"Trophy Wife" at TCA 2013: "ABC Didn't Mind Title" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 08-05-2013, 10:39 AM

"Trophy Wife" EP: ABC Gave Us No "Cougar Town"- Style Pushback on Provocative Title
by Matt Webb Mitovich
8/4/13

"Trophy Wife" is a perfect marriage of concept and title — one both the new sitcom’s producers and ABC are quite comfortable with, it was explained Sunday at the Television Critics Assoc. summer press tour in Beverly Hills.

After stating that “Trophy Wife” is meant to be “ironic” (since Malin Akerman’s party girl-turned-Bradley Whitford’s third Mrs. is much more than some shiny arm candy), EP Lee Eisenberg told TVLine that ABC never expressed any "Cougar Town"-style concerns about the title being too provocative and not 100-percent representative of the actual content.

“It was always a conversation that we had with them, but collectively we never felt like we had a title that beat it,” he said. “We kicked around titles the way you always do, and it always came back to Trophy Wife. It’s simple, it’s clean it’s memorable.”

“We suspected that people might have certain expectations about it,” Eisenberg added, “but ultimately in success a show is a show and the title melts away a little bit. We won’t win or lose because of the title.”

Series star Akerman, for her part, had a distinct initial reaction to the title. “I saw it and said, ‘Aw, hell no, I’m not playing a trophy wife,’” she shared. “But I read it and it was brilliant.”

As series cocreator EP Sarah Haskins — on whose own marriage "Trophy Wife" is based — noted, “Kate is going to face the challenge of how other people see her,” including at least one of husband Pete’s exes, a Type-A surgeon played by Marcia Gay Harden.

“We’re not watching the story of a sexist who cycles through wives,” Haskins stressed. “We’re watching the story of a family.”

http://tvline.com/2013/08/04/trophy-...n-style-title/

TMC · 09-25-2013, 02:33 AM

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/t..._reviewed.html

The ABC comedy starring Malin Ackerman has a title that is very much at odds with its focus on female relationships. PLUS: "Trophy Wife" is funny but kind of overwhelming.

08-05-2013, 10:39 AM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,011	"Trophy Wife" at TCA 2013: "ABC Didn't Mind Title" *"Trophy Wife" EP: ABC Gave Us No "Cougar Town"- Style Pushback on Provocative Title* by Matt Webb Mitovich 8/4/13 "Trophy Wife" is a perfect marriage of concept and title — one both the new sitcom’s producers and ABC are quite comfortable with, it was explained Sunday at the Television Critics Assoc. summer press tour in Beverly Hills. After stating that “Trophy Wife” is meant to be “ironic” (since Malin Akerman’s party girl-turned-Bradley Whitford’s third Mrs. is much more than some shiny arm candy), EP Lee Eisenberg told TVLine that ABC never expressed any "Cougar Town"-style concerns about the title being too provocative and not 100-percent representative of the actual content. “It was always a conversation that we had with them, but collectively we never felt like we had a title that beat it,” he said. “We kicked around titles the way you always do, and it always came back to Trophy Wife. It’s simple, it’s clean it’s memorable.” “We suspected that people might have certain expectations about it,” Eisenberg added, “but ultimately in success a show is a show and the title melts away a little bit. We won’t win or lose because of the title.” Series star Akerman, for her part, had a distinct initial reaction to the title. “I saw it and said, ‘Aw, hell no, I’m not playing a trophy wife,’” she shared. “But I read it and it was brilliant.” As series cocreator EP Sarah Haskins — on whose own marriage "Trophy Wife" is based — noted, “Kate is going to face the challenge of how other people see her,” including at least one of husband Pete’s exes, a Type-A surgeon played by Marcia Gay Harden. “We’re not watching the story of a sexist who cycles through wives,” Haskins stressed. “We’re watching the story of a family.” http://tvline.com/2013/08/04/trophy-...n-style-title/ Attached Images

09-25-2013, 02:33 AM	#2
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 125,090	Will "Trophy Wife" suffer the same burden as "Cougar Town"? http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/t..._reviewed.html The ABC comedy starring Malin Ackerman has a title that is very much at odds with its focus on female relationships. PLUS: "Trophy Wife" is funny but kind of overwhelming.