Starting Over (TV series)
| Starting Over | |
|---|---|
 "Life has never been this real." | |
| Created by | Jon Murray |
| Starring | Rhonda Britten Dr. Stan Katz Iyanla Vanzant Rana Walker |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 160 (as of August 2005) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 min. |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syndicated |
| Release | September 9, 2003 – May 31, 2006 |
Starting Over is a US reality TV show based upon women who are having a hard time in their lives and want to make changes, with the help of life coaches. It was the first reality TV show to be nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award. Six women at a time work to overcome obstacles and meet personal goals. When it is determined that a woman has met all her goals, she "graduates" from the house and is replaced by a new roommate. She may also be asked to leave by the life coaches.
History
The first season of Starting Over, in 2003-2004, was set in Chicago. (See 2003 in television). It featured life coaches Rhonda Britten and Rana Walker. A concern arose regarding the life coaches giving psychological advice, despite their not being licensed psychologists. This in turn prompted the relocation to California and the introduction of a consulting psychologist.
The second season saw the show moved to the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, where the house was larger and more secluded. Rana Walker was replaced by Iyanla Vanzant as the second life coach. Dr. Stan Katz joined the cast as the psychologist. The show was produced by Bunim/Murray Productions (and syndicated by NBC Universal Television Distribution), the reality TV producer responsible for many other reality shows. Due to this, as well as a larger production budget, the style of the second season was very different from that of the first. Some fans felt that the new style was too overly dramatized.
The third season was filmed near Los Angeles in Reseda. For the first three weeks of the third season, which aired from 2005 until 2006, couples worked together with the life coaches. Although men have been guests of the women on the show, this was the first time that men appeared on the show specifically to work on their issues.
Starting Over will not return for a fourth season. However, NBC Universal began distributing reruns of the series on some stations as a filler show beginning January 29, 2007, due to the failure of the syndicated talk show The Megan Mullally Show [1]
Awards
2005
The show won an Emmy in 2005 for the category Outstanding Special Class Series at the 32nd Daytime Emmy Awards. The editors were also nominated by the Television Academy for an Emmy in the category Multi-Camera Editing in 2005.
2006
The editors of the show won an Emmy in 2006 for Outstanding Single-Camera editing. Winning editors include: Marc Grossman, Arek Hope, Steve Mellon, Leellen Patchen, Raoul Rosenberg, Joe Shugart, Steven Urrutia, Maria Vitakis and Barry Zetlin.
Cast
Life coaches
- Rhonda Britten (Seasons 1-3)
- Rana Walker (Season 1)
- Iyanla Vanzant (Seasons 2-3)
Consulting psychologist
- Dr. Stan Katz (Seasons 2-3)
Roommates
- Jennifer "P.J." Abney (Season 1)
- Rain Adams (Season 1)
- Vanessa Atler (Season 2)... Former Olympic Hopeful
- Jennifer Bernhardt (Season 2)
- Megg Berry (Season 2)
- Kim Bookout (Season 2)
- Towanda Braxton Carter (Season 2)... Sister of R&B singer-songwriter Toni Braxton
- Hannah Buchanan (Season 1)
- Teresa Crone (Season 1)
- Nyanza Davis (Season 1)
- Maureen Goodman (Seasons 1-2)... 1st ever "Starting Over" graduate, and roommate during season 2
- Amy Harkin Goodrich (Season 1)... Daughter of Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, and wife of NBA Basketball player Steve Goodrich
- Jessica Holland (Season 3)
- Karen Knoxcox (Season 1)
- Erika Jackson (Season 1)
- Denise Lamberti (Season 2)
- Cassie Mizer (Seasons 2-3)... Season 2 graduate, and roommate during season 3
- Hailey Murray (Season 1)... Niece of "Starting Over" co-creator/executive producer Jonathan Murray, and daughter of "Starting Over" graduate Lynnell (her mother)
- Andy Paige (Seasons 1-3)... Season 1 graduate, Stylist during Seasons 2-3
- Cassie Romanelli (Season 1)
- Susan Santa Cruz (Season 1)
- Lynnell Stage (Season 1)... Mother of "Starting Over" graduate Hailey (her daughter)
- Allison Stanley (Seasons 2-3)
- Brenda Starr Wilson (Season 1)
- Jill Tracy (Season 3)
- Audrey Tucker (Season 1)
- Sommer White (Seasons 2-3)
Guest appearances
- John Davidson, singer-songwriter
- Eric Martsolf, from the NBC television series Passions
- Richard Steinmetz, from the NBC television series Passions
- Olivia Newton-John (via telephone)
Source... "Starting Over" Internet-Movie Database page.