Starved

Last updated
Starved
Starved-050818.jpg
The main characters
from left to right: Billie, Dan, Sam and Adam
Created by Eric Schaeffer
StarringEric Schaeffer
Laura Benanti
Del Pentecost
Sterling K. Brown
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes7
Production
Executive producers Eric Schaeffer
Dan Pasternack
ProducerDaniel Hank
Production locations New York City, New York
EditorKen Eluto
Running time21-31 minutes
Production companiesFive Minutes Before the Miracle Productions
Carsey-Werner Productions
Original release
Network FX
ReleaseAugust 4 (2005-08-04) –
September 15, 2005 (2005-09-15)

Starved is an American television sitcom that aired for one season on FX for seven episodes in 2005. The series was about four friends who each suffer from eating disorders, who met at a "shame-based" support group called Belt Tighteners. Its characters included those with bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating disorder. Eric Schaeffer created the show as well as writing, starring in and directing it, based upon his own struggle with eating disorders. In addition to his own life experiences, Schaeffer also drew upon the experiences of the other members of the principal cast, each of whom coincidentally had struggled with food issues of their own.

Contents

Starved was the lead-in of FX's hour-long "Other Side of Comedy" block with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia . [1] FX executives wanted to use the two series to begin building comedy programming and broaden the network's demographic. The series debuted on August 4, 2005, to poor critical reviews and was cancelled in October 2005, when FX picked Sunny over Starved for renewal.

Characters

Production

Series star Eric Schaeffer created Starved. Schaeffer, who is in recovery for alcohol and drug addiction and describes himself as having "anorexic thinking," [2] drew on his own experiences with eating disorders and the experiences of other people he knew in creating scenarios for the series. Other cast members also struggled with food issues. Benanti spent three years fighting anorexia while she danced on Broadway. Pentecost, who weighed 310 pounds at the time of filming, contributed stories from his own life to the series, including a scene in which his character weighs himself on a postal scale because he is too heavy for a conventional bathroom scale. [3] Brown was fat as a child and describes himself as being "haunted by the 'fat kid mentality'." Producers only discovered that each of the principal cast members had food issues after the casting process was completed. [2]

Starved and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia were developed for FX under the auspices of FX president John Landgraf, who sought to expand the network's viewership by providing a wider variety of programming. The shows were the network's first attempts at sitcoms following the short-lived 2003 series Lucky . [3] FX at the time was known primarily for its edgy dramatic series. Bruce Lefkowitz, then executive vice president of Fox Cable Entertainment, outlined the strategy: "We kind of staked out a unique space in dramas that are very different from everybody else’s, so the next natural evolution is to do something in the comedy space." [4] The network ordered seven episodes of each series. [5]

Starved was shot in the spring of 2005 in New York City using a single-camera setup and without a laugh track. [2] It and Sunny were the first shows that FX produced inhouse. [5]

Episodes

No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Pilot"Eric SchaefferEric SchaefferAugust 4, 2005 (2005-08-04)
The four friends attend a Belt Tighteners meeting together. Sam tries to shape his date Sarah into a woman from a commercial, horrifying Billie, who tries to get him to end the relationship. Adam extorts food from a delivery man, then purges it, and Belt Tighteners threatens to expose him to the NYPD if he abuses his authority again. Dan struggles with his decision about gastric bypass surgery. Sam suggests to Sarah that they see other people but when he later learns she's on a date he dumps her.
2"Please Release Me, Let Me Go"Eric SchaefferEric SchaefferAugust 11, 2005 (2005-08-11)
Sam, Dan and Adam discuss Sam's anal leakage and Dan suggests Sam go for a colonic. Sam becomes enamored with his hydrotherapist, Stella, and begins dating her. Billie visits her fathers and they argue about her anorexia and sexuality. Frustrated with his wife Amy, Dan hires a submissive at a BDSM dungeon but only makes her stand quietly while he watches football on television. During a colonic, Sam likens Stella to a sex worker. Furious, she leaves him still filling with water until his colonic tube pops out, fountaining colonic water everywhere.
3"Scrotal Origami"Eric SchaefferEric SchaefferAugust 18, 2005 (2005-08-18)
Sam accidentally cuts his scrotum while grooming his pubic hair and his testicles swell after he works out. Dan's wife confronts him about his visit to the dungeon and when she throws him out he stays at Adam's. At the gym, Billie becomes obsessed with having a lower body fat percentage than another woman, until she learns that the woman is a cancer patient.
4"3D"Eric SchaefferEric SchaefferAugust 25, 2005 (2005-08-25)
Sam goes for an HIV test and meets Heather, the woman from the commercial, and asks her out. Dan cancels his gastric bypass surgery and decides to try a liquid diet, but his "liquid diet" soon comes to include hamburgers and pizzas liquefied in a blender. Adam meets Josh, who can vomit at will, and Josh teaches Adam the trick in a cruisy park restroom. Sam and Heather go to Billie's gig and a drunk Billie seduces Heather backstage. Sam tells Billie he's in love with her but she rejects him.
5"Thank You, I Love You"Eric SchaefferEric SchaefferSeptember 1, 2005 (2005-09-01)
Billie apologizes to Sam and tells him she doesn't remember what happened backstage. Sam meets a yoga teacher named Shanti online and begins dating her. Billie meets "Cancer Girl" from the gym and they go out on a date. Adam is found out by Internal Affairs but denies an eating disorder. When photos show Adam and Josh at the park bathroom, Adam claims to be gay and makes Dan pretend to be his boyfriend. When Dan admits the truth, Adam is suspended. Dan returns to his wife, while Billie and Sam attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
6"Viva la Cucaracha"Eric SchaefferEric SchaefferSeptember 8, 2005 (2005-09-08)
Inspired by Shanti, Sam decides to become vegan. Adam continues to lie about his work situation and his bulimia. Sam clashes with Shanti when he realizes he's gained three pounds eating her vegan cake. Billie and Alison the "Cancer Girl" have a tense dinner with Billie's parents. Dan weighs himself on a postal scale because he is too heavy for a home bathroom scale. He makes another gastric bypass appointment but has a heart attack in the hospital lobby.
7"The Breatharians"Eric SchaefferEric SchaefferSeptember 15, 2005 (2005-09-15)
Sam becomes a Breatharian, who believe that only air and sunlight are needed for survival. Dan has his jaw wired shut so he won't eat solid food for a month. Adam catches a purse snatcher and beats him senseless. Dan tells the others about Adam's suspension and continued purging, and Sam confronts Adam. Dan's wife threatens to leave him if he doesn't lose weight. At Belt Tighteners, Adam comes clean about his purging, and the four friends are expelled. Sam and Shanti double-date with Billie and Alison, but Sam breaks up with Shanti and confesses his love to Billie, who chooses Alison over Sam. While Sam binges, the other friends attend an Overeaters Anonymous meeting.

Reception

Starved generated controversy even before its premiere. A number of specialists in the treatment of eating disorders expressed concern that the program would either make light of or glamorize eating disorders. Others, however, felt that Starved might focus attention on eating disorders as a serious medical condition. [6] The National Eating Disorders Association called for a boycott of the show and claimed that Diageo (makers of Tanqueray) and Nautilus agreed to pull their advertising. [7] Schaeffer responded to the controversy, saying "there is some difficult stuff to watch. But I know my spirit and intention are good." [3]

Starved premiered to an audience of 1.54 million viewers, scoring a Neilsen rating of 0.8 and a 2 share among adults 18–49, [8] the network's target demographic. [4] Reviews were unfavorable. Variety echoed the slogan of Belt Tighteners in dismissing the series as "not OK." [9] Noting the series' edgy content, Variety allows that "Pushing the envelope in terms of standards is all well and good, assuming that series earn the right to do so." [9] Starved, it says, did not earn that right. The series' "stabs at poignancy feel unconvincing and forced" [9] and "from an emotional standpoint there's seldom a truthful note." [9]

The Washington Post concurred in this assessment, describing the premise of the show as "Hey, what happens if you take the characters from Seinfeld and give them eating disorders?" [10] While crediting Starved for "a few inventive laughs," [10] the language and sexuality of the show are described as "exceptionally coarse" [10] and "outrageous for cable television, even later at night." [10] Worse than these issues, the Post felt that Schaeffer neglected to develop the characters in favor of coming up with contrived situations for them. "[T]his failure to build understanding into the show dooms it to emptiness, with a sour aftertaste. As if you had just, you know, hurled." [10]

The New York Times credited the series for its bold premise and noted that the show provided some insight into eating disorders while offering "a few flashes of clever dialogue and satire." [11] Ultimately, however, the Times found that "Starved relies too heavily on sight gags and gross-out farce." [11] The Los Angeles Times found the show "vexing" for being "at once assured and shallow, accomplished and unconvincing, well-acted and empty." [1] The review singles out Schaeffer's character Sam as "especially unappealing" [1] and points to Schaeffer's roles as creator, producer, writer and director as "an object lesson in the wisdom of a system of checks and balances." [1] Perhaps most damningly, in noting Schaeffer's experiences with addiction, the reviewer writes that "just because you’ve had an experience doesn’t mean you have anything interesting to say about it or are able to articulate whatever interesting thing you have to say." [1]

New York called it the Best Show You Probably Never Watched. [12] NBC used a clip from the second episode in "The Most Outrageous TV Moments".

FX canceled Starved in October 2005. FX president John Landgraf told Variety, "The show had a lot of fans, so it was tough to choose [between it and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia]. Ultimately, we felt that we're just not in a position to spread our resources. We launched our dramas one at a time, and launching two [comedies] like we did this summer just didn't work out as well." [13] As of 2023, Sunny is in its sixteenth season on sister network FXX.

Related Research Articles

Frank or Franks may refer to:

An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that adversely affect a person's physical or mental health. These behaviors include eating either too much or too little. Types of eating disorders include binge eating disorder, where the patient keeps eating large amounts in a short period of time typically while not being hungry; anorexia nervosa, where the person has an intense fear of gaining weight and restricts food or overexercises to manage this fear; bulimia nervosa, where individuals eat a large quantity (binging) then try to rid themselves of the food (purging); pica, where the patient eats non-food items; rumination syndrome, where the patient regurgitates undigested or minimally digested food; avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), where people have a reduced or selective food intake due to some psychological reasons; and a group of other specified feeding or eating disorders. Anxiety disorders, depression and substance abuse are common among people with eating disorders. These disorders do not include obesity. People often experience comorbidity between an eating disorder and OCD. It is estimated 20–60% of patients with an ED have a history of OCD.

Promotion of anorexia is the promotion of behaviors related to the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. It is often referred to simply as pro-ana or ana. The lesser-used term pro-mia refers likewise to bulimia nervosa and is sometimes used interchangeably with pro-ana. Pro-ana groups differ widely in their stances. Most claim that they exist mainly as a non-judgmental environment for anorexics; a place to turn to, to discuss their illness, and to support those who choose to enter recovery. Others deny anorexia nervosa is a mental illness and claim instead that it is a lifestyle choice that should be respected by doctors and family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FX (TV channel)</span> American cable television network

FX is an American pay television channel owned by FX Networks, LLC, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment business segment and division of The Walt Disney Company. It is based at the Fox Studios lot in Century City, California. FX was originally launched by News Corporation on June 1, 1994, and later became one of the properties that was included in the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in 2019. The network's original programming aspires to the standards of premium cable channels in regard to mature themes and content, high-quality writing, directing and acting. Sister channels FXM and FXX were launched in 1994 and 2013, respectively. FX also carries reruns of theatrical films and terrestrial-network sitcoms. Advertising-free content was available through the FX+ premium subscription service until it was shut down on August 21, 2019, after which ad free content moved to Hulu with no ads.

Tracey Gold is an American actress and former child star known for playing Carol Seaver on the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beat (charity)</span> Charity in United Kingdom

Beat is the UK's leading charity supporting those affected by eating disorders and campaigning on their behalf. Founded in 1989 as the Eating Disorders Association, it celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019.

<i>Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia</i> American sitcom

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an American sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and developed with Glenn Howerton for FX. It premiered on August 4, 2005, and was moved to FXX beginning with the ninth season in 2013. It stars Charlie Day, Howerton, McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito. The series follows the exploits of "The Gang", a group of narcissistic and sociopathic friends who run the Irish dive bar Paddy's Pub in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but spend most of their free time drinking, scheming, arguing among themselves, and plotting elaborate cons against others, and at times each other, for personal benefit, financial gain, revenge, or simply due to boredom or inebriation.

Sexual anorexia is a term coined in 1975 by psychologist Nathan Hare to describe a fear of or deep aversion to sexual activity. It is considered a loss of "appetite" for sexual contact, and may result in a fear of intimacy or an aversion to any type of sexual interaction. The term largely exists in a colloquial sense and is not presently classified as a disorder in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannah Ashworth</span> UK soap opera character, created 2005

Hannah Ashworth is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Emma Rigby. Hannah first appeared on-screen on 27 September 2005 and her last appearance was on 12 February 2010. It was announced on 8 November 2023 that she was to return after 13 years away for a number of episodes in early January, and was later announced to be making a permanent return. Hannah briefly returned for a short stint from 19 to 23 January 2024, before a permanent return on 26 April of the same year. Rigby quit the role once again, only one month after her permanent return, in June 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob McElhenney</span> American actor (born 1977)

Robert McElhenney III is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Ronald "Mac" McDonald on the FX/FXX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005–present), a show he co-created with Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton and on which he continues to serve as an executive producer and writer. He is also known for playing Ian Grimm on the Apple TV+ comedy series Mythic Quest (2020–present), which he co-created with Day and Megan Ganz as executive producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn Howerton</span> American actor (born 1976)

Glenn Franklin Howerton III is an American actor. He is best known for playing Dennis Reynolds on the long-running sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005–present) on FX/FXX, a series he co-developed with Rob McElhenney, and on which he serves as an executive producer and writer. On film, he is best known for his portrayal of Jim Balsillie in the Canadian film BlackBerry (2023), for which he received widespread critical acclaim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Benanti</span> American actress and singer (born 1979)

Laura Ilene Benanti is an American actress and singer.

<i>Degrassi: The Next Generation</i> season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of Degrassi: The Next Generation commenced airing in Canada on 19 September 2005, concluded on 20 March 2006 and contains nineteen episodes. Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian serial teen drama television series. This season depicts the lives of a group of high school sophomores, juniors and seniors as they deal with some of the challenges and issues teenagers face such as body image, teenage pregnancy, drug dealing, coming out, sexual identity, religion, eating disorders and relationships.

Wannarexia, or anorexic yearning, is a label applied to someone who claims to have anorexia nervosa, or wishes they did, but does not. These individuals are also called wannarexic, "wanna-be ana" or "anorexic wannabe". The neologism wannarexia is a portmanteau of the latter two terms. It may be used as a pejorative term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sterling K. Brown</span> American actor (born 1976)

Sterling Kelby Brown is an American actor. Known for his leading roles on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including three Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award as well as a nomination for an Academy Award. He was included in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018.

<i>Supersize vs Superskinny</i> 2008–2014 UK television series

Supersize vs Superskinny is a British television programme on Channel 4 that featured information about dieting and extreme eating lifestyles. One of the main show features was a weekly comparison between an overweight person, and an underweight person. The two were taken to a feeding clinic, and lived together for five days, swapping diets while supervised by Dr Christian Jessen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anorexia mirabilis</span> Near-starvation religious fasting

Anorexia mirabilis, also known as holy anorexia or inedia prodigiosa or colloquially as fasting girls, is an eating disorder, similar to that of anorexia nervosa, that was common in, but not restricted to, the Middle Ages in Europe, largely affecting Catholic nuns and religious women. Self-starvation was common among religious women, as a way to imitate the suffering of Jesus in his torments during the Passion, as women were largely restricted to causing themselves voluntary pain by fasting, whereas holy men experienced suffering through physical punishment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anorexia nervosa</span> Type of eating disorder

Anorexia nervosa (AN), often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin.

<i>Starving in Suburbia</i> 2014 television drama film

Starving in Suburbia is a 2014 American psychological drama made-for-television film about a high school student and competitive dancer, Hannah, who develops a severe eating disorder after becoming obsessed with a pro-ana forum on Tumblr that promotes self-starvation, as Hannah's family are preoccupied by her wrestler brother's upcoming tournament. The film stars Laura Wiggins, Brendan Meyer, Paula Newsome, Marcus Giamatti, Izabella Miko, Emma Dumont and Callie Thorne. It received mixed reviews from critics, while being noted for addressing two phenomenons previously unaddressed by made-for-television films: pro-ana websites, and anorexia among males.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Lloyd, Robert (2005-08-03). "'Starved' for substance". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  2. 1 2 3 Gold, Matea (2005-07-31). "Eating disorders, the comedy". Los Angeles Times. pp. E-1. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  3. 1 2 3 Oldenburg (2005-08-03). "FX puts comedy back on table". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  4. 1 2 Downey, Kevin (2005-04-14). "FX: Looking to comedy for new edge". Media Life magazine. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
  5. 1 2 Martin, Denise (2005-02-17). "FX building a laffer block". Variety. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
  6. ↑ Osterwell, Neil (2005-08-04). "FX Network's "Starved" Cooks Up Medical Controversy". MedPage Today. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  7. ↑ "National Eating Disorders Association calls new TV sitcom Starved "No Laughing Matter"" (Press release). National Eating Disorders Association. 2005-08-01. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  8. ↑ The Futon Critic Staff (2005-08-05). "Breaking News". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Lowry, Brian (2005-07-31). "Starved". Variety. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Gerhart, Ann (2005-08-04). "FX's 'Starved' Is a Bit Too Much To Stomach". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  11. 1 2 Stanley, Alessandra (2005-08-04). "Looking for the Humor in Americans' Struggle to Become Smaller". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  12. ↑ Leonard, John. "The Best in TV". 2005-12-11. New York Magazine.
  13. ↑ Gans, Andrew (2005-10-07). ""Starved" Sitcom — with Broadway's Benanti — Canceled". Playbill. Retrieved 2008-06-28.

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.