Starting Over (TV series)

Starting Over
"Life has never been this real."
Created by	Jonathan 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 was a US reality TV show that follows the lives of women who experiencing difficulty 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.

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, since they were not 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, perhaps most popular, MTV's long-running "The Real World". 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.

During the second season, it was notable that in addition to the six women, for the first few months, there was also a baby in the mix. Josie, the holdover from the Chicago house, had given birth to a girl, Chloe, at season's end; and in that time in the Los Angeles house, she was included and doted on by the women, the life coaches and Dr. Katz (whom was affectionately known as Dr. Stan).

Josie was also unique, in that she was the only woman in the three year history of Starting Over to have changed life coaches. Since Rana, her original primary life coach, had been replaced by Iyanla and she already had three clients, she gained Rhonda, who had been her support life coach in the first season, as her primary life coach.

Also during the second season, a special group session dealing with anger, (which lasted the show's entire hour) was shown, as the housemates all dealt with their deep-seated anger in their lives. At first it was meant to be a session to only help Jennifer deal with her anger issues, but Iyanla thought that it would be also beneficial for the entire house to participate as well. She (Iyanla) was the moderator of the session, whilst Rhonda and Dr. Stan watched the proceedings from the group room. It was one of the more memorable episodes of the second season.

The third season was filmed in the Reseda district of Los Angeles. 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 did not return for a fourth season, but in the second half of the 2006-07 season NBC Universal distributed reruns of the series on some stations as a replacement show beginning January 29, 2007, due to the failure of the syndicated Megan Mullally's talk show

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(of popcorn boy fame), Steve Mellon, Leellen Patchen, Raoul Rosenberg, Joe Shugart, Steven Urrutia, Maria Vitakis and Barry Zetlin.

2007

The editors of the show won an Emmy in 2007 for Outstanding Single-Camera editing. Winning editors include: Mac Caudill, Robert Garry, Marc Grossman, Arek Hope (of popcorn boy fame), Aaron M. Lewis, Seth Thomas Levine, 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

• PJ Anbey (Season 1 and special appearances season 2)...Plus size model and professional stage actress
• Rain Adams (Season 1)
• Hannah Buchanan (Season 1)
• Teresa Crone (Season 1)
• Nyanza Davis (Season 1)
• Amy Harkin Goodrich (Season 1)... Daughter of Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, and wife of NBA Basketball player Steve Goodrich
• Karen Knoxcox (Season 1)
• Erika Jackson (Season 1)
• Cassie Romanelli (Season 1)
• Jennifer Manaloto (Season 1)
• Brenda Starr Wilson (Season 1)
• Susan Santa Cruz (Season 1)
• Hailey Murray (Season 1)... Niece of "Starting Over" co-creator/executive producer Jonathan Murray, and daughter of "Starting Over" graduate Lynnell
• Lynnell Stage (Season 1)... Mother of "Starting Over" graduate Hailey
• Audrey Tucker (Season 1)
• Josie ? (and baby Chloe) (Seasons 1-2)
• Maureen Goodman (Seasons 1-2)... 1st ever "Starting Over" graduate, and roommate during season 2
• Andy Paige (Seasons 1-3)... Season 1 graduate, Stylist during Seasons 2-3
• Sinae (Season 2)
• Deborah (Season 2)
• Vanessa Atler (Season 2)... Former Olympic Hopeful
• Bethany Marshall (Season 2 and appearances on Season 3)... NC Amnesiac
• 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
• Denise Lamberti (Season 2)
• Cassie Mizer (Seasons 2-3)... Season 2 graduate, and roommate during season 3
• Sommer White (Seasons 2-3)
• Allison Stanley (Seasons 2-3)
• Jaclyn Johnson Romero (Season 3 - Couples Bootcamp)
• Michael Romero (Season 3 - Couples Bootcamp)
• Kacie Fann (Season 3 - Couples Bootcamp)
• Simon David (Season 3 - Couples Bootcamp)
• Cheryl Kohagen (Season 3 - Couples Bootcamp)
• Troy Kohagen (Season 3 - Couples Bootcamp)
• Jenn Marini (Season 3 - Couples Bootcamp)
• Lou Marini (Season 3 - Couples Bootcamp)
• Jessica Holland (Season 3)
• Christie Duran (Season 3)
• Jill Tracy (Season 3)
• Christina Bounds (Season 3)
• Lisa Noonen (from Miami Beach) (Season 3) currently a Flight Attendant with Jetblue Airways

Kimberlyn (Season 1)

Cancellation

After three seasons the show was canceled. In the show's series finale, housemate Niambi had not achieved her goal on the show. Life coach Iyanla Vanzant instructed her to return next season but but t his was prior to the show's cancellation.

External links

• Starting Over at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show

• Rhonda Britten Official Website : http://www.fearlessliving.org
• Iyanla Vanzant Official Website : http://www.innervisionsworldwide.com/
• Rana Walker Official Website : http://www.diamondcutterllc.com/