Production
has begun in Los Angeles on "Samantha Who?," a new comedy
starring Christina Applegate that asks the question, what if you had the
chance to start over, to do it all again? The series premieres MONDAY,
OCTOBER 15 (9:30-10:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
Samantha Newly (Ms. Applegate) has been offered a do-over in life after
a hit-and-run accident leaves her in an eight-day coma. When she awakens
in the hospital, she is surrounded by family and friends. The only problem
is that she has no idea who they are - or who she is. In medical terms,
Sam has retrograde amnesia, which allows her to fully function in the
world but leaves her with no personal memories. Most people would deem
this disorder a curse. But Sam may come to call it a miracle.
As she sets out to rediscover herself, Sam is forced to rely on the
only people who can help her -- an eclectic bunch of friends and family.
Although now strangers to Sam, it's not long before she begins to get an
idea of who she was before the accident: Regina (Jean Smart,
"24," "Designing Women") and Howard (Kevin Dunn,
"Transformers," "Dave") appear to be loving parents --
when they're not downplaying the fact that Sam hasn't spoken to them in
two years. Her supposed best friend, Dena (Melissa McCarthy, "Gilmore
Girls"), is sincerely supportive, until her real best friend, Andrea
(Jennifer Esposito, "Crash," "Spin City"), exposes
Dena as a fraud who hasn't seen or spoken to Sam since the seventh grade.
Andrea is a party girl who seems to have Sam's best interests at heart.
However in the midst of celebrating her return, Andrea neglects to mention
that Sam's an alcoholic, is having an affair with a married man, and has a
tendency for all-around morally questionable behavior. Sam's only
seemingly trustworthy acquaintance is boyfriend Todd (Barry Watson,
"What About Brian," "7th Heaven"). But will that trust
last when he discovers that she cheated on him?
Sam quickly discovers she was a horrible person. Vain, selfish and
potentially surrounded by far more enemies than friends. She makes a
conscious decision to improve herself moving forward. She vows to make
better choices, even though her instincts may not always steer her in the
right direction. She begins with Frank (Tim Russ, "Live Free or Die
Hard," "Star Trek: Voyager"), the doorman at Todd's
apartment building. Sam never gave him the time of day before, but upon
actually saying hello to him, she discovers an incredibly observant and
unlikely confidant.
Sam will need to continue to piece together things from her past to
guide her in discovering who she is... or was. After all, sometimes to get
to the end of the story, the only place to start is the beginning.
"Samantha Who?" stars Christina Applegate as Samantha,
Jennifer Esposito as Andrea, Kevin Dunn as Howard, Melissa McCarthy as
Dena, Tim Russ as Frank with Barry Watson as Todd and Jean Smart as
Regina.
"Samantha Who?" was created by Cecelia Ahern and Donald Todd.
Todd and Peter Traugott serve as executive producers. "Samantha
Who?," which is filmed in Los Angeles, is from ABC Studios.
Source:
ABC Press Release