The Comeback was a television series produced by HBO that starred actress Lisa Kudrow as sitcom actress Valerie Cherish in modern-day Los Angeles, California. It was created by Kudrow and Michael Patrick King, a former executive producer of Sex and the City. Kudrow and King were also writers and executive producers of the series, with King also serving as the director of some episodes. The series premiered on HBO on June 5, 2005. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... Lisa Marie Diane Kudrow (born July 30, 1963) is an Emmy Award- and SAG-winning American actress best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom Friends. ... Michael Patrick King (born September 14, 1954) is an Emmy winning director, writer and producer for television shows. ... Lisa Marie Diane Kudrow (born July 30, 1963) is an Emmy Award- and SAG-winning American actress best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom Friends. ... Actress that was in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. ... Laura Silverman is an American actress/voice actress and a native of Bedford, New Hampshire. ... Kellan Lutz is a film and television actor. ... Kimberly Kevon Williams (born October 8, 1985 in California) is an American actress who is perhaps best known for her recurring role as Shayne Thomas in the HBO series The Comeback. ... A single camera setup is the name given to the filming procedure used to film motion pictures. ... HBO (Home Box Office) is an American premium cable television network. ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Television series redirects here. ... HBO (Home Box Office) is an American premium cable television network. ... Lisa Marie Diane Kudrow (born July 30, 1963) is an Emmy Award- and SAG-winning American actress best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom Friends. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , State California County Los Angeles County Settled 1781 Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... Michael Patrick King (born September 14, 1954) is an Emmy winning director, writer and producer for television shows. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sex and the City is a popular American cable television program. ... This list is poorly defined, permanently incomplete, or has become unverifiable or an indiscriminate list or repository of loosely associated topics. ... A television director is usually responsible for directing the actors and other taped aspects of a television production. ... TV Show Reference Episode is the word usually used to refer to a part of a serial television or radio program. ... HBO (Home Box Office) is an American premium cable television network. ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The show, a comedy, was shot by a single camera, in the style of reality television. Viewers of The Comeback are actually watching raw footage shot for the fictional reality show within The Comeback, also called The Comeback. The word comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humor with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... Reality television is a genre of television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people instead of professional actors. ... In film and video, footage is the raw, unedited material as it has been recorded by the camera, which usually must be edited to create a motion picture, video clip, television show or similar completed work. ...

The series' episode titles (excluding the pilot) begin with the main character's first name Valerie... followed the theme of the episode, e.g. Valerie Triumphs at the Upfronts. A television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. ...

Despite a coveted time slot after the hit series Entourage, The Comeback debuted to low ratings and a mixed critical response: most praised the show, especially Kudrow's performance, which also earned her an Emmy nomination for Best Leading Actress, meanwhile others did not seem to enjoy it. HBO confirmed on September 21, 2005 that the series was officially cancelled after only being on the air for thirteen weeks. It has since been removed from HBO's online list of Original Series programming. Entourage is an Emmy Award winning HBO original series created by Doug Ellin that chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase—a young A-list movie star—and his childhood friends from Queens, New York City as they navigate the unfamiliar terrain of Hollywood, California. ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Plot

Valerie Cherish is a D-grade actress who had it all. From 1989 until 1992, Valerie starred on a sitcom known as I'm It! The show was a hit during its initial run, but fell just three episodes shy of reaching syndication status. Since then, the fame and fortune Valerie gained from her success and triumphs has depleted. She has become unemployed, married, and does not get the roles for which she was once famous due to her age and personality. Valerie vows that she will make a comeback, which is the ultimate goal in her career as an actress. Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ...

The Comeback is shot in the style of a reality show (also called The Comeback). The show-within-a-show follows Valerie through her home life and her career resurgence. It offers behind-the-scenes footage of the other fictional show-within-a-show, Room and Bored, a network sitcom on which Valerie plays a minor role. Reality television is a genre of television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people instead of professional actors. ... A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ...

Each episode begins with color bars, over which are superimposed the words "The Comeback: Raw Footage", indicating that viewers to the actual HBO series The Comeback are watching unedited video for the fictional reality show The Comeback. The SMPTE color bars SMPTE color bars is a type of television test pattern, and is most commonly used in countries where the NTSC video standard is dominant, such as in North America. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Characters

Major characters

Valerie relaxes while on vacation in Palm Springs.

• Valerie Cherish (Lisa Kudrow), the central character of The Comeback, was the star of a sexually-charged 1989 sitcom, I'm It! in which she played a young superstar attorney. Valerie has fallen out of the limelight but receives a call from her former network asking her to do a reality show called The Comeback about an actress attempting to relaunch her flagging career by landing a starring role on the sitcom Room and Bored, a show featuring four sexy singles living in a condominium. The role is originally written as a 40-ish architect who acts as an older, wiser, yet still sexy roommate. Valerie wins the role over former sitcom stars Marilu Henner and Kim Fields (who also had reality show cameras following them in case either had received the role). However, after an early rehearsal, Valerie learns the script has been changed to reduce her character's role to that of a 40-ish landlord named Aunt Sassy, a character much like the Mrs. Roper character from Three's Company. Aunt Sassy is a woman who dresses only in pastel jogging suits, lives upstairs, and usually only appears in one scene per episode.

Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish in the role of "Aunt Sassy"

Despite the changed role, Valerie performs well, much to the delight of the audience and the network, and the show is greenlit for a fall season. However, still in denial that her day in the sun has passed, Valerie is obsessed with the direction of Room and Bored. She attempts to use her standing as a veteran sitcom star to persuade the young producers to take her suggestions for the show, despite numerous warnings to "back off." Valerie constantly reminds the crew of her success on I'm It! as a reason to listen to her. Valerie believes it is her duty to explain to her young co-stars what starring on a sitcom entails. Image File history File links Valerie Cherish on The Comeback. ... Image File history File links Valerie Cherish on The Comeback. ... Palm Springs is the name of two places in the United States of America: Palm Springs, California — the more well known of the two Palm Springs, Florida Category: ... An attorney is someone who represents someone else in the transaction of business: For attorney-at-law, see lawyer, solicitor, barrister or civil law notary. ... A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ... Reality television is a genre of television programming in which the fortunes of real life people (as opposed to fictional characters played by actors) are followed. ... This article refers to a form of housing. ... An architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect is a person who is involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction. ... Marilu Henner (born April 6, 1952) is an American actress and producer. ... Kim Victoria Fields (born May 12, 1969 in New York, New York) is an American actress. ... For the Entourage episode, see Threes Company (Entourage). ... Pastel is an art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. ... Valerie Cherish as Aunt Sassy, played by Lisa Kudrow. ... Valerie Cherish as Aunt Sassy, played by Lisa Kudrow. ... A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ... To greenlight a project, in the context of the movie business, is to formally approve production finance, thereby allowing the project to move forward from the development phase to pre-production and, barring disasters, principal photography. ... Autumn colours at Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire, England. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ...

Initially, even with her reduced role, Valerie thinks she is (or should be) the real star of the show, and is very concerned about her image. It is only after a meeting with a cancer-stricken family friend that Valerie realizes she must learn humility and to make the best of every situation she is presented. The final episode ends with Valerie agreeing to return for a second season of her reality show, despite being thoroughly embarrassed during a highly-rated first episode. This serves as proof that she is willing to completely sacrifice her dignity to return to the spotlight. Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ...

• Jane (Laura Silverman) is the director of Valerie Cherish's reality show, The Comeback. Jane seems very committed to seeing Valerie is comfortable on camera and is forced to endure the drama that Valerie creates. Jane is seldom seen on-camera, but her voice is often heard. When she is seen on camera, often she is mortified at what she perceives as Valerie's increasingly pathetic attempts to regain stardom. Jane attempts to limit her communication with Valerie, so as not to sacrifice the "reality" content of the show, but the star constantly seems to be talking to Jane. Valerie will ask her director for advice and "re-shoots" of a particular event, and Jane will usually avoid such communication and deny such requests by repeatedly telling Valerie she is forbidden to interact with her in any way. The relationship between the two comes to a head in the final episode.

• Mark Berman (Damian Young) is Valerie's loving (and extremely patient) husband. They had lived a quiet, lavish lifestyle until camera crews invaded their privacy. Mark is a dedicated businessman with very little understanding of showbusiness. He doesn't seem to be impressed by Valerie's celebrity, but is annoyed by the reality show cameras. Mark has admitted to using cocaine, and is addicted to pornography. Valerie refers to Mark most often as "Marky Mark" and also by the nickname "Love Ball".

• Mickey Dean (Robert Michael Morris) has been Valerie Cherish's hairdresser and friend since the late 1980s. Between I'm It! and Room and Bored, he only worked for the actress part-time. Mickey agreed to work for Valerie full-time as she was cast on Room and Bored in order to receive health benefits from the studio. Mickey is an effeminate man in his 60s who believes that his obvious homosexuality is a well-kept secret. He came out of the closet in the finale.

• Paulie G (Lance Barber) is the pudgy co-creator and executive producer of Room and Bored. He is the person who pushed the change in Valerie's character, as he is very unsympathetic to Valerie herself. Paulie G disagreed with Valerie's casting from the beginning, and constantly seeks to reduce her role on the show. Paulie G is resentful of Valerie's efforts to control Room and Bored and attempts to avoid any communication with Valerie, despite her endeavors to butter him up. In one episode, Valerie and her camera crew walk in on Paulie receiving fellatio. Though viewers watching the "raw footage" know Paulie G's true intentions toward Valerie, the editors of The Comeback have polished the finished "reality show" by using the same footage to portray Paulie G as a sympathetic producer and all-around nice guy while Valerie is shown to be the negative influence on Room and Bored.

• Tom Peterman (Robert Bagnell) is the tall, slender co-creator and executive producer of Room and Bored. While he tends to agree with Paulie G that Valerie is too overbearing, he attempts to accommodate her requests and show ideas. Unlike Paulie G, Tom tries to communicate calmly with Valerie and treat her with appropriate respect. Valerie tends to speak to Tom first when approaching the producers.

The cast of Room and Bored.

• Juna Millken (Malin Akerman) is a beautiful young blonde model and musician, who (in her first-ever acting role) plays Cassie, the lead character and niece of Aunt Sassy on Room and Bored. Juna and Valerie become fast friends on and off the set. Juna sees Val as her mentor, and Val calls Juna her "baby girl", though Valerie is silently jealous of Juna's stardom.

Laura Silverman is an American actress/voice actress and a native of Bedford, New Hampshire. ... Reality television is a genre of television programming in which the fortunes of real life people (as opposed to fictional characters played by actors) are followed. ... Large format camera lens. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... A businessman (sometimes businesswoman, female; or businessperson, gender neutral) is a generic term for a wide range of people engaged in profit-oriented enterprises, generally the management of a company. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... “Megastar” redirects here. ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... Porn redirects here. ... A hairdresser is someone whose occupation is to cut or style hair, in order to change or maintain a persons image as they desire. ... Insurance is the business of providing protection against financial aspects of risk, such as those to property, life, health and legal liability. ... Coming out of the closet (often shortened to coming out in winking reference to the public introduction of debutantes) describes the voluntary public announcement of ones (primarily homosexual or bisexual) sexual orientation or gender identity. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Butter is commonly sold in sticks (pictured) or blocks, and frequently served with the use of a butter knife. ... Fellatio Fellatio is oral sex performed upon the human penis. ... The cast of Room and Bored on The Comeback This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... The cast of Room and Bored on The Comeback This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... Actress that was in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. ... Photograph of the once famous model Dovima A model is a person who poses or displays for purposes of art, fashion, or other products and advertising. ... “Instrumentalist” redirects here. ... This article is about the domestic group. ...

Minor characters

• Shayne Thomas (Kimberly Kevon Williams) plays Dylan, Juna's sexy roommate on Room and Bored. Shayne is a Christian who objects to the sexual content of Valerie's reality show, but overlooks the obvious sexual innuendo included within Room and Bored because she is playing a character and is not being "herself".

• Jesse Wood (Jason Olive) plays Stitch, the African-American male roommate on Room and Bored. He had been turned down for several acting jobs before landing his current role on the show.

Juna and Francesca eagerly watch the pilot of Room and Bored on TV.

• Chris MacNess (Kellan Lutz) plays Mooner, the surfer-type roommate on Room and Bored, who is a love interest to Juna's character. As an actor, he is curious why Valerie is on the show due to her age difference with the younger generation of the cast. As result of growing up with an alcoholic father, he suffers emotional outbursts and is known to cry in front of the other castmates.

• Jimmy Burrows (James Burrows) plays himself and is the director many, but not all, of the Room and Bored episodes. His scenes with Valerie indicate the two have previously worked together. Jimmy likes Valerie and genuinely wants to help her succeed. He becomes increasingly annoyed with Valerie and her reality show, but his attempts to escape Jane and her cameras are usually futile. Jimmy must sternly remind Valerie quite often that she is not the star of Room and Bored and that her input to the producers is unwelcome. Burrows' real career as a television director enhances the show's believability, as he has won several Emmy awards for his work as producer and director of such series as Friends, Cheers, Frasier, and Will & Grace.

• Francesca Berman (Vanessa Marano) is Valerie's stepdaughter. Francesca has generally tried to avoid Valerie, but becomes very eager to bond with her stepmother when in front of the reality show cameras. Francesca lives primarily with her birth mother, but on occasion stays with Mark and Valerie at their Beverly Hills home.

• Gigi (Bayne Gibby), a naive playwright from New York City, is hired as the newest writer for Room and Bored. Valerie becomes fast friends with Gigi, with the ulterior motive of getting Aunt Sassy a greater role on the show, and to attempt to supersede some of the writing decisions of Tom and Paulie G. Sensing Valerie's intentions, the show's creators have forbidden any further fraternization between Valerie and Gigi.

• Esperanza (Lillian Hurst) is Valerie and Mark's Hispanic housekeeper. She is very uncomfortable around the cameras, often simply staring in to them with a suspicious glare on her face.

• Billy Stanton (Dan Bucatinsky) is Valerie's publicist, hired to earn Valerie magazine covers (due mainly to her jealousy of Juna's photo appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone). Billy is a second-rate publicist who is just starting his own agency. He is very aggressive and tends to push and shove anybody who offends or disagrees with him. The first magazine cover he lands Valerie is for a yoga magazine, despite Val's ignorance of the yoga culture.

Kimberly Kevon Williams (born October 8, 1985 in California) is an American actress who is perhaps best known for her recurring role as Shayne Thomas in the HBO series The Comeback. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with flatshare. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a person who... Innuendo can refer to: For Innuendo as a figure of speech please see Double entendre. ... Languages Predominantly American English Religions Protestantism (chiefly Baptist and Methodist); Roman Catholicism; Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with flatshare. ... Image File history File links Juna and Franchesca on The Comeback. ... Image File history File links Juna and Franchesca on The Comeback. ... Kellan Lutz is a film and television actor. ... See World Wide Web for surfing the web; see also Wind surfing Surfing at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with flatshare. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Generation (From the Greek γιγνμαι), also known as procreation, is the act of producing offspring. ... Look up Cast in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... James Burrows is a prolific Jewish-American television director who has been working in television since the 1970s. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... An Emmy Award. ... An award is something given to a person or group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field. ... A Television producer oversees the making of television penis programs. ... A television director is usually responsible for directing the actors and other taped aspects of a television production. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Cheers is a popular American situation comedy produced by Charles-Burrows-Charles Productions in association with CBS Paramount Television for NBC. Cheers was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles. ... Frasier is a popular American situation comedy television series that starred Kelsey Grammer, reprising the character of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane from parent show Cheers, which had ended months before. ... Will & Grace is a popular Emmy Award winning and Golden Globe nominated American television sitcom that was originally broadcast from 1998 to 2006. ... Vanessa Marano is an American child actress. ... A stepfamily is the family one acquires when a parent marries someone new. ... A stepfamily is the family one acquires when a parent marries someone new. ... Reality television is a genre of television programming in which the fortunes of real life people (as opposed to fictional characters played by actors) are followed. ... Beverly Hills is a city in the western part of Los Angeles County, California. ... A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Lillian Hurst (born August 13, 1943 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican comedian and actress. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Statue of Shiva performing Yogic meditation Yoga (Devanagari: योग) is a group of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. ...

Episodes

Episode premieres on HBO

• Sunday, June 5, 2005 - Sunday, June 26, 2005: Sundays, 10:00pm Eastern/Pacific
• Sunday, July 10, 2005 - September 4, 2005 : Sundays, 10:30pm Eastern/Pacific
  • Sunday, August 21, 2005 - Special Time: 10:45pm Eastern/Pacific

June 5 is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 191st day of the year (192nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Season 1 (2005)

A television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. ... Michael Lehmann (Born March 30, 1957) is an American film and television director. ... John Riggi is an Emmy Award-nominated American television writer, producer, director, and actor who has worked on many successful television shows. ... Michael Lehmann (Born March 30, 1957) is an American film and television director. ... Linda Wallem is United States actress, writer, and producer born in 1961 in Madison, Wisconsin, and grew up in Rockford, Illinois. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Michael Schur is a television producer and writer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... John Riggi is an Emmy Award-nominated American television writer, producer, director, and actor who has worked on many successful television shows. ... Michael Lehmann (Born March 30, 1957) is an American film and television director. ... Linda Wallem is United States actress, writer, and producer born in 1961 in Madison, Wisconsin, and grew up in Rockford, Illinois. ... Michael Lehmann (Born March 30, 1957) is an American film and television director. ... Michael Schur is a television producer and writer. ... David Steinberg, born into a Jewish family August 9, 1940, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is a Canadian comedian, actor, director, writer and author. ... The Peoples Choice Awards, held annually in January, is one of the few awards shows to be based on popularity. ... David Steinberg, born into a Jewish family August 9, 1940, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is a Canadian comedian, actor, director, writer and author. ...

DVD

The Comeback DVD box art

"The Complete First ONLY Season" (as read on the cover) was released on Region 1 DVD on August 1, 2006, with the Region 2 version released on September 18, 2006. The discs include all thirteen aired episodes as well as commentary from Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King on the pilot episode and an interview. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

External links

• The Comeback at the Internet Movie Database
• The Comeback official website
• The Movie Network- The Comeback site
• fan site