Comedy: American Housewife, Man With A Plan, Odd Couple
Cookie-cutter perfect isn’t everything in American Housewife.
American Housewife Season 1 Wednesdays (from 31 May) M-Net Dec 17:00/Sat (*101) 18:00
Katy Mixon has swapped her role as naive younger sister Victoria in Mike & Molly (2010-2016) for something foreign to the 36-yearold: sassy suburban mother Katie Otto on sitcom American Housewife (2016- current). And it only took four days to get her new gig after Mike & Molly ended. “I’m just so opposite of what [she] Katie Otto is. So it’s fun to play. It’s what I wanted. I wanted to do a role that I’ve never done before,” says actress Katy.
Katie is brash, non-traditional and open-minded. And that ruffles feathers when she moves into upperclass Westport, Connecticut. Katie isn’t alone either – she’s bringing varsity professor hubby Greg (Diedrich Bader) and their kids, sporty teen Taylor (Meg Donnelly), lippy son Oliver (Daniel DiMaggio) and Mommy’s Favourite youngest child Anna-Kat (Julia Butters), who’s OCD.
“[My Character] is in the midst of the sarcasm, in the midst of the cynicism, in the midst of the self- deprecation, she’s got a big heart. That’s what makes her so relatable,” explains Katy. Relatable to viewers but not to her new neighbours. They’re in for a rude surprise from episode 1 – Katie stresses about her weight when the second-fattest housewife moves out the suburb and Katie’s lined up to take the spot. Cue some quick thinking and Katie tries to get a fatter lady to move in and take the spot. Greg isn’t any better when it comes to envy – he hates that as a professor, he can’t match the six-figure salaries of the other Westport men. “It doesn’t matter what gender you are or what background you come from, everybody deals with insecurity,” says Katy. “Everybody understands, for whatever reason, what it’s like to not fit in or not do it right or not be perfect. That’s why I’m a firm believer of our show. It’s not just pertaining to housewives. It’s pertaining to every single person in this world.”
AND DON’T MISS…
1 In episode 10 (2 August), Katie is thrilled that Anna-Kat’s made a friend. But then she learns that OCD Anna-Kat’s pal is a kleptomaniac…
2 For episode 12 (16 August), Oliver tells his friends that Katie and Greg are undercover spies and living the simple life to avoid suspicion.
3 And in episode 20 (11 October), Katie tries to stop being a worrywort and let little Anna-Kat walk to the library by herself.