Mistresses Information

Mistresses is an American drama series based on the 2008-10 U.K. series of the same name, about the lives of four female friends and their involvement in an array of illicit and complex relationships. This adaptation was developed by K.J. Steinberg, and stars Alyssa Milano, Rochelle Aytes, Yunjin Kim, and Jes Macallan in the lead roles. The series was originally set to premiere on May 27, 2013. However, ABC announced that Mistresses would premiere on June 3, 2013.

On September 30, 2014, ABC renewed Mistresses for a third season.

Cast and characters

Main cast

• Alyssa Milano as Savannah "Savi" Davis (season 1-2), a lawyer who is Harry's ex-wife and the older sister of Joss.
• Rochelle Aytes as April Malloy, a widowed single mother, who is the owner of home furnishings boutique and cafe.
• Yunjin Kim as Dr. Karen Kim, a psychiatrist who was romantically involved with one of her patients.
• Jes Macallan as Josslyn "Joss" Carver, a real estate agent and the younger half-sister of Savi.
• Jason George as Dominic Taylor, a lawyer and coworker of Savi's.
• Brett Tucker as Harry Davis, a chef/restaurateur who is Savi's ex-husband.
• Erik Stocklin as Sam Grey (season 1), the son of Karen's deceased lover.

Recurring cast

• Corinne Massiah as Lucy Malloy
• Matthew Del Negro as Jacob
• Justin Hartley as Scott
• Penelope Ann Miller as Elizabeth Grey
• Cameron Bender as Richard
• Ricky Whittle as Daniel Zamora
• Catherine Haena Kim as Anna Choi
• Dondre Whitfield as Paul Malloy
• Shannyn Sossamon as Alex
• Rebeka Montoya as Antonia Ruiz
• Mike Dopud as Olivier Dubois
• Kate Beahan as Miranda Nickleby
• Jason Gerhardt as Zack Kilmer

Episodes

See List of Mistresses (U.S. TV series) episodes for more information

Development and production

In February 2012, ABC announced that it had green-lighted Mistresses with a direct-to-series order and a planned summer 2013 airdate. Thirteen episodes were ordered. K.J. Steinberg wrote the pilot episode, which had previously been under consideration for a pilot order for ABC"?s fall 2012 schedule.

Casting announcements began in early March, with Rochelle Aytes and Jes Macallan being the first actors cast. Aytes portrays April, a widow and mother of one, while Macallan plays Josslyn, a real estate broker and the youngest of the women. Yunjin Kim came on board the project in mid-March in the role of Karen, a psychiatrist who is upset over the death of a patient with whom she was involved. Alyssa Milano completed the lead cast when she signed on to portray Savannah, a married lawyer and older sister to Josslyn.

This is the second attempt by a network to import the British series to the U.S. In 2008, Lifetime announced it was developing the series, but it never made it to air. The Lifetime version was also to have starred Aytes, alongside Milano's Charmed co-star Holly Marie Combs.

On September 25, 2013, ABC renewed Mistresses for a second season, which aired from June 2 to September 1, 2014.

On September 30, 2014, Milano announced that she would not be returning for the third season of the series as production of the program would be moved from Los Angeles to Vancouver.

Reception

Critical reception

Mistresses holds a score of 41 out of 100, based on negative reviews by critics from early in the first season. Brian Lowry of Variety was quite optimistic of the series stating "A frothy prime time soap with a definite naughty streak, the program looks well suited to scratch an itch for daytime serial fans ABC abandoned." He went on to state that "Although the characters and situations largely mirror its inspiration, this U.S. version wisely seeks a somewhat cheekier and less somber tone." Writing for The Wall Street Journal, Dorothy Rabinowitz likened the show to Sex and the City, stating "Mistresses carries very little hint of any complex lineage, give or take a few scenes that could, with ferocious effort, evoke memories of Carrie Bradshaw and company." Rabinowitz also stated that "the really delectable fun, the best of the sparkle, is to be found in the darkest plots, the looming catastrophes, which promise to come in an endless flow."

In less positive reviews, New York Daily News David Hinckley, gave the premiere two out of five stars, stating that "ABC loves racy romantic dramas, but Mistresses is not its best work in the genre." He continued by saying that "the problem with Mistresses may lie with the expectations it has set." Mary McNamara of Los Angeles Times stated that executive producer K.J. Steinberg is "grasping the letter yet not the spirit of the thing, appears more interested in replicating plot from the British version rather than character or anything like nuance." However she did praise Jes Macallan, with whom "infuses her free-spirited (i.e. promiscuous) character with humor and a disarming lack of guile." However, the series gained critical praise and a loyal fan following as it aired.

Ratings

The premiere episode scored a 1.2 in the 18-49 age demographic and 4.40 million viewers. The first season ranked as the No. 2 scripted summer drama among adults 18-49, behind Under the Dome, and averaged around 5 million viewers and 2.0 18-49 rating, with DVR ratings factored in.

Awards

In 2013, Mistresses won the Seoul International Drama Award for Most Popular Foreign Drama. The award was accepted by series star Yunjin Kim.

Broadcast

Mistresses premiered on CTV in Canada on June 3, 2013, the same day it premiered in the US. The series premiered in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2013 on TLC In Australia, Mistresses premiered on September 30, 2013 on Seven Network.