Second Jen

Last updated

Second Jen
Genre Sitcom
Starring
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes18
Production
Running time30 minutes
Production company Don Ferguson Productions
Original release
Network City (first season)
Omni
ReleaseOctober 27, 2016 (2016-10-27) –
March 21, 2021 (2021-03-21)

Second Jen is a Canadian television sitcom that premiered on City on October 27, 2016. [1] The series is produced by Don Ferguson Productions and stars Amanda Joy and Samantha Wan as Mo and Jen, [2] two young East Asian Canadian women experiencing the ups and downs of being independent after moving out of their parents' homes for the first time. [3] Joy and Wan are also co-creators and writers for the series. [2]

Contents

Following its release in 2016, the series received mixed reviews. [4] [5] [6] [7] In 2018, Omni Television announced it had commissioned a second season. [8] [9] It premiered on August 4, 2018. [10] [11] On February 8, 2019, the second season was nominated for Best Comedy Series by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. [12] The third and final season premiered February 14, 2021. [13] [14]

Cast and characters

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 6October 27, 2016 (2016-10-27)December 1, 2016 (2016-12-01)
2 6August 4, 2018 (2018-08-04)September 8, 2018 (2018-09-08)
3 6February 14, 2021 (2021-02-14)March 21, 2021 (2021-03-21)

Season 1 (2016)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateCanada viewers
(millions)
11"Couch Surfing"UnknownUnknownOctober 27, 2016 (2016-10-27)N/A
22"Jenny Has the Gay"UnknownUnknownNovember 3, 2016 (2016-11-03)N/A
33"Re-Tales"UnknownUnknownNovember 10, 2016 (2016-11-10)N/A
44"Borrow-a-Buddy Forever"UnknownUnknownNovember 17, 2016 (2016-11-17)N/A
55"Pap Fiction"UnknownUnknownNovember 24, 2016 (2016-11-24)N/A
66"Asian Night"UnknownUnknownDecember 1, 2016 (2016-12-01)N/A

Season 2

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateCanada viewers
(millions)
71"Forecast Calls for Wedding Showers" Romeo Candido Carly HeffernanAugust 4, 2018 (2018-08-04)N/A
82"The Break In"Romeo CandidoCarly HeffernanAugust 11, 2018 (2018-08-11)N/A
93"Like a Girl"Romeo Candido & Samantha WanAmanda JoyAugust 18, 2018 (2018-08-18)N/A
104"The Book of Jenesis"Romeo CandidoAmanda JoyAugust 25, 2018 (2018-08-25)N/A
115"No Escape Room"Romeo CandidoCarly HeffernanSeptember 1, 2018 (2018-09-01)N/A
126"Wall Squirrelly"Romeo CandidoCarly Heffernan & Amanda JoySeptember 8, 2018 (2018-09-08)N/A

Season 3

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date  [15] Canada viewers
(millions)
131"Vive Le Conflict Resolution"UnknownUnknownFebruary 14, 2021 (2021-02-14)N/A
142"Happy Birthday"UnknownUnknownFebruary 21, 2021 (2021-02-21)N/A
153"Sense and Sensuality"UnknownUnknownFebruary 28, 2021 (2021-02-28)N/A
164"Exes and CEOS"UnknownUnknownMarch 7, 2021 (2021-03-07)N/A
175"In Session"UnknownUnknownMarch 14, 2021 (2021-03-14)N/A
186"Balikbayan"UnknownUnknownMarch 21, 2021 (2021-03-21)N/A

Development

Show creators Amanda Joy and Samantha Wan met on the set of the 2014 film Devil's Mile . [16] Tired of auditioning for the same stereotypical East Asian roles, they discussed creating their own work together. [17]

Joy and Wan stated that their show was originally rejected at an unnamed Canadian pitch contest. [18] It later went on to win Best Television Pitch at NexTV L.A. in 2013, [19] before being picked up for development with Rogers. Joy wrote the original pilot script, [20] with Wan directing alongside Joseph O'Brien. [21] The original spec pilot screened at Toronto's Reelworld Film Festival in 2014, [22] as well as Toronto's Asian Heritage Month. [21]

Reception

Prior to the release of the show, Tony Wong of the Toronto Star published an article declaring Second Jen "groundbreaking" in its depiction of two female East Asian leads "as if we had already arrived in a post-racial world." [23]

Brad Oswald of the Winnipeg Free Press praised Second Jen, calling it "Sharp, funny, slightly cheeky and smartly in tune with this country’s diverse demographic mix." Oswald wrote that "while it’s fair to say that attitude plays a bit part in this likable series’ early success, there are actually several elements that make Second Jen a must-see production." [4] Oswald also praised the strength of the cast noting that Joy and Wan are particularly "likeable and relatable" in the lead roles of Jen and Mo. [4]

Toronto Life 's Will Sloan complimented the show's light-hearted tone. He noted that, while "not necessarily laugh out loud funny," Second Jen is a pleasant watch, with strong moments carried by "the likability of its goofy cast, and the familiar streets, bars and houses of its Little Italy setting." Sloan also praised Joy and Wan's performances, calling them breakout stars. [7]

Brad Wheeler of The Globe and Mail hailed the show as "A Laverne & Shirley for the Digital Age" as it stars "two sparky second-generation Asian-Canadian millennial women coming of age in an era so economically challenging that Laverne and Shirley would be crying in their beers instead of merrily goofing off at the bottling plant." [24]

In contrast, John Doyle, also of The Globe and Mail , panned the show, calling it "light, slight, silly and only occasionally outright funny [...] Second Jen is notable for having two female Asian lead characters but it is not notable, nor funny, as a comedy." [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Lander</span> American actor (1947–2020)

David L. Lander was an American actor, comedian, musician, and baseball scout. He was best known for his portrayal of Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman in the ABC sitcom Laverne & Shirley. He also served as a goodwill ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

<i>Made in Canada</i> (TV series) Television series

Made in Canada is a Canadian television comedy which aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2003. Rick Mercer starred as Richard Strong, an ambitious and amoral television producer working for a company which makes bad television shows. A dark satire about the Canadian television industry, the programme shifted into an episodic situation comedy format after its first season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penny Marshall</span> American actress, director and producer (1943–2018)

Carole Penny Marshall was an American actress, director, and producer. She is best known for her role as Laverne DeFazio on the television sitcom Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983), receiving three nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her portrayal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Walsh</span> Canadian actress

Amanda Walsh is a Canadian actress, writer, and former VJ for the Canadian television station MuchMusic.

The Comedy Mill was a Canadian sketch comedy television series, which aired from 1987 to 1991 on Hamilton, Ontario's CHCH-TV, and through syndication on other Canadian television stations. The show starred the husband and wife comedy duo of Steve Smith and Morag Smith, with a supporting cast that included Peter Keleghan, Linda Kash and Mag Ruffman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omni Television</span> Canadian television system and specialty channel

Omni Television is a Canadian television system and group of specialty channels owned by Rogers Sports & Media, a subsidiary of Rogers Communications. It currently consists of all six of Canada's conventional multicultural television stations, which are located in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and an affiliate in Quebec. The system's flagship station is CFMT in Toronto, which was the first independent multicultural television station in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cindy Williams</span> American actress (1947–2023)

Cynthia Jane Williams was an American actress and producer. She is best known for her role as Shirley Feeney on the television sitcoms Happy Days (1975–1979), and Laverne & Shirley (1976–1982). She also appeared in American Graffiti (1973), The Conversation (1974), Mr. Ricco (1975), and More American Graffiti (1979).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Jones (actor)</span> Canadian-American actor and comedian

Jason Pierre Jones is a Canadian and American actor, comedian and writer. He was a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart from 2005 to 2015. From 2016 to 2019 Jones starred in the TBS comedy series The Detour, which he created with his wife Samantha Bee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Comedy Awards</span> National awards for performed comedy

The Canadian Comedy Awards (CCA) is an annual ceremony that awards the Beaver for achievements in Canadian comedy in live performance, radio, film, television, and Internet media. The awards were founded and produced by Tim Progosh in 2000.

Ronald Leavitt was an American television writer and producer. He was the co-creator of the American television show Married... with Children. The show's 259 episodes over 11 seasons made it the second-longest lasting sitcom on the Fox network.

Laverne & Shirley, also known as Laverne & Shirley in the Army, is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Paramount Television broadcast on ABC from October 10, 1981, to November 13, 1982. It is a spin-off of the live-action sitcom Laverne & Shirley with the titular characters voiced by Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams and was loosely based on the 1979 two-part episode "We're in the Army, Now" in which Laverne and Shirley enlisted in the Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jen Kirkman</span> American comic, actor, writer (b. 1974)

Jennifer Ann Kirkman is an American stand-up comedian and screenwriter, podcaster, and actress. She is known for her regular appearances as a round-table panelist on Chelsea Lately for 70 episodes from 2008 to 2014.

<i>Seed</i> (TV series) Canadian TV series or program

Seed is a Canadian single-camera sitcom. The series starred Adam Korson as Harry Dacosta, sperm donor, and followed his interactions with new-found relatives that had been conceived from the donation.

<i>Kims Convenience</i> Canadian television sitcom (2016–2021)

Kim's Convenience is a Canadian television sitcom that aired on CBC Television from October 2016 to April 2021. It depicts the Korean Canadian Kim family that runs a convenience store in the Moss Park neighbourhood of Toronto: parents "Appa" and "Umma" – Korean for dad and mom, respectively – along with their daughter Janet and estranged son Jung. Other characters include Jung's friend and coworker Kimchee, his manager Shannon and Janet's friend Gerald Tremblay. The series is based on Ins Choi's 2011 play of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Joy</span>

Amanda Joy is a Canadian actress, screenwriter, comedian, satirist, and producer. She is best known for co-creating and starring in the Omni Television original series Second Jen.

Samantha Wan is a Canadian actress, screenwriter, producer, and web series creator. She is known for co-creating, writing, and starring in the City television series Second Jen. Since 2017, she has starred in the Global Television Network series Private Eyes.

The 1st Canadian Comedy Awards honoured the best Canadian comedy of 1999 in live performances, television and film. The awards ceremony was presented by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), and was held on 6 April 2000 at the Masonic Temple in Toronto, Ontario. The ceremony was hosted by Dave Thomas. A one-hour version of the ceremony was broadcast late the following night on CTV, and the full program aired on The Comedy Network on 9 April at 9 pm.

Run the Burbs is a Canadian television sitcom, which premiered on CBC Television on January 5, 2022. The series stars Andrew Phung as Andrew Pham, a suburban stay-at-home dad of two children whose wife Camille is an entrepreneur.

Strays is a Canadian television sitcom, which aired on CBC Television for two seasons from 2021 to 2022. A spin-off of Kim's Convenience, the series centres on Shannon Ross as she embarks on a new career in Hamilton as executive director of an animal shelter.

The following is a list of events affecting Canadian television in 2022. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches, closures and rebrandings.

References

  1. ↑ "City unveils 2016/17 Prime-Time schedule". 570 News, June 6, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Second Jen starts rolling". Playback , July 21, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Second Jen breaks sitcom ground with two Asian women in lead roles". Toronto Star , August 9, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Oswald, Brad (October 27, 2016). "Amusing autumn ahead". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  5. ↑ Stover, Susan (October 27, 2016). "Second Jen Review". Dork Shelf. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "John Doyle: Second Jen's diversity is good, but its comedy is mediocre". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Seven side-splitting Canadian TV comedies that you need to watch". Toronto Life. January 12, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Omni renews Canadian multicultural TV series Blood and Water, Second Jen, Mangoes". November 2017.
  9. ↑ "Rogers sets Second Jen return" . Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Second Jen returns for long-awaited second season". TV, eh?. August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Second Jen is back and taking aim at hot topics". Vancouver Sun. August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Nominees - Academy.ca" . Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Second Jen Season 3 premieres February 14 on OmniTV". January 28, 2021.
  14. ↑ Greg David, "Second Jen ends after three seasons on Omni". TV, eh?, March 24, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Second Jen – Listings". Zap2It . Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Shot and set in Toronto, Second Jen airs Thursdays on City". www.insidetoronto.com. October 30, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Canada's New Sitcom "Second Jen" Stars Two Asian Canadian Women In Lead Roles". www.yomyomf.com. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Samantha Wan and Amanda Joy debut culturally diverse Canadian sitcom 'Second Jen'". popj.ca. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Winners of the 2013 Writing & Pitch Competition". www.nextventertainment.com. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  20. ↑ "ReelWorld Film Festival 2014: The "Identity" Shorts".
  21. 1 2 http://www.vmacch.ca/alpha/archives/documents/film2014.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  22. ↑ Katie Chats: ReelWorld, SAMANTHA WAN & AMANDA JOY LIM, FILMMAKERS, SECOND JEN, March 31, 2014, retrieved October 31, 2016
  23. ↑ Wong, Tony (August 9, 2016). "Second Jen breaks sitcom ground with two Asian women in lead roles | Toronto Star". The Toronto Star. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Second Jen: A Laverne & Shirley for the digital age". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.