Television

Samantha Who?

Samantha Who? ABC Comedy ceated by Cecelia Ahern and Donald Todd

Samantha Who?

What if you had the chance to start over, to do it all again? For Samantha Newly (Ms. Applegate), this fantasy becomes a reality after a hit-and-run accident leaves her in an eight-day coma. When she awakens in the hospital, she is surrounded by family and friends. The only problem is that she has no idea who they are - or who she is. In medical terms, Sam has retrograde amnesia, which allows her to fully function in the world but leaves her with no personal memories. Most people would deem this disorder a curse. But Sam may come to call it a miracle.

As she sets out to rediscover herself, Sam is forced to rely on the only people who can help her -- an eclectic bunch of friends and family. Although now strangers to Sam, it's not long before she begins to get an idea of who she was before the accident.

Regina (Jean Smart, "24," "Designing Women") and Howard (Kevin Dunn, "Transformers," "Dave") appear to be loving parents -- when they're not downplaying the fact that Sam hasn't spoken to them in two years. Her supposed best friend, Dena (Melissa McCarthy, "Gilmore Girls"), is sincerely supportive, until her real best friend, Andrea (Jennifer Esposito, "Crash," "Spin City"), exposes Dena as a fraud who hasn't seen or spoken to Sam since the seventh grade. Andrea is a party girl who seems to have Sam's best interests at heart. However in the midst of celebrating her return, Andrea neglects to mention that Sam's an alcoholic, is having an affair with a married man, and has a tendency for all-around morally questionable behavior. Sam's only seemingly trustworthy acquaintance is boyfriend Todd (Barry Watson, "What About Brian," "7th Heaven"). But will that trust last when he discovers that she cheated on him?

Sam quickly discovers she was a horrible person. Vain, selfish and potentially surrounded by far more enemies than friends. She makes a conscious decision to improve herself moving forward. She vows to make better choices, even though her instincts may not always steer her in the right direction. She begins with Frank (Tim Russ, "Live Free or Die Hard," "Star Trek: Voyager"), the doorman at Todd's apartment building. Sam never gave him the time of day before, but upon actually saying hello to him, she discovers an incredibly observant and unlikely confidant.

Sam will need to continue to piece together things from her past to guide her in discovering who she is... or was. After all, sometimes to get to the end of the story, the only place to start is the beginning.

"Samantha Who?" stars Christina Applegate as Samantha, Jennifer Esposito as Andrea, Kevin Dunn as Howard, Melissa McCarthy as Dena, Tim Russ as Frank with Barry Watson as Todd and Jean Smart as Regina

Samantha Who Cast Photos

Episodes

ABC Mondays 9:30/8:30c
TG4 Thursdays 9pm
E4 Thursdays 10pm

Season 1 - The Story So Far...

Episode 1
The Pilot - What if you had the chance to start over, to do it all again? For Samantha Newly (Christina Applegate), this fantasy becomes a reality after a hit-and-run accident leaves her in an eight-day coma. When she awakens in the hospital, she is surrounded by family and friends. The only problem is that she has no idea who they are - or who she is...

Episode 2
The Job - In one quick morning, Samantha discovers a handful of surprising things about her old self -- not least of which is what she does for a living. When a board meeting offers a glimpse of her cutthroat and competitive workaholic former self, she ponders where new Sam should diverge from old Sam's path. Ultimately, she learns that having a clean slate doesn't necessarily mean you can ignore the past.

Episode 3
The Wedding - Overjoyed that somebody must have liked her, Sam jumps at the chance to assume her role as bridesmaid in a friend's wedding. However she shows up to the wedding only to learn she's been uninvited by the bride. At first dejected --- and then motivated by the challenge of vindication --- Sam sets out to apologize and be re-accepted by the bride, as a result leaving Dena in the dust yet again.

Episode 4
The Virgin - While out at a club with Andrea, Samantha is hit on and comes to realize that she has no memory of sex. In essence a virgin, Samantha wrestles with the idea of re-experiencing her "first time" or holding off and waiting for the right guy.

Episode 5
The Restraining Order - While out for a leisurely stroll with Todd, Sam runs into an ex-boyfriend and discovers that he has a restraining order against her. After a series of revelations, Sam begins to fear her constant need for attention stems from her poor relationship with her father. She sets out to win her dad's love and affection -- regardless of how outlandish the steps she must take to succeed may be.

Episode 6
The Hypnotherapist - Sam makes an appointment with a hypnotherapist in an effort to regain her lost memories. But her revelations lead her to conclude that Regina and Howard may not be her real parents. Meanwhile, Todd makes a shocking confession to Sam.

Episode 7
The Hockey Date - Feeling that it's time for her daughter to start dating again, Regina shocks Samantha by setting her up on an unannounced blind date with Kevin (Eddie Cibrian, "Third Watch," "Invasion"), the contractor hired to refinish their floors. When Sam inadvertently leads Kevin to believe that she's an avid hockey fan, she finds herself turning to Todd for advice - which is complicated by the fact that he has a new girlfriend, Chloe (Kiele Sanchez, "Lost"). Meanwhile, Andrea is psyched to be flying to Rome with her latest fling.

Episode 8
The Car - After borrowing her father's car, Samantha gets into an accident and - afraid of his reaction -- tries to cover it up by pushing it into a lake. But guilt soon begins to consume her when her dad feels sorry for his little girl and ends up buying Sam another car, thinking his was stolen. Meanwhile, when Regina finds out what Sam has done, she blackmails her into being a model for her party.

Characters

Andrea Belladonna - Jennifer Esposito Bad Sam's best friend and partner in crime.

Dena - Melissa McCarthy Samantha's neighbor and childhood friend.

Frank - Tim Russ Frank is the doorman at the upscale Chicago apartment building where Samantha used to live.

Howard Newly - Kevin Dunn Howard Newly, Samantha's father, is a hard-working chicken farmer.

Regina Newly - Jean Smart Regina Newly, Samantha's mother, is an eccentric, narcissistic housewife.

Todd - Barry Watson Bad Sam's long-suffering boyfriend.

Samantha Newly - Christina Applegate After a hit-and-run accident leaves her with retrograde amnesia, Samantha has no memories of her sordid past, but now must try to piece her life together.

Emmy Awards

Jean Smart winning BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES in 2008

BUY SAMANTHA WHO? SEASON 1 & 2 DVDS

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Season 1 DVD

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Season 2 DVD