Let's see if we can consolidate opinions on the new series so the writers/producers can see when they cruise these boards (and I'll betcha they do)....... negative feedback here (if you have positive ones post to the other thread... thanks!)

I won't say I hate it (such a strong word to be used - after all, it's only a TV show) but I am sorely disappointed. I enjoyed the miniseries very much. I watched each episode in a marathon one day and was eagerly looking forward to Season 1.

Once i watched the season premiere and realized it was devoid of most of what made the miniseries so good, I was kinda teed off and disappointed. Don't the producers and writers realize that is was the ensemble of characters that made it so good?? Debra Messing is good but it was all those wonderful characters played by great actors that made it an interesting and different show.

PLEASE revisit the changes made and save this show. The actor playing Kenny Kagen is NOT working and judging by the reactions of most viewers, they tend to agree. And where is Cricket, Molly's best friend? How could she disappear with no reference being made to her existence? Where is Lavender and her grandmother? I don't like the new Pappy. I was so intrigued by this handsome man when he briefly appeared in th eminiseries, I couldn't wait to see how his character would be developed. But now they have a new actor. Not so intrigued anymore......

This was a most disappointing premiere and if it stays like this, I don't think I will continue to watch....

Ok, reading the other thread, I have to say I would fire the casting director. The BIGGEST casting gaffe was the ex-husband. The ex was so interesting because he was grotesque. You wondered why she was with him in the first place. You could have found someone like a Jason Alexander type to play this role. This new guy would have been a great love interest.

While I love the actor you have playing Papi in the series, your viewers are right. He should have been a Hispanic actor. There is no spark.

I am hoping you can bring back Miranda Otto. I posted last year at the end of the miniseries wondering how she could be on 2 hit shows at once and then they cancelled Cashmere Mafia to my chagrin. I'm sorry Lipstick Jungle is just not quite as interesting or written quite as cleverly as CM. Recruit those writers!!

I'm not concerned that she dumped the beach bum because he was her rebound guy anyways. Joe Mantagna to me was just a walk on character that would just flit in and out of her life anyways also.

I think what this season is missing is the idea of the makeshift family. In the mini-series, the charactors were from diverse backgrounds and economic situations, yet they found each other and made a family that worked and helped each other. This season is just about the wealthy, snobby women and men of Hollywood.

I cannot say I hated it, but as a fan of the mini-series I am disappointed. I love Debra Messing, so I will continue to watch it because of her. I cannot say though that this will be must see tv for me.

Thanks for listening!!

The new story line is just lame. As someone else said, very "Housewives." It seems like it's just going to be back-stabbing and OC. Too different from the story line of the mini-series. Super disappointed. You are no longer rooting for Molly because the show is no longer about her journey. Total let down.

I'm not happy with the new series. How can you change the husband and where is Criket and the security guard - these characters made the show. I'm very dissappointed with this years show and don't know if I can watch. Shame on the USA Network for messing up what could have been another good season for this show.

I have to say "where did my favorite show go"? I agree with everyone that the new cast in no way has the chemistry of the first season. I hate that I had to look up on this website to find out what happened to Cricket. I only like molly and her two friends and the rest are just not right after last year. Also the stupid movie recreations like Blair Witch Project are just stupid and even my husband says that is ruining the show with the queen elizabeth bit. The show was perfect last season and I have to say that it looks like that is the consensus. What a shame, I was so looking for the show to replace Sex and the City.

Well, I actually like the new Kenny. The old Kenny was certainly good for a mini-series, but not for a regular series. We're seeing more of Kenny's new life after divorce, and we see he's actually got some heart to him. The Kenny on the miniseries was so irresponsible and self-centered that I was left wondering why Molly would ever leave her daughter with him. After watching the first couple episodes I can see that he's actually a good father. Not to mention, I can now see why Molly would have orignally been interested in him. The scene where they watch the video of Molly coming home from the hospital with their new baby was seriously adorable. During the mini-series I just did not understand their relationship, why would Molly have ever have been with such a sleazeball? The new Kenny is still very Hollywood-esque, but I like that he has feelings as well. Old Kenny didn't care about anyone but himself, he probably would have forgotten he'd had a daughter if Molly didn't remind him.

I miss Miranda Otto of course, but I understand why she didn't return. Cashmere Mafia was cancelled, but it was probably too late for Otto to return to the cast. Most actors don't return to a previous job simply because their current one has been cancelled. She signed on to do a mini-series, not a weekly series.

I like the new love interest, he's got a lot more substance than Sam. Plus, I know Stephan Moyer is on HBO's True Blood now, so he obviously wasn't going to return.

All in all I'm liking the show, it's growing on me. Certainly there had to be changes from the mini-series, so it's beyond me why so many people think that it should have been a continuation. Those story lines only had a few weeks of fuel in them, and actors who sign on to do a mini-series don't always have the schedule or want to do a regular series.

It is one thing to know her friend is gay and another to actually be accosted with the visually repulsive. The show is great without the obvious sex scenes. Straight or gay. I just want to be able to watch the show at anytime of the day (love TiVo) with my kids around and not have to worry about what they might get exposed to. The mini series was done quite tastefully. I probably won't be watching too much longer if it continues to be overtly sexual.

Also, the show should woo the original ex from the HOUSE series. He is a great character to the show: slimy, repulsive, and perfect to hate!

Bad writing to not explain Cricket's absence~

The security guard and her grandmother were good characters! I would like to see them back.

The changes made have ruined the show in my opinion. I love Debra Messing and was a huge Will and Grace fan. One thing she's always been great at is her Lucy style humor. Why did the writers make her more sensitive and vomit inducing this season. I'm a mother, but come on. I thought I was going to lose my dinner during the scene where Molly explains that she and Jaden will stick it out together, always. The sarcasm and quit wit has faded. I also agree that the new Kenny is aweful! The first guy worked because he was power hungry, cold and shorter than Molly. The dynamics fit for the humor of the show. Joan seems too sensitive and human. Who goes through rehab and then immediately starts working there? Where's the struggle for her sobriety? Very unbelievable, I think. Please add the crass and shameless vanity back into the scripts. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! The first season was great! If I want to watch another drama, I'll watch Brothers and sisters. This show needs to stay true to the Sex and the city meets Desperate Housewives angle. Please?

Where to begin.....

First USA Network has seen fit to beat it over our heads that the series is returning by running commercials during every break on every TV show on the network, really annoying and a huge turn off

Second, its an old worn out idea...wife left for a younger woman or something like that, has to make it on her own, has friends to get her through, so on and so on and all this in Beverly Hills, where she doesnt have enough money to afford her big house and bleh bleh. If you really wanted to make it worth watching, you should of had her go home to Podunk, USA and start from nothing instead of tossing her in with at least a start.

The cast, just plain annoying.

If there is interest in what a 55 y/o male who watches (maybe) 5-10 hours of TV per week thinks, here goes: I wouldn't watch this show (TSW) under any circumstances regardless of previous her show history or anything else. I don't know this lead actress or any of the others showcased in the incessant, unattractive ads forced on USA watchers. Even the hologrammatic ads in the lower left corner of the screen are annoying, to say the least. Whoever this actress is she should take issue with the suits who ordered and approved the ads. If she's actually pretty and shapely in real life, they've done little to emphasize her attributes. It isn't eye candy. She looks ghostly white, overweight, and add the widow's peak, red hair, and a beak of a nose...yucch. Again, I have no pre-conceived ideas about who, what, where, or when as far as the "star" is concerned, but the overkill of advertising absolutely guarantees that I would never watch it even if there was a hint of actor/actress recognition. Suffice it to say, shoot the message AND those who okayed it and the endurance it requires to enjoy NCIS because of the saturation of TSW ads. Bad USA, bad.

i liked the original it was quirky. the new series is whiney. the ex husband and the other guy they are nearly interchangeable with their blandness. both remind me of the boring surfer dude. this series needs a good protagonist.

I would like to start off saying that I like MOST of the programming on USA, however, you guys really blew it on this one. Did you get writers from Lifetime or Oxygen, or any of the other woman channels? Because that's where this show belongs. Not to mention you are bombarding us with ads for this lame show every time you go to commercial. I could go on & on but i can't print what I'd really like to say. Please cancel this thing or at least cut the commercials, I am so sick of seeing them. So until 1 of the 2 happens I will NOT be tuning in USA network. Even my wife is sick of it.

I watch USA early in the morning and from 4pm=8pm, and am so disgusted by the constant commercials for the boring and
predictable and forced series, The Starter Wife, that I do not want to watch my favorites, JAG, MONK, and NCIS. Don't USA programmers feel that the commericals for this series are being pushed down the viewers' throats and will cause rebellion. Give us a break, please....

It's not that I hate the new series. I'm just a little disappointed. What happened to Cricket???? The new Kenny is attractive and that makes it more believable that Molly was with him, but I guess love is blind. I also don't want to see gay sex. I don't really want to watch sex, gay or straight. Also, it makes sense that Lavender and Granny aren't there because Molly's no longer at the beach house. Weird that Jaden isn't the same actress. And, WHERE IS LOU???? I still enjoy warching the show, at least for now...

I completely concur regarding the lack of taste with the overt sex scenes. I really don't need my kids exposed to trash because I enjoy a show in most other aspects. I especially don't want to see overt gay sex...visually repulsive is a good descriptive but when it comes right down to it.......it was just plain too creepy! ....had to turn the tv off for awhile during the scenes.....I love Rodney but his love interest is a dark, scary and creepy character anyway....really takes away from the lightheartedness of the show......and Cricket's absence SHOULD be explained at the VERY least....leaves a huge hole in the show and in Molly's character.

Needs to have Crickett and Lou....keep hoping that Lou and Molly will get together again!....Lou's perfect for Molly... supportive, strong, sexy and a bit neurotic

I LIKE the show, but, its not as funny as the miniseries, that's for sure. The show has its funny moments, but, last season had laugh out loud moments, also preferred the story line of last season, more focused on the LA scene, shallowness, etc., this season too much in the mommy mode, etc. I DO like Zach/Molly alot, but really miss Cricket/Lou/.Lavendar. The new ex-Kenny is really wrong casting, old one was much better, more believable sleeze.

Concur with all the quotes thus far.

Not the chemistry of the mini series. It takes a whole cast to make a show, not one person. Where are the rest of the members and if they died last year in an earthquake, at least let us know about it.

Gotta agree. I don't need to see the actual sex act to know what the characters are doing. This is just for shock effect. What's next? Gonna show the penis while peeing? How about an upshot of Molly on the toilet? I just don't have an imagination and you have to give me some graphics. How will I know if she's going #1 or #2? Grunting doesn't get if for me. I need you to film it so I'm sure.
And , The heck with the kids, "I" don't want to see it.

Now, for the ads.
Can they get any bigger? That way I can watch 2 programs at the same time.
Absolutely ridiculous. Stop shoving this stuff down our throats. We are watching one of your programs because we want to see THAT program. We watch the commercials, no need to have commercials inside the show as well. Do away with one or the other! I know, you feel the need to do this to us because you can. Why don't you be "bigger" than the other networks and give your loyal viewers what they want instead of what everybody else is doing?

USANetwork, do you realize that most people in this room are brand new and probably created an account just to let you know how frustrated we are that the show is not nearly as good as the mini-series?

I know, I've heard it before .... I can just turn the channel.

You want a reason why many people don't like
the starter wife? It's the constant adds for the show.
Give us a break! I mean you put these commercials
on for it ALL DAY LONG. We get it. You would have
to be living under a rock to not know evrything
about this show by now. Enough already!

The show's writers have responded to some of your questions here:

http://www.usanetwork.com/series/starterwi...siesarafaq.html

Plain and simple, I have to say you missed my demographic. There are a lot of us out there ,you know, who do not fit this glamorous divorcee profile. This script was written, I dare, say by all the men who have left wives and moved on, with no guilt or remorse, to happy lives with their money and careers and younger wives.

A quick skimming of the statistics tells the grim reality , for women, of divorce. The reality is that women who are left do not fare well financially. Men go on to better standards of living while the women fall into poverty, The women can't get permanent work because the needs of their children require too much time off. Some women are too old to jump start their careers which they gave up to raise the children. They cannot get health insurance. Alimony is a thing of the past. Child support is minimal and in my state was just cut by a third across the board. Women get little to no child support and yet have to keep a roof over the family and pay for tutoring and clothes, and copays, and extra curricular activities. I know, I have 3 children and only get enough to pay the rent, a tiny fraction of our living expenses, while the father, a Dr. pulls in a tidy salary at a local hospital. I know, because I cannot get health insurance because of pre-existing conditions.

No, this fairy land story does not appeal to me at all. It makes me angry in fact. I have many friends my age, whose husbands, like mine, ran off with younger women. Many waited until the last child graduated from highschool so that they would not have to provide any money at all. They do not even, by law, have to contribute to college expenses. We all went from decent life styles to thrift stores.

The pain and anguish for the first few years for all of us was almost unbearable. And after that, there is just day to day fear, of getting sick and not being able to take care of your children, of running out of money, of telling the kids they cannot have what the other kids have or go to college. There is the selling off of everythng you held dear to make ends meet. There is living with the betrayal and knowing that you probably will never trust another man again. There is the reality that 3/4 of your lifespan is over. There is the struggle to work and hold the kids together emotionally that takes up every minute of your day and every ounce of energy that causes you to drop out of circulation.


This idealization of divorce does nothing for us in the trenches. The producers are out of touch with reality, perhaps just like the Republicans! This is exacctly why Obama is running stong. Life is not a bowl of cherries for most average people and he seems to be the only one who gets it.


I know Hollywood is about escaping the grimness of life and that through the ages people have loved watching the glamour on the silver screen despite their circumstances, but this time you have crossed the line for me at least. I never dwell on my circumstances, I have moved on, I am putting our lives back together ....except when I see an ad for this show and I just want to call someone at the network up and scream at them! SO now I have vented and I hope I can get back to putting it behind me. I will be sooooo happy when the advertising blitz ends. Rest assured the remote is in hand the minute the show comes on.

Debra is not Julia Roberts. . .as hard as she tries Debra just can't cut it as Julia. Too bad she doesn't create her own image. Starter Wife could be a cute, funny, entertaining show but for that.

I have to agree. I have quit watching the USA network because I am so sick of seeing the starter wife advertisement every five minutes.
Two or three times a day is enough. I really enjoy the other shows on the USA network, but as long as they are showing the starter wife ads 50 times a day I will watch the other channels. Let me know when I can start watching again

I just got up from the chair in a fit of anger and came straight to the computer to USA's website just to register here and say PLEASE STOP THE STARTER WIFE PROMOS EVERY BREAK. It make me also question if I want to stop watching USA Network until this show is gone.

First off I would just like to say that I joined USA network forums JUST to complain about this stupid show. I'm sorry to all you out there who like it but I don't. I didn't like the mini-series, I think the show is insipid, and frankly I am SICK of all these stupid commercials about it. If millions of people watch this show and enjoy it why the HELL are you having 50 commercials about it every day? Having tons and tons of commercials just makes me not want to watch this more, including the stupid ads that show up in the corner of the screen. Don't force me to switch to ION television to get my NCIS and movie fix!

All I ask is that you tone it down a bit, earn some money by having real commercials, etc.

Old or new, the series sucks, period.

I do not think the series works. Debra Messing cannot carry a show. She was clean fill on the WILL AND GRACE SHOW. She was a straight for Karen (a great character). It seems when a successful comedy ends, the characters that still want to work hook onto
a new show as "THE FREE STANDING STAR". I considered Debra Messing the #5 character of the show behind Karen's maid Rosario.
I wish they had a lemon law as they have in the auto industry of "lemons". I think the producers/directors of the show should view
the shows with the sound turned off. Watch the facial and hand gestures that look comical in a bad way! A great example of this is
Kramer from the Seinfield show. He was 10 times more funny but could not pull off a starring role on his own. There are characters
that need at least 3-4 strong characters to work off. Please put this dog out of its misery and quit trying to advertise it 5 times
per hour on USA NETWORK. Have the decency of checking the number of love/hate replys on this show ( 3 times as many hate the show)
and 12 times as many think this show is way over done compared to the low number that like the show. It is hard to watch the commercials for this farce of a show without gagging. Give your viewers a break and get rid of this extremely overacted joke!

If you wanna know why, go to my board "I'm sorry, but... no oh God" or something like that. I have a pretty good list there. But, here:

I hate the nauseatingly fake Hollywood lifestyle they live, which, to me, seems to empty with gaps that they try to fill with sleeping around and constant gossip. Molly has no future in writing, or shouldn't. I don't know a self-respecting REAL publishing company that would be interested in her. Personally, I'm a writer(unpublished, but hope for a future in it), and at least 22-23 years younger than her and could pwn her ooberly. But it doesn't matter if you're 89 or 6, anyone could beat her.
Not to mention--oh, God--the SPRAY-ON TANS? During which they gossip, of course. God, can't you freaking sleep around with telling everyone?
Then there's the whole 'booty call' thing. That is so purely unexamined and empty, as well as, I'm sure, very Hollywood, that it is kind of what set me over the edge to make a board out of it.

Less Starter Wife, more House.

And no promos for this show (or The Break Up) during House.

I would say that I hate it. There are constant reruns. I am so pissed that shows like Pushing Daisies on ABC might be pulled, but we get this crap. I liked Debra Messing in Will & Grace, but I genuinely find this show incredibly annoying. Add new talent and original ideas, not talentless s***. I doubt people are raving about the show. I bet Debra Messing had an interview with In Style where she promoted her new show, but I don't see how people can genuinely like it.

Absolutely true, I like most of the series on USA but even with my ability to fast forward through the relentless starter wife commercials I find it almost impossible to watch any of my favorite shows. AS for the point if millions love it then what's the point in showing commercials over and over and over seems rather redundant. I won't even watch the show because I feel like I have the entire gyst of the show from the constant barrage of commercials. If they don't ease up on the sheer volume of commercials I am going to have to cancel all my dvr recordings of any shows on USA. Too bad because I really do like the network.

I'm really amazed by how many homophobic people there still are (quotes below). I didn't hear anyone talk about the sex scenes between the hetero couples. They're the same, if not worse, than the ones between the gay couple. Open your minds people!! Why are you watching the show with you kids. It's regular airing time is at 10pm at night and it's on cable. My kids are not allowed to watch this show because it's made for adults. Use your own discretion when determining what your kids watch.

About the show. It definitely not as good as the book, which was wasn't the best either. But I still like it. The show is supposed to be a quircky comedic take on life after divorce. I do fault the casting directer and transition writers for some of the problems. Kenny was definitely casted incorrectly. The mini-series Kenny was much better in the role. This Kenny is too likeable and doesn't seem like the stupid mean type. Cricket should be there or at least include a good explanation of why she isn't. The security guard and her mother were only living with Molly temporarily, so I understand why they aren't main characters, but it would be nice for them to come around occasionally. Other than that, I like the show. You have to watch a couple episodes of the show to get into it, but it's a nice Friday night show. I love USAs shows.

I watched the miniseries and got so wrapped up in it that I couldnt believe that I had actually found another show actually worth watching. The mis-match of characters made the show. But since the season started and the characters changed I am not all that interested in watching it any more. Bring back the original characters and you might actually increase your ratings.

When's it going to stop......the constant bombardment of Starter Wife commercials? Almost every commercial break we are subjected to that extremely annoying series' commercials! I don't want to watch this TV series. Let me rephrase that. I don't need to watch this TV series! Having watched all the commercials, I think I've pretty much seen the whole 1st season! I'd sooner stare into a strobe light than watch her. The strobe light would be more entertaining! Not only are we subjected to the commercials during the break, but when the scheduled show starts, we have to put up with the commercials again in the lower corners of our screens. This detracts from the show being watched. Is this network committing suicide for this show? USA, let us watch your regular shows without so much obvious hype of a bad series doomed for cancellation. PLEEEASE!!!

Frankly I watch this show because there is nothing else on. I do have some comments however. I know this is a tv series and therefore some variation from real life is expected but if one more man falls in love with Molly I will just go to bed early. Come on now what 40ish woman has that many options. If this detective comes on to her also. I am going to puke. Last episode I was rooting for the looney woman who stoled her journal and was going to shoot Molly.

[/font][/size][/color]I don't like the new format at all. I finally got around to watching the mini-series and was excited to see that it went to a full time show. Except, it starts with episode 104. What happened to 101-103? I am really confused about what is going on. I agree with others about missing Lavendar and her Nana and the others. I don't think i will watch this agree. The chemistry just doesn't seem to be there. It seems as though it is filmed differently - seems darker - not as much light. I don't like the "new Kenny". Her daughter seems older as well. I enjoyed her other daughter so much better. This new one has so much hair unlike the first one. It threw me off about who it was. I really like Debra but I don't think I can watch this show anymore.[font="Comic Sans MS"][size="4"][color="#000080"]

Well, I WILL say that I HATE it very much. Because it is a how I am allowed to hate it, I dislike very much the person(s) responsible for putting this dribble on the air. I have been an avid watcher of USA for many years now and I am all but done. I am a hundred times more disappointed in this than anything else I have ever faced in my life. Television just returned to the stone ages as far as I am concerned. 'The Starter Wife'. . . the number one reason to visit a Library!!! I wish I did not have to say this but it is looking like USA may Suck, what do you think?

You can tell when a network has made enough money that they do not care about thier consumers.... they add show like this one. I used to love USA. Well, as with all things, they never last. Lets just hope someone will wise up. I mean, SOAPs belong on the networks around lunch time and any other sappy kinda crap should end up on lifetime or oxygen...right???

OK, now i am floored by this statement, you mean they really have a book about this? What in the world are the writers running out of ideas or something? How depressing.

OK Capn. It is Capn right? Or is it Bryan? If you are floored that a television show (or movie) is based on a book then YOU ARE TOO STUPID to be posting on message boards. STOP! You are depressing.

I know how you feel. I was shopping yesterday and I saw the book. Who would be crazy enough
to buy that? I mean just from watching the commercials alone everyone probably knows the whole
book by heart from begining to end.

This show sucks! I have tried to watch it but the premise of a cast off, formerly rich wife, whining because she's too good to be a dental hygenist just irritates me to no end! If the show doesn't suck enough then the endless commerials shoved at me continuously on USA are sufficient to make me hate to show anyway!! Apparently, the only way Debra Messing can be seim-successful is if the writers give her terrific supporting gay characters to make her mugging performance palitable.

1Rockstar

Ok - I am new to this show and I know the history. The book, miniseries and show are based on a true story. The author of the book was married to a Hollywood producer who cheated on her then dumped her for a younger version of herself. Maybe if you learned about the show you'd like it more.

I never saw the mini-series and now I think I'm glad I didn't - those of you who did seem really disappointed in the show. I started with the season premiere this season and love the show.

Beyond what I've seen from the grossly overplayed trailers for the show, I haven't seen a moment of a single episode. And I won't because I can't stand the trailers. I like a lot of the stuff USA puts together, but one look at one trailer was enough to see that this show is weakly written and overacted. Seriously, I dive for the mute button every time a trailer comes on, which is about twice per commercial break. My wife agrees with me, so I don't think it's a gender thing. I am really eager for USA to stop hyping this show so much. If the show gets canceled, so much the better.

[font="Arial Black"][/font] YOU STOLE MY BLOG I PUT THE SAME EXACT THING U @$$

I think the new show starter wife is stupid and I get real tired of seeing it scheduled over and over on a channel I enjoy watching.