Web Therapy

Last updated
Web Therapy
Created by Lisa Kudrow
Written byLisa Kudrow
Don Roos
Directed by Don Roos
StarringLisa Kudrow
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes113 (List of episodes)
Production
Camera setup Single camera
Running time~3–15 min
Release
Original network LStudio.com
Original releaseSeptember 22, 2008 (2008-09-22) 
December 4, 2014 (2014-12-04)
Chronology
Related Web Therapy (TV series)

Web Therapy is an improvised online series starring Lisa Kudrow as Fiona Wallice, a therapist who has conceived of a new form of therapy, the titular "web therapy". The series debuted on LStudio.com on September 22, 2008.

Contents

Synopsis

Fiona Wallice is a therapist who has conceived of a new "modality" of therapy: the titular "web therapy". In her estimation, the traditional "50-minute hour" version of therapy gives people too much leeway to talk about irrelevant things. By dramatically shortening session time, she hopes to get results more quickly. Her sessions take place via webcam over the internet using Skype. [1] They are taped in the hope of attracting investors into promoting her new technique as a worldwide therapy option.

A dark comedy, much of the humor revolves around Fiona's obvious self-interest and how it overshadows her legitimate ability to determine people's issues quickly and effectively. (For instance, in "Sibling Ribaldry," she manages to completely clarify a couple's romantic emotional issues in thirty seconds but does so only to bring them around so she can then film them discussing more trivial sexual issues that are more shocking.)

TV series

In April 2010, Showtime announced plans to adapt the online episodes for broadcast on television with extra scenes being shot. The series premiered on Showtime on July 19, 2011, and ran for 10 episodes. In December 2011, Showtime renewed Web Therapy for a second season of 11 episodes, which premiered on July 2, 2012. [2] On November 16, 2012, Web Therapy was renewed for a 10 episode third season by Showtime. [3] On January 14, 2014, Showtime renewed Web Therapy for a fourth season, [4] that ran for 12 episodes. On August 11, 2015, Showtime cancelled the series after four seasons. [5]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryRecipient(s)Result
2009 Streamy Awards [6] Best Female Actor in a Comedy Web SeriesLisa KudrowNominated
Webby Award [7] Special Achievement: Outstanding Comedic PerformanceWon
Best WritingSeriesNominated
2010Streamy Awards [8] Best Female Actor in a Comedy Web Series!Lisa Kudrow
Best Guest Star in a Web SeriesCourteney Cox
Webby Award [7] Best Individual PerformanceLisa Kudrow
Best WritingSeries
Comedy: Long Form or SeriesWon
2011Best Individual Performance!!!Lisa Kudrow
Comedy: Long Form or SeriesSeries
Banff World Media Festival [9] Award of Excellence in Digital MediaLisa Kudrow
2012 Emmy Award [10] Outstanding Special Class-Short-format Live-Action Entertainment ProgramsWeb TherapyNominated

Guest stars

The series has featured appearances by a number of prominent comedians and actors including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bob Balaban, Rashida Jones, Selma Blair, Tim Bagley, Dan Bucatinsky, Jane Lynch, Molly Shannon, Lily Tomlin, Rosie O'Donnell, Conan O'Brien, Craig Ferguson, Alan Cumming, Natasha Bedingfield, Minnie Driver, Courteney Cox and Darren Criss. Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep guest starred in three special episodes that were made after the third series had been completed. [11] It was announced on the show's Facebook page that guest stars for the second series will include Selma Blair, David Schwimmer and Victor Garber.

Lisa Kudrow's connection to guest stars

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Kudrow</span> American actress

Lisa Valerie Kudrow is an American actress, producer, and screenwriter. She rose to international fame for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the American television sitcom Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004. The series earned her Primetime Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, Satellite, American Comedy and TV Guide awards. Phoebe has since been named one of the greatest television characters of all time. Phoebe is considered to be Kudrow's breakout role, spawning her successful film career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courteney Cox</span> American actress and filmmaker (born 1964)

Courteney Bass Cox is an American actress and filmmaker. She gained international recognition for her starring role as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends (1994–2004), for which she received seven Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, of which she won one. Cox received further recognition for starring as Gale Weathers in the horror film franchise Scream (1996–present). She also starred as Lauren Miller in the NBC sitcom Family Ties (1987–1989), Lucy Spiller on the FX drama series Dirt (2007–2008), and as Jules Cobb on the ABC/TBS sitcom Cougar Town (2009–2015), the lattermost of which earned her nominations at the Golden Globe Awards and the Critics' Choice Awards.

"Smelly Cat" is a comedy song from the American sitcom Friends (1994–2004), performed by American actress Lisa Kudrow. The song was written by Friends writers Adam Chase and Betsy Borns, with musician Chrissie Hynde and Kudrow for the latter's character Phoebe Buffay, and first appears in the sixth episode of the show's second season, "The One with the Baby on the Bus". Hynde guest stars in the episode as a singer hired to replace Phoebe as Central Perk's in-house musician, to whom Phoebe eventually teaches "Smelly Cat". Borns intended to write the song about a dog, basing it on her own pet dog Gouda, but ultimately decided that a song about a pungent cat would be funnier.

<i>The Comeback</i> (TV series) American comedy television series

The Comeback is an American comedy-drama television series produced by HBO that stars Lisa Kudrow as sitcom actress Valerie Cherish in modern-day Los Angeles. It was created by Kudrow and Michael Patrick King, a former executive producer of Sex and the City. Kudrow and King are also screenwriters and executive producers of the series, with King also serving as the director of some episodes. The series originally aired for a single season of 13 episodes from June 5 to September 4, 2005, before being cancelled. Nine years later, The Comeback was revived for a second season of 8 episodes that aired from November 9 to December 28, 2014.

"The One with the Embryos" is the twelfth episode of Friends' fourth season. It first aired on the NBC network in the United States on January 15, 1998. In the episode, Phoebe agrees to be the surrogate mother for her brother Frank Jr. and his older wife Alice Knight. Meanwhile, a display by Chandler and Joey of how well they know Monica and Rachel by guessing the items in their shopping bag leads to a large-scale bet on a quiz, for which Ross acts as the gamemaster.

"The One with Ross's Wedding" is the two-part fourth-season finale of the American television sitcom Friends, comprising the 96th and 97th episodes of the series overall. Originally broadcast by NBC on May 7, 1998, the episode features Ross, Monica, Joey, Chandler and later Rachel travelling to England to attend the wedding of Ross Geller to his fiancée Emily in London. Ross and Emily's wedding vows are ruined when Ross accidentally says "I, Ross, take thee Rachel"; as the registrar asks Emily if he should continue, the episode ends on a cliffhanger until the season 5 premiere "The One After Ross Says Rachel". The episode also introduces Chandler and Monica's romantic relationship after they impulsively have a one-night stand. Lisa Kudrow won an Emmy Award for her work in the episode.

"The Last One", also known as "The One Where They Say Goodbye", is the series finale of the television sitcom Friends. The episode serves as the seventeenth and eighteenth episode of season ten; the episode's two parts were classified as two separate episodes. It was written by series creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman, and directed by executive producer Kevin S. Bright. The series finale first aired on NBC in the United States on May 6, 2004, when it was watched by 52.5 million viewers, making it the most watched entertainment telecast in six years and the fifth most watched overall television series finale in U.S. history as well as the most watched episode from any television series throughout the decade 2000s on U.S. television. In Canada, the finale aired simultaneously on May 6, 2004, on Global, and was viewed by 5.16 million viewers, becoming the highest viewed episode of the series.

"The One with Rachel's Date" is the fifth episode of Friends' eighth season. It first aired on NBC in the United States on October 25, 2001. During the episode, Phoebe begins dating Tim, a sous-chef from Monica's restaurant. When Phoebe decides to end the relationship, it coincides with Monica wanting to fire him, with both fighting over who is going to dump Tim first. In the subplot, Joey introduces Rachel to his Days of Our Lives co-star, Kash Ford, and they go out on a date, which bothers Ross. Meanwhile, Chandler blocks the promotion of a coworker, Bob, who has mistakenly been calling him Toby for the last five years.

Jennifer Elise Cox is an American actress known for her satirical portrayal of Jan Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Bucatinsky</span> American actor, writer and producer

Daniel Bucatinsky is an American actor, writer and producer, best known for his role as James Novak in the Shonda Rhimes drama series Scandal, for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2013. In 2014, Bucatinsky starred on NBC's Marry Me, as well as the revived HBO series The Comeback, which he also executive produced.

<i>Web Therapy</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Web Therapy is an American comedy series that premiered on Showtime on July 19, 2011. It is based on the web series of the same name and stars Lisa Kudrow as Fiona Wallice, a therapist who works with patients over the Internet.

The first season of the American Improvisational comedy television series Web Therapy premiered on July 19, 2011, and concluded on September 20, 2011 on Showtime. The series stars Lisa Kudrow as Fiona Wallice, a therapist who has conceived of a new form of therapy: the titular "web therapy". This season contains the webisodes from seasons one and two of the web series.

The second season of the American Improvisational comedy television series Web Therapy premiered on July 2, 2012, and concluded on September 9, 2012, on Showtime. The series stars Lisa Kudrow as Fiona Wallice, a therapist who has conceived of a new form of therapy: the titular "web therapy". This season contains the webisodes from seasons three and four of the web series.

The third season of the American Improvisational comedy television series Web Therapy premiered on July 23, 2013, and concluded on September 24, 2014, on Showtime. The series stars Lisa Kudrow as Fiona Wallice, a therapist who has conceived of a new form of therapy: the titular "web therapy". This season contains the webisodes from season five of the web series.

The fourth and final season of the American improvisational comedy television series Web Therapy premiered on October 22, 2014, and concluded on January 28, 2015, on Showtime. The series stars Lisa Kudrow as Fiona Wallice, a therapist who has conceived of a new form of therapy: the titular "web therapy". This season contains the webisodes from seasons five and six of the web series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilson Cleveland</span> American actor, producer and writer

Wilson Cleveland is an American actor, producer and writer. He is known as the creator, producer and co-star of Leap Year and The Temp Life.

<i>Friends: The Reunion</i> 2021 reunion special of Friends

Friends: The Reunion is a 2021 reunion special of the American television sitcom Friends. The special is hosted by James Corden and executive produced by the show's co-creators, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, Kevin S. Bright, the show's main cast, and Ben Winston. The special sees the main cast revisit the sets of the original show, meet with guests who appeared on the show as well as celebrity guests, do table reads and re-enactments of Friends episodes, and share behind-the-scenes footage.

<i>Extrapolations</i> (TV series) Upcoming American TV series created by Scott Z. Burns

Extrapolations is an American anthology drama series created by Scott Z. Burns for Apple TV+. The series premiered on March 17, 2023.

References

  1. lisa kudrow Archives | Skype Blogs
  2. "Lisa Kudrow's 'Web Therapy' Gets Second Season on Showtime". The Hollywood Reporter. December 5, 2011.
  3. "'Web Therapy' Renewed by Showtime for 10 Episode Season 3". TVbytheNumbers.com. November 16, 2012. Archived from the original on November 19, 2012.
  4. "Web Therapy Renewed, Revenge Actress Promoted, New Today Host? and More". TV Line. January 14, 2014.
  5. N'Duka, Amanda (31 March 2016). "Lisa Kudrow's 'Web Therapy' Cancelled By Showtime After 4 Seasons". Deadline Hollywood.
  6. "Streamy Award Nominations 2009". Streamys.com . 2009. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
  7. 1 2 "Webby Nominations 2009". WebbyAwards.com . 2009. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
  8. "Streamy Award Nominations 2010". 2010. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
  9. "The Interactive Rockies Special Achievement Awards". banffmediafestival.com. 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  10. "Outstanding Special Class-Short-format Live-Action Entertainment Programs" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  11. Andreeva, Nellie (November 4, 2010). "Web teaser: Meryl Streep in 'Web Therapy'". Deadline.com.