USA’s 'The Starter Wife'
August 9, 2006 3:03 PM
When you consider that 50 percent all all marriages end in death and the other half wind up in divorce, I predict there will be a huge audience for USA’s “The Starter Wife.”
The six-hour minseries series, starring Debra Messing from “Will & Grace,” is based on Gigi Levangie Grazer’s best seller, “The Starter Wife,” a novel about a messy Hollywood divorce, which I’m sure many in La-La Land can relate to.
So this blog is for my friend, a serial wife, now in her third marriage who isn’t happy about her daughter’s recent marriage. “Oy, he’s just a starter husband,” she said philosophically.
The series begins production during the fourth quarter, and I’m sure USA will be promoting it big time.
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Comments (10)
Sounds like a winner!
It's nice to see that the true creativity in programming is on the cable nets. Keep up the good work.
Posted by Seth Morrison | August 10, 2006 2:34 PM
Hi Seth,
Lot's of hot original stuff on cable this summer, while the broadcasters, with few exceptions, run repeats.
Marianne
Posted by Marianne Paskowski | August 10, 2006 3:25 PM
hmmm. I think I had a starter wife once. The story should cross a lot of American lives easily.
Posted by Cliff Donath | August 10, 2006 4:23 PM
Hmmm back. Your secret is safe with me -- I actually know how many wives you've had. Are you gonna watch? Production starts in Oct. and is not in a slotted time period yet, but I'll let you know when USA knows and I do.
Posted by Marianne Paskowski | August 10, 2006 4:46 PM
Hi Marianne...sure the miniseries (I am sure will be great???)...but will the average woman really relate to a woman who has everything or rather had everything as the wife of super producer Brian Grazer. Sure...her's is the typical rags to riches story but for us "normal folk" it will be just another look at the another Hollywood marriage gone bad. House in Malibu, all the right friends, a good plastic surgeon, etc. Hey...maybe it's just me today...you have a good insight into these things...but I'm getting tired of these "boo woo...whoa is me" stories.
Posted by Patty Greco | August 10, 2006 5:03 PM
Patty,
Not sure who is average, but I hear you. The blog to whom this column was dedicated to raised her daughter mostly alone in New York, an expensive place to live. She didn't have a lot of money. She first turned me on to the phrase "starter husband."
But I think there's a lesson here about the fragility of relationships, and I think we can all learn from other people's mistakes, which I believe this show is going to be about. Cheaper than group therapy, which, thank God, I've never needed so far at this stage in my life.
Marianne
Posted by Marianne Paskowski | August 10, 2006 6:04 PM
I auditioned for a part as the nanny for Gracie not sure if I will get it yet but yeh looks like it will be shot in Australia.
Posted by Bianca | October 26, 2006 7:26 AM
Hi Bianca,
Keep us posted on your progress. A lot of my friends can't wait to see the show.
Marianne
Posted by Marianne Paskowski | October 29, 2006 12:07 AM
I read the book and saw the site for the mini series. I am a little angry that they changed Gracie's name to Molly. Does anyone know why?
Posted by madee | February 12, 2007 10:13 PM
Probalby legal reasons.
Posted by Marianne Paskowski | April 4, 2007 11:33 PM