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#19 Samantha Be Good (formerly Sam I Am)
Who picked it up? ABC
When does it air? Mondays, first at 9:30/8:30 (after Dancing with the Stars) and then 9/8 (after Wifeswap and leading into Notes from the Underbelly)
Who stars? Christina Applegate, Jean Smart, Barry Watson, and others.
Why should you care? Test audiences haven't liked an ABC comedy pilot this much in a long time. And don't we love Emmy-winning Christina Applegate and sassy Jean Smart?
Why should you worry? It is a comedy. On ABC. When is the last time you have heard a lot of people raving about an ABC comedy? The show is also a little boring from time to time, and the jokes are definitely not funny. It is obvious test audiences liked this one because of the charisma of the actors.
Bottom line? Unless things improve considerably, this will probably go the same route as Help Me Help You: It will do fine after Dancing with the Stars and slowly fade away as audiences get bored. While the star power and fun concept will likely get people to tune in, they will soon find this show to be just like Big Day and Notes from the Underbelly -- and, obviously, people weren't interested in those. But pilots are all about potential, and the chemistry of the cast and the likeability of the characters mean that Samantha Be Good can turn it around with some better writing and more assured comedy -- but will they?