Roommates (TV series)
Roommates is an American television sitcom developed by ABC Family and Acme Productions that premiered on March 23, 2009.[1] On April 29, 2009, it was announced that Roommates would not return for a second season.[2]
| Roommates | |
|---|---|
 The cast of Roommates. | |
| Created by | Robin French Matt Green Kieron Quirke |
| Developed by | Robin French Kieron Quirke |
| Written by | Robin French Kieron Quirke Ryan Christopher Mouritsen |
| Starring | Dorian Brown Tyler Francavilla Tamera Mowry Tommy Dewey David Weidoff |
| Opening theme | "Mess" by his Orchestra |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera setup |
| Running time | 21 minutes approx. |
| Production company(s) | Acme Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC Family |
| Original release | March 23 – May 4, 2009 |
Overview
The show focuses on a group of twentysomethings who move in together after college. The show is ABC Family’s first scripted half-hour comedy.[3]
The series follows five very different characters and their struggles through life. The main focus of the show revolves around Mark, a struggling actor, who thinks his dream has come true when he runs into high school crush Katie and finds she is looking for a new roommate. Mark takes the chance, moves in, and starts to find a way to win her heart. Katie, who is completely oblivious to Mark's motives, has a hard time getting over her previous boyfriend, Ben, and looks to Mark for support.
The other two roommates, Hope and James, both have their own problems. Hope is longing for an upscale job after losing her job at the television studio, and James brings in a slapstick sensibility as he takes a delight in watching Mark's attempts to "woo" Katie. The series also includes Thom, Mark's ex-roommate, who feels he is destined to help Mark in his quest to be a unit with Katie.[4]
Cast and characters
Main
- Tyler Francavilla as Mark Fletcher
- Dorian Brown as Katie Bowman
- Tamera Mowry as Hope Daniels
- Tommy Dewey as James
- David Weidoff as Thom
Recurring and special appearances
- Tim Reid as Mr. Stanley Daniels
- Yara Brighton as Alex the Barista
- Tony Yalda as Winston
- Marilu Henner as James' mother
- Felicia Day as Alyssa
Episodes
Each episode began with the title "The" similar to Seinfeld. Only thirteen episodes of the series were aired before it was cancelled.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Roommate" | Andrew D. Weyman | Robin French, Matt Green & Kieron Quirke | March 23, 2009 | |
| Mark gets the chance he has been waiting for when he moves in with his high school crush Katie. | |||||
| 2 | "The Tarot" | Andrew D. Weyman | Robin French & Kieron Quirke | March 30, 2009 | |
| Katie goes to see someone who reads tarot cards, and finds out that she has already met the man of her dreams. | |||||
| 3 | "The Lie" | Andrew D. Weyman | Chris Case | April 6, 2009 | |
| Hope persuades Mark and Tom into hiding her secret from Katie about her job. | |||||
| 4 | "The Break In" | Ellen Gittelsohn | Eric Siegel & Eric D. Wasserman | April 13, 2009 | |
|
When Hope's father comes in a surprise visit, he realizes that his daughter's life is a mess, and wants her to move back home. Hope, trying to prove that her life is not that bad, and asks Mark to pretend to be her boyfriend. Can Mark help Hope with another one of her lies or will she be on her way home with her father? Special Guest star: Tim Reid as Mr. Stanley Daniels. NOTE: This is the second time that Tim Reid and Tamera Mowry played father and daughter, the first time being on Sister, Sister. | |||||
| 5 | "The Set-Up" | Jack Kenny | Robin French & Kieron Quirke | April 20, 2009 | |
| Mark goes on a date with Katie's friend from their law firm. | |||||
| 6 | "The Mark-A-Like" | Jack Kenny | Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter | April 27, 2009 | |
| Katie dates a guy that looks like Mark and is more confident and more successful. | |||||
| 7 | "The Uninvited Thom" | Jack Kenny | Robin French & Kieron Quirke | April 27, 2009 | |
| Things go awry when Mark tries to get Hope a job with his new boss. | |||||
| 8 | "The Green People" | Jack Kenny | Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter | April 27, 2009 | |
| Katie needs Mark's help after she steals Hope's business idea and is praised as a genius. | |||||
| 9 | "The Game Night" | Jack Kenny | Chris Case & Samantha Montgomery McIntyre | April 27, 2009 | |
| Mark finally gets what he wants during game night at the apartment. | |||||
| 10 | "The Tickets" | Leslie Kolins Small | Story by : Chris Case Teleplay by : Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter | May 4, 2009 | |
| Mark buys Katie theater tickets in hope of wooing her away from David. | |||||
| 11 | "The Mother of James" | Jack Kenny | Victor Levin | May 4, 2009 | |
| James mother comes and visits because she has her first date since the divorce. Special guest star: Marilu Henner | |||||
| 12 | "The Trash 'N Treasures" | Jack Kenny | Story by : Chris Case Teleplay by : Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter | May 4, 2009 | |
| Ben Katie's ex invites her to the trash and treasure party so the whole gang decides to go and something happens between Hope and James | |||||
| 13 | "The Old and the New" | Jack Kenny | Story by : Chris Case Teleplay by : Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter | May 4, 2009 | |
| Things start to heat up between Katie and Mark, but then there is David and Jackie and things get really complicated. Lots more goes on between James and Hope, and they try to conceal it from Mark and Katie. Mark gets the chance he's been waiting for since High School, and turns out to be really nervous about it. | |||||
Response
Ratings
| Episode # | Viewers | Demo (18-49) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,504,000 | 0.4/1 |
| 2 | 444,000 | 0.2/0 |
| 3 | N/A | N/A |
| 4 | 453,000 | 0.2/0 |
| 5 | 520,000 | 0.2/1 |
| 6 | Avg. 315,000 | N/A |
| 7 | ||
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 | N/A | N/A |
| 11 | ||
| 12 | ||
| 13 |
- Episode 1 followed the season finale of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, which had 4.49 million viewers.
- Episode 2 followed the season premiere of Greek, which had 991,000 viewers.
Series cancellation
ABC Family canceled Roommates after only six episodes. Roommates was an attempt by ABC Family to push towards an older audience by stepping out of the teen demographic. Star Tamera Mowry told TV.com that "the tone was more along the lines of ABC Family's hit Greek, which targets older teens and younger adults."[5]
References
- "Screenwatch" (Press release). Television Business International. 2009-02-11. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
- Nellie Andreeva (April 29, 2009). "ABC Family canceling 'Roommates'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 3, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
- Schneider, Michael (February 22, 2009). "'Roommates' fills cast vacancy". Variety. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
- "tyler francavilla (mark of roommates)". ABC Family. Archived from the original on March 27, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
- Tim Surette (April 30, 2009). "Roommates evicted by ABC Family". TV.com. Retrieved 2009-05-26.