QuirkeApril 20, 2009 (2009-04-20)
Mark goes on a date with Katie's friend from their law firm.
6"The Mark-A-Like"Jack KennyJana Hunter & Mitch HunterApril 27, 2009 (2009-04-27)
Katie dates a guy that looks like Mark and is more confident and more successful.
7"The Uninvited Thom"Jack KennyRobin French & Kieron QuirkeApril 27, 2009 (2009-04-27)
Things go awry when Mark tries to get Hope a job with his new boss.
8"The Green People"Jack KennyJana Hunter & Mitch HunterApril 27, 2009 (2009-04-27)
Katie needs Mark's help after she steals Hope's business idea and is praised as a genius.
9"The Game Night"Jack KennyChris Case & Samantha Montgomery McIntyreApril 27, 2009 (2009-04-27)
Mark finally gets what he wants during game night at the apartment.
10"The Tickets"Leslie Kolins SmallStory by: Chris Case
Teleplay by: Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter
May 4, 2009 (2009-05-04)
Mark buys Katie theater tickets in hope of wooing her away from David.
11"The Mother of James"Jack KennyVictor LevinMay 4, 2009 (2009-05-04)
James mother comes and visits because she has her first date since the divorce. Special guest star: Marilu Henner
12"The Trash 'N Treasures"Jack KennyStory by: Chris Case
Teleplay by: Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter
May 4, 2009 (2009-05-04)
Ben Katie's ex invites her to the trash and treasure party so the whole gang decides to go and something happens between Hope and James
13"The Old and the New"Jack KennyStory by: Chris Case
Teleplay by: Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter
May 4, 2009 (2009-05-04)
Things start to heat up between Katie and Mark, but then there is David and Jackie and things get really complicated. Lots more goes on between James and Hope, and they try to conceal it from Mark and Katie. Mark gets the chance he's been waiting for since High School, and turns out to be really nervous about it.

Response

Ratings

Episode #ViewersDemo
(18-49)
11,504,0000.4/1
2444,0000.2/0
3N/AN/A
4453,0000.2/0
5520,0000.2/1
6Avg. 315,000N/A
7
8
9
10N/AN/A
11
12
13

Series cancellation

ABC Family canceled Roommates after only six episodes. Roommates was an attempt by ABC Family to push towards an older audience by stepping out of the teen demographic. Star Tamera Mowry told TV.com that "the tone was more along the lines of ABC Family's hit Greek, which targets older teens and younger adults." [5]

Related Research Articles

Tahj Dayton Mowry is an American actor and singer. He is the brother of identical twin actresses Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry and is known for his role on the show Smart Guy as the main character TJ on The WB, though the show gained later recognition on Disney Channel. Mowry was cast as the voice of ten-year-old super genius Wade Load on Kim Possible as a nod to this role. He is also known for his roles as Michelle Tanner's best friend Teddy on Full House and Tucker Dobbs on Freeform's comedy show Baby Daddy.

<i>Cold Case</i> US police procedural television series (2003–2010)

Cold Case is an American police procedural crime drama television series. It ran on CBS from September 28, 2003, to May 2, 2010. The series revolved around a fictionalized Philadelphia Police Department division that specializes in investigating cold cases, usually homicides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Reid</span> American actor and film director (born 1944)

Timothy Lee Reid is an American actor, comedian and film director best known for his roles in prime time American television programs, such as Venus Flytrap on WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–82), Marcel "Downtown" Brown on Simon & Simon (1983–87), Ray Campbell on Sister, Sister (1994–99) and William Barnett on That '70s Show (2004–06). Reid starred in a CBS series, Frank's Place, as a professor who inherits a Louisiana restaurant. Reid is the founder and president of Legacy Media Institute, a non-profit organization "dedicated to bringing together leading professionals in the film and television industry, outstanding actors, and young men and women who wish to pursue a career in the entertainment media".

<i>Hangin with Mr. Cooper</i> American television sitcom (1992–1997)

Hangin' with Mr. Cooper is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 1992, to August 30, 1997, starring Mark Curry and Holly Robinson. The show took place in Curry's hometown of Oakland, California. The series chronicles Mark Cooper (Curry), an NBA player-turned-substitute teacher/gym coach, and his roommate Vanessa (Robinson).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tia Mowry</span> American actress (born 1978)

Tia Dashon Mowry is an American actress. She first gained recognition for her starring role as Tia Landry in the sitcom Sister, Sister (1994–1999), opposite her twin sister Tamera Mowry. The sisters then starred together in the fantasy comedy film Seventeen Again (2000) and voiced the LaBelle sisters in the animated series Detention (1999–2000). The two also starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Twitches (2005) and its sequel, Twitches Too (2007). They were featured in the reality series Tia & Tamera from 2011 to 2013.

<i>Ghost Whisperer</i> American supernatural drama TV series (2005–2010)

Ghost Whisperer is an American supernatural television series, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005, to May 21, 2010.

<i>Sister, Sister</i> (TV series) American television sitcom (1994–1999)

Sister, Sister is an American television sitcom starring Tia and Tamera Mowry as identical twin sisters separated at birth who are reunited as teenagers. It premiered on April 1, 1994, on ABC as part of its TGIF comedy lineup, and finished its run on The WB on May 23, 1999, airing 119 episodes over six seasons. The cast consisted of the Mowry sisters with Jackée Harry and Tim Reid costarring as their respective adoptive parents, alongside Marques Houston as their annoying neighbor Roger. RonReaco Lee and Deon Richmond later joined the cast in the fifth season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamera Mowry</span> American actress, television personality, and occasional singer (born 1978)

Tamera Darvette Mowry-Housley is an American actress, television personality, and former singer. She first gained fame for her teen role as Tamera Campbell on the ABC/WB sitcom Sister, Sister. She has also starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Twitches and its sequel, Twitches Too, and played Dr. Kayla Thornton on the medical drama Strong Medicine.

<i>Traveler</i> (American TV series) American TV program

Traveler is an American thriller drama television series that ran from May 10, 2007, until July 18, 2007, on ABC in the United States. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Television.

"Mother Tucker" is the second episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox on September 17, 2006. The episode follows Peter's mother, Thelma, divorcing Peter's father, Francis, and dating news anchorman Tom Tucker. Peter becomes closely attached to Tucker, only for his mother to end the relationship suddenly, leaving Peter feeling abandoned. Meanwhile, Stewie and Brian are employed as DJs on a local radio station, but have creative differences over the tone of the show, which eventually forces Brian to quit.

<i>Samantha Who?</i> American television sitcom

Samantha Who? is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from October 15, 2007, to July 23, 2009. The series was created by Cecelia Ahern and Donald Todd, who also served as producers. Although highly rated during its first season, the sitcom lost momentum and viewers throughout its second season, and ABC canceled the show in May 2009 before the remaining seven episodes were burned off the 2008–09 TV schedule.

<i>Life on Mars</i> (American TV series) American television fantasy drama series (2008–2009)

Life on Mars is an American crime drama television series which originally aired on ABC from October 9, 2008 to April 1, 2009. It is an adaptation of the BAFTA-winning original British series of the same title produced for the BBC. The series was co-produced by Kudos Film and Television, 20th Century Fox Television, and ABC Studios.

The 2007–08 network television schedule for the six major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2007 through August 2008. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2006–07 season. The schedule was affected by the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike. After that, the next disruption to the networks' primetime schedules would not occur until the 2020–21 season, whose network schedules were affected by the suspension of film and television productions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

<i>FlashForward</i> American television series

FlashForward is an American television series, adapted for television by Brannon Braga and David S. Goyer, which aired for one season on ABC between September 24, 2009, and May 27, 2010. It is based on the 1999 novel Flashforward by Canadian science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer. The series revolves around the lives of several people as a mysterious event causes nearly everyone on the planet to simultaneously lose consciousness for two minutes and seventeen seconds on October 6, 2009. During this blackout, people see what appear to be visions of their lives on April 29, 2010, a global "flashforward" six months into the future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cory Hardrict</span> American actor

Cory Hardrict is an American actor. He has appeared in film and television since the late 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanie Barnett</span> Fictional character in the American sitcom The Game

Melanie Barnett-Davis is a fictional character, portrayed by actress Tia Mowry, who appears in the American sitcom The Game, which aired on the CW Television Network and BET from 2006 to 2015. Introduced in a backdoor pilot on the sitcom Girlfriends as Joan Clayton's cousin, Melanie chooses to support her boyfriend Derwin Davis' career with the San Diego Sabres, a fictional National Football League (NFL) team, rather than attend medical school at Johns Hopkins University. The series focuses primarily on Melanie and Derwin's complicated relationship, with her fears of his infidelity at the center of many of the episodes' storylines. Mowry left the series in 2012 upon learning that her role would be reduced as a result of co-star Pooch Hall's decision to reduce his role on The Game to appear in the crime drama series Ray Donovan. Both actors reprised their roles in the series finale, in which Melanie gives birth to twins.

Romantically Challenged is an American sitcom television series that aired on ABC from April 19, 2010, to May 17, 2010. The series is set in Pittsburgh and was created by Ricky Blitt, who is also the show's head writer. It stars Alyssa Milano. On May 16, 2010, ABC officially canceled the series; six episodes were produced, but only four aired.

<i>Tia & Tamera</i> American TV series or program

Tia & Tamera is an American reality television series that aired on the Style Network from August 8, 2011, until September 22, 2013. Originally titled Tia & Tamera Take 2, the series started off as a television special that aired on July 17, 2010. It was announced in February 2011 that the special was picked to series. Later, the series was changed to its current title and debuted on August 8, 2011, on the now defunct Style Network. In September 2011, Style Network renewed the show for a second season, which later premiered on June 11, 2012. Season 3 was announced on February 12, 2013, with it premiering on July 14, 2013. The third season concluded September 22, 2013, and was the last program to air on Style, which re-branded as Esquire Network the next day. Tia & Tamera began airing on E! starting October 15, 2013, along with former Style Network series Giuliana and Bill.

<i>The Real</i> (talk show) American television talk show

The Real is an American syndicated talk show created by SallyAnn Salsano. The series initially received a trial run on Fox-owned markets in the summer of 2013 and premiered for full syndication in 2014. It was last co-hosted by singer and actress Adrienne Bailon, comedian and actress Loni Love, television host and fashion stylist Jeannie Mai, and actress and model Garcelle Beauvais.

References

  1. "Screenwatch" (Press release). Television Business International. 2009-02-11. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  2. Nellie Andreeva (April 29, 2009). "ABC Family canceling 'Roommates'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on May 3, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
  3. Schneider, Michael (February 22, 2009). "'Roommates' fills cast vacancy". Variety. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  4. "tyler francavilla (mark of roommates)". ABC Family. Archived from the original on March 27, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  5. Tim Surette (April 30, 2009). "Roommates evicted by ABC Family". TV.com . Retrieved 2009-05-26.