Accidentally on Purpose (TV series)
{{short description|American television sitcom (2009–2010)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Accidentally on Purpose logo.png
| genre = Sitcom
| creator = Claudia Lonow
| based_on = {{Based on|Accidentally on Purpose|Mary F. Pols}}
| starring = {{Plain list|
}}
| open_theme = "Birds of a Feather"
performed by The Rosenbergs
| composer = John Swihart
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 18
| executive_producer = {{Plain list|
- Claudia Lonow
- Gail Berman
- Lloyd Braun
- Eugene Stein
}}
| camera = Film; Multi-camera
| runtime = 20-21 minutes
| company = {{Plain list|
}}
| network = CBS
| first_aired = {{start date|2009|9|21}}
| last_aired = {{end date|2010|4|21}}
}}
Accidentally on Purpose is an American television sitcom created by Claudia Lonow, that aired on CBS from September 21, 2009, to April 21, 2010, during the 2009–10 season.{{cite news |author=Matt Mitovich |title=Fall TV: CBS Announces Premiere Dates |url=https://www.tvguide.com/News/FallTV-CBS-premieres-1007227.aspx |work=TV Guide Online |date=June 24, 2009 |access-date=June 24, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090626225005/http://www.tvguide.com/News/FallTV-CBS-premieres-1007227.aspx| archive-date= June 26, 2009 | url-status=live}} The series stars Jenna Elfman, Jon Foster, Ashley Jensen, Nicolas Wright, Grant Show, and Lennon Parham and was produced by BermanBraun and CBS Television Studios. It was based on the book of the same name by Mary F. Pols.{{cite news| url=http://tvdecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/18/upfronts-cbs-to-add-six-shows/ | work=The New York Times | title=Upfronts: CBS to Add Six Shows | first=Bill | last=Carter | date=May 18, 2009}}
On May 18, 2010, CBS cancelled the series after one season.
Plot
Accidentally on Purpose follows Billie (Jenna Elfman), a San Francisco movie critic in her 30s. Billie meets Zack (Jon Foster), an aspiring chef in his 20s, at a local bar and they have a one-night stand. She soon finds out that she is pregnant, and decides to keep the baby. She must simultaneously deal with her boss and ex-boyfriend, James (Grant Show), who finds himself jealous of Zack. Before the story began, she had hoped that James would ask her to marry him, but he told her that he was not ready because he was married once before.
Thanks to this unexpected arrival, Billie and Zack have agreed to live together platonically, since the only place that Zack has called home is his van. While Billie receives encouragement and advice from her alcoholic best friend Olivia (Ashley Jensen) and her conventional, younger, married sister Abby (Lennon Parham), she also has to deal with Zack's freeloading friend Davis (Nicolas Wright), among others, when they start turning her place into a frat house, leaving Billie to question whether she is living with a boyfriend, a roommate, or a second child to raise.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=8107 |title=Breaking News – CBS Confirms Six Newcomers |website=TheFutonCritic.com |date=May 18, 2009 |access-date=March 4, 2012}}
Theme song
The theme song for the show is "Birds of a Feather", written by David Fagin of the indie-rock band The Rosenbergs.[http://www.sunherald.com/prnewswire/story/1616196.html]{{dead link|date=March 2012}} The song is on their album Department Store Girl.[http://www.therosenbergsband.com/music/deptstoregirl Department Store Girl] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916232958/http://www.therosenbergsband.com/music/deptstoregirl |date=September 16, 2009 }} at the Rosenbergs' website
History
On November 3, 2009, CBS ordered an additional five episodes of the series, bringing the total to 18.{{cite news| url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118010791.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&query=accidentally+on+purpose | work=Variety | title=CBS picks up more 'Purpose' | first=Michael | last=Schneider | date=November 3, 2009}} In early 2010 CBS moved Accidentally on Purpose to Wednesday nights from Mondays, to accommodate the midseason return of Rules of Engagement and the cancellation of Gary Unmarried. However, after the ratings slipped CBS elected not to renew the series and on May 18, 2010, made the cancellation official; the cancellation was part of CBS' decision to eliminate all of its Wednesday night comedies in favor of trying a Thursday-night block.
Critical reception
Accidentally on Purpose received mixed reviews, scoring a 50/100 on Metacritic, while scoring a 6.2/10 with viewers.{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/shows/accidentallyonpurpose |title=Accidentally on Purpose – Season 1 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic |website=Metacritic.com |access-date=March 4, 2012}} The New York Times, in a review of the show's first episode, called Grant Show's performance "graceful" and said Elfman is as "funny as the script allows, in that broad, robo-comic way you may remember from Dharma & Greg."{{cite web| url= http://tv.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/arts/television/21accident.html | title= Older Woman, Younger Man and Baby Makes Three | date= September 20, 2009| first= Mike | last= Hale | work=The New York Times | access-date=May 22, 2011}}
The series had an average of eight million viewers per episode while airing on Mondays after How I Met Your Mother, but fell to an average of 5.5 million of viewers per episode while airing on Wednesdays after The New Adventures of Old Christine,{{original research inline|date=May 2011}} which was also canceled in 2010.{{cite web|last=Exton |first=Emily |url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2010/05/18/cbs-cancels-ghost-whisperer-and-old-christine/ |title=Breaking: CBS cancels 'Ghost Whisperer' and 'Old Christine' | Inside TV | EW.com |publisher=Insidetv.ew.com |date=May 18, 2010 |access-date=March 4, 2012}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
Cast
=Main=
- Jenna Elfman as Billie Chase
- Jon Foster as Zachary "Zack" Crawchuck
- Ashley Jensen as Olivia Hollenbeck
- Nicolas Wright as Davis
- Grant Show as James
- Lennon Parham as Abigail "Abby" Chase
=Recurring=
- Pooch Hall as Ryan
- David Sutcliffe as Brian
- Larry Wilmore as Dr. Roland
- Bryan Cuprill as Nick
- Michael Rapaport as Sullivan "Sully" Boyd
- Note: real-life half-brother of showrunner Claudia Lonow
- Matthew Glave as Officer Marion Ravitz
{{col-break}}
Crew
- Claudia Lonow – Writer
- Lloyd Braun – Executive Producer
- Gail Berman – Executive Producer
- Jack Rudy – Music Supervisor
{{col-end}}
Episodes
{{Episode table |background=#FF7F00 |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |prodcode= |viewers= |country=U.S. |overallT=No. |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=1
|Title=Pilot
|Aux3={{Start date|2009|9|21}}
|ProdCode=101
|WrittenBy=Claudia Lonow
|DirectedBy=Pamela Fryman
|ShortSummary= Billie (Jenna Elfman) meets Zack (Jon Foster), an aspiring chef in his 20s, at a local bar and they have a one-night stand at his friend's apartment. She soon finds out that she is pregnant from the fling and decides to keep the baby. She must simultaneously deal with her boss and ex-boyfriend, James, who finds himself jealous of Zack. Before the story began, she had hoped that James would ask her to marry him, but he told her that he was not ready because he was married once before. Thanks to this unexpected arrival, Billie and Zack have agreed to live together platonically, since the only place that Zack has called home is his van. While Billie receives encouragement and advice from her party girl best friend (and fellow journalist) Olivia (Ashley Jensen) and her conventional, younger, married sister Abby (Lennon Parham), she also has to deal with Zack's freeloading friend Davis (Nicolas Wright), among others, when they start turning her place into a frat house, leaving Billie to question whether she is living with a boyfriend, a roommate, or a second child to raise.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=2
|Title=Memento
|Aux3={{Start date|2009|9|28}}
|ProdCode=102
|WrittenBy=Gregg Mettler
|DirectedBy=Pamela Fryman
|Aux4=8.02
|ShortSummary= When Billie tries to learn more about Zack, he becomes evasive. While snooping through Zack's belongings, Billie discovers a note addressed to her that he never finished writing. Meanwhile, Zack gets an offer that may mean having to leave Billie and his unborn child.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=3
|Title=One Night Stand
|Aux3={{Start date|2009|10|5}}
|ProdCode=104
|WrittenBy=Vince Calandra
|DirectedBy=Ted Wass
|ShortSummary= Billie's pregnancy causes bodily and hormonal changes in her, causing men to hit on her. Meanwhile, Zack refuses to have sex with Billie after she tries to have sex with him, due to a very embarrassing reason.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=4
|Title=The Date
|Aux3={{Start date|2009|10|12}}
|ProdCode=103
|WrittenBy=Cynthia Greenburg
|DirectedBy=John Pasquin
|ShortSummary=Billie and Zack discuss their feelings on dating and agree to see other people. However, Billie's pregnancy gets in the way of any potential love connections and Zack's date does not go as planned.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=5
|Title=The Love Guru
|Aux3={{Start date|2009|10|19}}
|ProdCode=106
|WrittenBy=Bill Kunstler & Alison McDonald
|DirectedBy=Andrew D. Weyman
|ShortSummary= Billie tries to live vicariously through Zack and Davis by offering up dating advice to them. However, things take a turn when the objects of the boys' affection reveal their true intentions. Meanwhile, James tries to hook up with teenagers by pretending to be one himself. Abby ends up irritating Olivia after she sends a friend request to the latter on Facebook.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=6
|Title=Fight Club
|Aux3={{Start date|2009|11|2}}
|ProdCode=105
|WrittenBy=Bill Kunstler
|DirectedBy=Andrew D. Weyman
|ShortSummary=Billie and Zack have their first big argument after Zack tries to surprise Billie by installing a low flow toilet. Billie becomes the butt of jokes when her waxing appointment is halted due to Zack and Davis. Billie's baby kicks for the first time.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=7
|Title=The Godfather
|Aux3={{Start date|2009|11|9}}
|ProdCode=109
|WrittenBy=Vince Calandra & Cynthia Greenburg
|DirectedBy=David Trainer
||ShortSummary=Billie unintentionally causes Abby and Nick to break up when she asks them to be godparents. However, after a fun night on the town with Davis goes too far, Billie must stop Abby before she does something she will regret. Also, Billie has to work with Sullivan "Sully" Boyd, a fellow worker, which does not please Zack or James, as both think that Sully has a thing for pregnant women.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=8
|Title=The Third Man
|Aux3={{Start date|2009|11|16}}
|ProdCode=107
|WrittenBy=Mike Dieffenbach
|DirectedBy=John Pasquin
|Aux4=7.27
|ShortSummary=When Billie starts dating a colleague from her newspaper, Zack is unable to hide his jealousy.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=9
|Title=Working Girl
|Aux3={{Start date|2009|11|23}}
|ProdCode=108
|WrittenBy=Andrea Abbate & David Holden
|DirectedBy=Ted Wass
||ShortSummary= Billie is threatened when James hires another film critic, Max (Ben Schwartz), at the paper and sets out to prove how valuable she is. Meanwhile, Abby tries to make Olivia pay her share of tab.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=10
|Title=Class
|Aux3={{Start date|2009|12|7}}
|ProdCode=110
|WrittenBy=Franklyn Hardy & Shane Kosakowski
|DirectedBy=Barnet Kellman
|ShortSummary= Billie and Zack take instructional parenting classes separately due to their schedules. Zack intends to meet some other fathers as most of his other friends are not at this stage of life yet, but instead makes friends with a lesbian couple. Billie goes with Olivia and Abby. While Zack shines in his class, Abby outshines Billie at all the tasks. The lesbian couple guides Davis to another lesbian couple to help him get laid, which yields unexpected results. Abby starts taking pole dancing lessons.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=11
|Title=It Happened One Christmas
|Aux3={{Start date|2009|12|14}}
|ProdCode=111
|WrittenBy=Gregg Mettler & Claudia Lonow
|DirectedBy=Gail Mancuso
|ShortSummary= Worried that she will ruin Christmas, as she has in previous years, Billie tries to hide from her parents the fact that Zack is living with her. Zack spends Christmas with Davis and realizes that Billie is the coolest woman he has ever met. When he returns to the apartment he proposes to Billie. Meanwhile, Abby's husband, Nick, tries to impress their father.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=12
|Title=The Odd Couples
|Aux3={{Start date|2010|1|11}}
|ProdCode=112
|WrittenBy=Mike Dieffenbach & David Holden
|DirectedBy=Ted Wass
|ShortSummary=Zack tries to get along with Nick, but Nick is too strange for him. When Billie tells Abby that Zack doesn't like Nick, they fight and Abby decides not to arrange Billie's baby shower. Davis pretends to be Dave Grohl's younger brother to impress a girl. Billie and Zack discover the gender of their child – thanks to Abby.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=13
|Title=The Rock
|Aux3={{Start date|2010|1|18}}
|ProdCode=113
|WrittenBy=Alison McDonald & Andrea Abbate
|DirectedBy=Andrew D. Weyman
|ShortSummary=Billie and Sully have to work on a story, but due to her embarrassing him previously, Sully is reluctant. Billie forces Olivia to flirt with Sully until their story is printed. Everybody gets a shock when James is axed and tells them that any one of them could be next. Zack begins a new business venture with Davis as his partner, while Olivia is caught on the newspaper's security camera.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=14
|Title=Attack of the 50 Foot Woman
|Aux3={{Start date|2010|2|1}}
|ProdCode=114
|WrittenBy=Claudia Lonow & Bill Kunstler & David Holden
|DirectedBy=Ted Wass
|Aux4=8.42
|ShortSummary=Billie is happy when the baby's crib arrives, until she finds that neither Zack nor Davis is keen to assemble it. Her efforts to manipulate Zack create an even bigger mess, eventually leading to a fight between her and Zack. Meanwhile, Davis is working in a gay bar (pretending to be gay) to get some extra cash. An unsuspecting Zack is pulled into his charade when a bar patron takes interest in Davis.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=15
|Title=Back to School
|Aux3={{Start date|2010|2|8}}
|ProdCode=115
|WrittenBy=Franklin Hardy & Shane Kosakowski
|DirectedBy=David Trainer
|ShortSummary=Billie invites herself to Zack's high school reunion but worries that she can't compete with his hot ex-girlfriend Melissa. Meanwhile, Olivia helps Abby host a party where they try to sell Abby's miracle youth juice. Davis reveals a dirty secret about Melissa to Billie, but it turns out that it was not exactly a secret for Zack. Ryan crashes Zack's reunion pretending to be a student, but gets some painful memories at the reunion.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=16
|Title=Face Off
|Aux3={{Start date|2010|4|7}}
|ProdCode=116
|WrittenBy=Jenn Lloyd & Kevin Bonani
|DirectedBy=Ted Wass
|ShortSummary=Zack is upset when Billie hires a baby nurse without consulting him. Davis and Ryan soon find out that Zack is right to be concerned. Meanwhile, Abby tries to mend the fences between Olivia and her less than ideal mother.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=17
|Title=Speed: Part 1
|Aux3={{Start date|2010|4|14}}
|ProdCode=117
|WrittenBy=David Rosenthal & DJ Nash
|DirectedBy=Ted Wass
|ShortSummary=Billie pretends to go into labor to save Zack from getting a traffic ticket after they're pulled over for speeding. Meanwhile, Olivia and Davis end up sleeping together. Nick and Abby get an opportunity to go to a star-studded premiere that Billie missed, but Abby isn't as happy with the opportunity as she thought she would be.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=18
|Title=Speed: Part 2
|Aux3={{Start date|2010|4|21}}
|ProdCode=118
|WrittenBy=Claudia Lonow
|DirectedBy=Ted Wass
|ShortSummary=After faking labor pains to get Zack out of a speeding ticket, Billie goes into labor – for real. Unfortunately, things take a turn when Zack gets busted by the officer they had initially lied to and is hauled off to the police station. Abby goes to bail Zack, but ends up with him as well. In the end, it is Olivia who unexpectedly saves the day. Billie gives birth to her baby, Henry, and agrees to marry Zack.
|LineColor=FF7F00
}}
}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|1441096|Accidentally on Purpose}}
Category:2009 American television series debuts
Category:2010 American television series endings
Category:2000s American romantic comedy television series
Category:2010s American romantic comedy television series
Category:2000s American multi-camera sitcoms
Category:2010s American multi-camera sitcoms
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:Television shows about human pregnancy
Category:Television shows based on books
Category:Television series by CBS Studios