Living with Fran


Living with Fran is an American television sitcom that aired on The WB. It starred Fran Drescher and Ryan McPartlin, and was co-created by Jamie Kennedy. The series debuted on April 8, 2005, and ran two seasons before ending on March 24, 2006.

Premise

Fran Reeves is an interior designer and divorced mother of two. Her son, Josh, recently dropped out of medical school and now lives at home with his younger sister, Allison, his mother and her young boyfriend, Riley Martin. Fran deals with the visits of her sleazy ex-husband, Ted, and her divorced cousin, Merrill. Fran also must deal with the fact that others, including her son, disapprove of the relationship she has with her much younger boyfriend. In the episode "Dreaming with Fran", Fran breaks up with Riley because of the age difference but in the next episode, Riley proposes to Fran and moves back into the house.

Cast

Main

The series was originally titled Shacking Up, and was ordered to series by The WB for the 2004–05 television season, though it ultimately did not premiere in fall 2004 and was held for midseason. The early tapings of the show frustrated star Fran Drescher, and the series' original showrunners were replaced before the show ever aired. It was not renamed until very close to its premiere; episodes of television entertainment shows like Extra can be found on the internet discussing the show with the cast and previewing clips while still calling it Shacking Up.
The series was executive produced by actor and comedian Jamie Kennedy, known for his roles in the Scream film series. He also appeared on an episode of the first season as a flamboyant, stripper-coach Fran hires to surprise Riley for their anniversary.
On October 18, 2005, The WB removed Living with Fran from its Friday night schedule, replacing with the new series Twins, indicating that the series was just being put on hiatus and that the remaining nine episodes of the second season would air at a later date. The show returned Friday, January 13, 2006, at 8:30p.m. The second-season finale aired on Friday, March 24, 2006. In the episode, Riley proposed to Fran; the episode was a cliffhanger, and Fran's answer was not revealed. On May 17, 2006, one day before the upfronts, it was announced that Living with Fran would not be returning for a third season in fall 2006 on the new CW network, which was the result of the merger of the former WB and UPN networks.

Episodes

Season 1 (2005)

Season 2 (2005–06)

Ratings

The premiere episode of Living with Fran airing at 8:30p.m. on April 8, 2005, drew 3.1 million viewers and a 1.3 rating/5 share in adults 18–49 in preliminary ratings, improving on the ratings of its lead-in What I Like About You, while the followup episode of the show that the same evening at 9:30p.m. retained approximately 90% of the audience from its lead-in Reba. The series was considered a "solid" performer in its first season according to Varietys Rick Kissell.