Samantha Who? 2.14 “The Rock Star”
Air Date: June 25, 2009
Recap [Spoilers & Photos]

(Copyright © 2008 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc./ Eric McCandles)

When Sam (Christina Applegate) starts dating rock superstar Tommy Wylder (Duran Duran’s John Taylor) - an idol from a youth that she has no recollection of - she becomes so embarrassed by Andrea (Jennifer Esposito) and Dena’s (Gilmore Girls star Melissa McCarthy) fan-like reactions that she unintentionally begins to alienate them. Meanwhile, with Sam dating Tommy, Regina (Jean Smart) fondly recalls memories of Howard’s (Kevin Dunn) early days as a musician.

Note: they didn’t edit this episode, which was originally supposed to air several episodes earlier in the season. Therefore, there are a few things out of sequence (like Andrea’s relationship with Tony Dane).

Samantha Who? Highlights:

• Samantha meets a pop icon, Tommy Wylder, but doesn’t know who he is (no memories). She even manages to insult him a few times!
• Andrea hasn’t yet met Tony Dane, but she’s gushing all over him
• Dena is planning a birthday for Mr. Cellophane, her dog.
• Upon hearing of Sam meeting Tommy, Dena and Andrea go crazy. Dena moreso (of course).
• Dena brings over memorabilia of her obsession with him (apparently Sam was obsessed too as a kid!).
• Sam shares with Tommy, on their first date, that she and Dena used to laugh that his album, “King of Hearts”, sounds like “King of Farts.” He likes that she’s not shy to be herself with him.
• Just as Sam is being complimented for not bringing the “hero worship” stuff into his life, Dena & Andrea arrive!
• Sam takes Dena & Andrea to the bathroom to tell them not to be crazy fans. Dena doesn’t do so well with that
• Apparently Sam has sent her dad a guitar, to bring back his own dreams of being a rocker. Howard woos Regina with his playing.
• Sam tries to talk to Dena & Andrea about them being too fan-crazy, and how it’s too early for that with her and Tommy.
• Dena & Andrea both get offended. They want to go to Tommy’s concert!
• Being at Tommy’s concert gives Sam a flashback to being 13 and screaming “Tommy, I love you!” to him at another concert!

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Samantha Who? (starring Gilmore Girls’ Melissa McCarthy) was recently cancelled by ABC, the network choosing not to renew the series for its third season due to lack of open timeslots and promotional dollars. There’s a campaign to save the series, but so far the decision stands.

Meanwhile, many of us Samantha Who? fans have wanted to know about the unaired Season 2 episodes. It looks like ABC has plans to air some of them now!!

(Copyright © 2008 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc./ Eric McCandles)

On June 25, ABC will air the episode “The Rock Star“, which was one completed much earlier in the season but which never aired.

The schedule for new episodes is:

• “The Rock Star” - June 25, 2009
• “Toddy’s Job” - July 2, 2009
• “The First Date” - July 9, 2009

There were 4 other episodes that were filmed for Season 2, but it’s not clear if those were completed or if they will air.

Update: Ausiello indicates there *may* be hope for Samantha Who? on a cable network (vs on ABC). Cross your fingers!

Melissa McCarthy (Sookie on Gilmore Girls) is currently starring in the Groundlings production Enchanted Forest, which will be playing at the Groundling Theater in LA through to July 18. This comedy show is directed by Roy Jenkins and features a collection of skits by Groundlings members.

Melissa McCarthy, who has been with Groundlings for more than 10 years, delivers in the skit “Soft Butt Firm”. LA Weekly describes the skit with:

“Soft Butt Firm” finds Melissa McCarthy on-target as a sugar-tongued huckster of her recently acquired product — a superabsorbent toilet paper.

You can buy tickets to see Melissa in this comedy show here. Read more

Samantha Who? (starring Gilmore Girls’ Melissa McCarthy) was recently cancelled by ABC, the network choosing not to renew the series for its third season due to lack of open timeslots and promotional dollars.

(Copyright © 2008 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. / Bob D’Amico)

Meanwhile, series star Christina Applegate has been using her Twitter account to try to save the show and get lots of signatures onto her petition. So, go sign! Let’s see if we can save this show!!

And still no word if the remaining Season 2 episodes will air or if we need to wait for the Season 2 DVD.

Despite indications last week that Samantha Who? (starring Gilmore Girls’ Melissa McCarthy) would return for a third season, it now looks like the series has been cancelled.

(Copyright © 2008 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. / Bob D’Amico)

ABC was planning to renew the series, which was yanked prior to all of Season airing, with a reduced budget of $500,000 per episode (achieved by filming with multiple cameras to speed up production).

However, because the network has 10 new series planned for the Fall, 4 of which are comedies, that left Samantha Who? with no ideal timeslot. The network typically heavily promotes it’s biggest and/or newest shows, leaving Samantha Who? with no promotion as well. The lack of good time slot (what dropped the ratings in the series to begin with) and promotion would likely not help the series any. The network and studio therefore decided to cancel the series.

It seems there’s a growing trend at these big tv networks to put their budgets behind creating lots of new shows and heavily promoting them. It’s rare now to see a series get picked up for a second season, let alone a third. As many of the “heavy hitter” series’ can’t last forever, this pattern may someday soon spell for trouble.

There is no indication if the remainder of Season 2 will be aired. So sad. I quite enjoyed this series.

Last month, ABC put Samantha Who? (which stars Melissa McCarthy) on hiatus for the remainder of its Season 2 episodes, with a possibility that the show may not return for a Season 3. However, now it looks like the network is trying to rethink the series in order to save it.

(Copyright © 2008 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. / Bob D’Amico)

ABC may be turning the show into a more traditional multi-camera comedy, allowing ABC to shave as much as $500,000 off the production budget for the series. Samantha Who? did well for the network when it was on Monday nights, but saw a huge decrease in audience when it moved to Thursday during the midseason.

There are still 7 episodes of Samantha Who? for Season 2, but the network may decide to make those a part of Season 3. So far it’s unclear.

ABC decided to yank the episode of Samantha Who? for tonight at the last minute. There’s no word as to why. This leaves Samantha Who? in hiatus, at risk for being cancelled.

(Copyright © 2008 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. / Bob D’Amico)

Samantha Who? has only aired 13 of its planned 20 episodes for the season. ABC gave a number of early pick-up notices to several of its series today, but Samantha Who? is still a question mark. Insiders believe the show will get another season, but it’s not clear when or if the remaining Season 2 episodes will air.

During season 1, Samantha Who?started off with nearly 15 million viewers per episode and a high share in all television viewers during its timeslot. It was the highest rated sitcom debuting during the 2007-2008 season. By the end of the season, those figures had dropped somewhat.

Overall viewers have been rapidly declining this season, dropping from 11.45 million viewers at the open of the season to 4.9 million viewers in the April 2nd episode. There was a considerable drop-off in the December episode, with a much more noticeable drop-off when the series was moved from Monday to Thursday. This is also due to a mis-match in lead-in shows. Samantha Who? used to follow Dancing With The Stars, and now follows In the Motherhood, a series that’s struggling.

Samantha Who? 2.13 “The Debt”
Air Date: April 16, 2009
Recap [Spoilers]

While with her parents are in Vegas attending a real estate seminar, Samantha (Christina Applegate) loses a huge sum of money at the craps table and finds herself in debt to the casino. But a chance meeting with her ex-boss, billionaire Winston Funk (Billy Zane), could be the answer to her financial trouble. Meanwhile, when Dena (Melissa McCarthy) asks Andrea (Jennifer Esposito) for a big favor, she agrees - but only if Dena consents to fake a situation that could help boost Andrea’s sagging public approval ratings as she plans her wedding to pro-basketball player Tony Dane (McKinley Freeman).

• Samantha is promoting an open house when Winston Funk drives by and asks her if things are well since she quit
• Sam decides she wants to tell her mom that she wants to quit doing real estate. She feels like she left her job to do great things but has hit a dead end.
• Dena visits Andrea at work to ask a favor, though Andrea is surprised to learn Dena is a teacher. Dena wants Andrea to get a basketball signed by Tony Dane for a school auction, hoping it would land her a job at the school full-time
• Andrea is upset because public polls show that she’s heartless and people would rather see Tony Dane gay than marry her. Andrea hatches a plan to make people like her and it involves a chocking Dena.
• Regina (Jean Smart) convinces Sam to go to Las Vegas with her, but it turns out to be a trick to go to a real estate convention
• Sam refuses to go to the seminar, instead she’s drawn to the casino. They apparently know her there and have a $50,000 credit in her name there. Sam slips into gambling but…
• Sam loses $100,000! She lost her first $50k and they lent her another $50k, which she also lost
• Regina is happy - Sam has to keep working with her to pay off her debt
• Andrea gives Dena a croissant to choke on, but a boy scout tries to help Dena and Andrea pushes him down, hurting him.

(Photo Copyright © 2008 ABC Studios / Bob D’Amico) MORE RECAP… Read more

Samantha Who? 2.13 “The Debt”
Air Date: April 16, 2009
Spoilers

While with her parents in Vegas attending a real estate seminar, Samantha (Christina Applegate) loses a huge sum of money at the craps table and finds herself in debt to the casino. But a chance meeting with her ex-boss, billionaire Winston Funk (Billy Zane), could be the answer to her financial trouble. Meanwhile, when Dena (Melissa McCarthy) asks Andrea (Jennifer Esposito) for a big favor, she agrees - but only if Dena consents to fake a situation that could help boost Andrea’s sagging public approval ratings as she plans her wedding to pro-basketball player Tony Dane (McKinley Freeman).

There isn’t a spoiler video for this episode, so instead I’m going to share my favorite Melissa McCarthy scene from the last episode, ‘The Amazing Racist’:

(Photo Copyright © 2008 ABC Studios / Bob D’Amico)

For more Samantha Who? information, visit the Samantha Who? Season 2 summary page.

Melissa McCarthy (Sookie on Gilmore Girls, Dena on Samantha Who?) recently did a fitness special with The Insider. She talked about her training with Piloxing, which is a Pilates and boxing workout that’s geared towards women and is taught at the V Pilates studio.

Melissa shares that she’s never felt better about herself - she feels “strong in her body”. Melissa says it’s a crazy and delightful workout, one that goes from dance movements to boxing movements and so much more. Melissa is looking great (30lbs lost in the last year!), so I’m glad she’s enjoying her workouts!

Melissa also shares that there is a lot of pressure in Hollywood to be thin, though she has no desire to be the “too thin” ideal. She just wants to be healthy and this workout is Melissa’s way to be stronger for herself and her family. Melissa shares that she has a bad back (sounds horrible!), and the training has helped her to regain her strength to at least deal with her issues.