Stay Tuned

The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, February 23, 2018 4 By Kat Mulligan TV Media I t's hard to truly prepare for how challenging life can be. Sure, there are mo- ments of pure joy, but the endless layering of responsi- bilities and bills makes it dif- ficult to remain optimistic. It's easy to fall behind, to be- come lost within a whirlwind of debt and to learn, in those moments, that those who you thought would be there for you are no longer around. This is particularly true for women, who, despite the ef- forts of various feminist waves, still struggle with be- ing perceived as "nice" while attempting to be strong- willed and self-reliant. Rather than continue to suffer these challenges, three mothers from various backgrounds are kicking hardship to the curb when "Good Girls" pre- mieres Monday, Feb. 26, on NBC. "Good Girls" centers around the lives of three sub- urban moms, each struggling to keep her family and fi- nances afloat. Beth (Christina Hendricks, "Mad Men") con- tends with an unfaithful hus- band, Dean (Matthew Lillard, "Twin Peaks"), who all too easily seems to misplace or misuse the family finances. Annie (Mae Whitman, "Par- enthood"), Beth's little sister, works way too hard for far too little at a supermarket, trying to provide for herself and her child. Ruby (Retta, "Parks and Recreation"), Beth's lifelong friend, knows exactly the kind of medical treatment her daughter needs, but the cost is seem- ingly insurmountable for her and her husband, Stan (Reno Wilson, "Mike & Molly"). When it all becomes too much, these mommas and best friends devise a master plan: rob the local supermar- ket and walk away with $30,000. Things go a little too easily, however, and the la- dies wind up with a lot more dough than they'd anticipat- ed, along with some new challenges. Initially, the series seems a bit difficult to place. A first look makes it seem as though it will be a standard sitcom, but the depth to the show makes it more akin, perhaps, to a crime dramedy. The hu- mor acts as a bit of relief from the difficulties these women are facing, challenges not simply bound to gender and relatable to a large segment of North America's working class. With sleek production and a plot built on action, emotion and a nice dash of sarcasm, "Good Girls" is as intriguing as it is inviting. Despite being a broadly re- latable show, the emphasis on females and the lives of women is clear and cannot be denied. Creator and screenwriter Jenna Bans, known for her work on both "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal," had a clear vision for "Good Girls." While dis- cussing the series during an NBC promo, Bans delved into the concept behind the show: "What I really tried to get at with this script is the idea of female empowerment — the idea that you wake up, as a woman in your late 30s, early 40s, and go, 'Oh my God, where did my power go?' Whether it's having a bunch of kids, or a husband that doesn't really see you anymore, or these financial restrictions that these wom- en are under." This desire to see real, complex relationships be- tween women come to life on the small screen was a huge driving force for Bans. The fact that the relatability fac- tor is so high, despite the fact that most women will never commit a robbery to resolve their own financial and mari- tal woes, speaks to the care Bans has put into the devel- opment of "Good Girls." These sentiments are deeply reflective of modern times, as even the show's ti- tle itself forces viewers to re- examine their notions of what it means to be "good girls." Rather than shying away and committing to out- dated stereotypes, women are increasingly opening up about the challenges and trauma they've faced, along with the need for more visi- ble, empowered role models. While discussing the series with NBC's promotional team, Whitman explained "Good Girls" achieves this, as it is "a great show, with excel- lent women at the helm of it," and it's been a long time com- ing "for there to be way more shows with the females being the leads ... especially right now, with everything that's going on." For Whitman, there's "never been a more important time for there to be strong, independent, quirky, interesting, different, real, full women, telling their stories and being heard." The potential for success with "Good Girls" is not merely in its historically rele- vant timing, but the fact that these women truly are reflec- tive of the lives so many women lead daily. To have a series willing to encourage support and solidarity over catfights and jealousy is re- flective of how broad-reach- ing social change can be. Women are standing up and demanding to be heard, just as Beth, Annie and Ruth are demanding to have control over their own lives, finances and families' futures. It seems unfortunate that feminism has had to experi- ence so many waves, yet so little erosion has occurred along the shoreline. Thankful- ly, the water may finally be carving out the stones of re- sistance, with more and more women taking the helm of productions on both the big and small screen. It's impor- tant to remember, however, that this series and other fe- male-led productions aren't looking for a takeover, rather simply desiring for accep- tance and respect. Ambitious, engaging and humorous, "Good Girls" is on course to make quite the impact when the series premieres Monday, Feb. 26, on NBC. coverstory Reno Wilson stars in "Good Girls" Three moms are tired of being 'Good Girls' By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: Does "Glee" have to get permission from artists to do their songs? A: Oh yes, and back when "Glee" was an international mu- sic industry phenomenon, it had music industry players rub- bing their hands together with, well, glee. You probably recall that back when it was at the peak of its ratings success, the hit Fox series was also churning out radio hits, soundtrack albums, live performance tours and more. All of those constitute different "plays" from the perspective of the music industry, and each type of play has a different dollar value attached to it in the agreement signed before an epi- sode even starts filming. "For a songwriter or a music publisher, 'Glee' is a gold mine," Jeff Brabec, vice-president of business affairs for music publisher Chrysalis, said in an interview with MTV News. "It touches almost every single source of income that's possible." That mention of the publisher is an interesting point. De- pending on the deal musicians cut with their record label and/ or publisher, they may not be the ones granting permission for the use of their songs. It may be up to the publisher entirely. But sometimes the artists are involved, which became evi- dent when permission was not granted. Artists such as Goril- laz and Kings of Leon refused to allow their songs to appear on the show, with Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn calling the show's performances "a very poor substitute for the real thing." Q: Is Cesar Millan going to have new seasons of any of his shows? A: At the moment, no, but it seems pretty certain some- one's going to get back into the Cesar Millan business soon. TV is in the midst of its first Cesar-free period since the famed dog trainer hit the airwaves in 2004 with "The Dog Whisperer." That show ran for a whopping 12 years until its end in 2016, but Millan's had numerous other shows on at the same time and since. His most recent series, "Cesar Millan's Dog Nation," aired on Nat Geo Wild for a short season last spring, but it hasn't been heard of again. The cable channel has since held its upfront presentation, in which it informs potential advertisers of its programming for the coming year, and "Dog Nation" wasn't included in it. That's not necessarily a cancellation, but it sure looks like one. It's also pretty likely that before long, either Millan or someone at one of the cable networks will come up with a new, slightly different premise to get him back on TV. In the meantime, we may soon see him in very different cir- cumstances indeed. Industry news site Deadline.com an- nounced last May that Oscar-nominated screenwriter Jose Ri- vera is partnering with production company Mucho Mas Me- dia to produce a biopic of Millan, whom the company de- scribes as the man "who has inspired and taught humans how to connect with their natural instinct to create harmony for dogs around the world." There's no word on who will be playing the man himself. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. hollywoodQ&A

• Cover