Samantha Who?
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.
Samantha Who?
- Cecelia Ahern
- Donald Todd
Jan Stevens
United States
English
2
35 (list of episodes)
- Christina Applegate
- Donald Todd
- Peter Traugott
- Bob Kushell
- Alex Reid
- Marco Pennette
- John Amodeo
- Cecelia Ahern
- Christina Applegate
- Jim Reynolds
- Leslie Waldman
- Andy Bobrow
- Matthew Carlson
- Jerram A. Swartz
- Neil Rapp
22 minutes
- Donald Todd Productions
- Brillstein Entertainment Partners
- ABC Studios
October 15, 2007 –
July 23, 2009
The series was produced by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and ABC Studios and executive produced by Christina Applegate, Donald Todd, Peter Traugott, Bob Kushell, Alex Reid, and Marco Pennette.
Plot[edit]
The show centered on Samantha Newly (Christina Applegate), a vice president of a real estate firm who develops retrograde amnesia after a hit and run accident. After awakening, she progressively realizes to her dismay that she had been selfish and unlikable before her accident, and therefore sets out to make amends and become a better daughter to her somewhat dysfunctional parents, Howard (Kevin Dunn) and Regina (Jean Smart), a better friend to self-centered Andrea (Jennifer Esposito) and needy but well-meaning Dena (Melissa McCarthy), and a better on-again, off-again girlfriend to her roommate and ex-boyfriend, Todd (Barry Watson). Wryly observing her transformation from "Old Sam" to "New Sam" is Samantha's bemused doorman, Frank (Tim Russ).[1]
Production history[edit]
Produced by ABC Studios, Donald Todd Productions, and Brillstein-Grey Television, the series was officially greenlit and given a thirteen-episode order on May 11, 2007.[2]
The show was originally named Sam I Am until ABC renamed it Samantha Be Good due to conflicts with the estate of Dr. Seuss.[3][4] TV Guide later reported that ABC had changed the title of the series once more to Samantha Who?.[5] Early television promotions for the series, playing off of the concept of its lead character's amnesia, appeared without stating any specific title. The lack of stated title (with a question mark shown instead) was attributed in promotions to Applegate's character not remembering the name of the series.
The series premiered on October 15, 2007, at 9:30PM Eastern/8:30PM Central[6] and moved to 9:00PM Eastern/8:00PM Central on Mondays on November 26, 2007.
On October 25, 2007, ABC ordered six additional scripts for Samantha Who?.[7]
On October 30, 2007, ABC ordered a full season of 22 episodes for Samantha Who?.[8] However, due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, only 15 episodes were produced for season one.
On February 11, 2008, ABC picked up Samantha Who? for the 2008–09 television season.[9]
On October 31, 2008, ABC ordered seven more episodes of Samantha Who? bringing the total number of episodes for the show's second season to 20. The announcement came in advance of mandated budget cuts at ABC Studios, which produces the series.[10]
The series, which was filmed in the single-camera format, went on hiatus during the 2008–2009 television season and returned in a new timeslot on Thursday, March 26, 2009, following In the Motherhood before being pulled.
On May 18, 2009, ABC announced that they would not be renewing Samantha Who? for a third season.[11] ABC burned off the final episodes on Thursday nights at 8:00PM Eastern/7:00PM Central from June 25, 2009, until the finale on July 23, 2009[12] (with additional episodes airing Thursday, July 2 and Thursday, July 9 at 8:30PM Eastern/7:30PM Central[13][14]).
Pop began rebroadcasting the series in September 2011.