The Starter Wife
Created by	Gigi Levangie
Written by	Josann McGibbon Sara Parriott Gigi Levangie (novel)
Directed by	Jon Avnet
Starring	Debra Messing Judy Davis Miranda Otto Chris Diamantopoulos Peter Jacobson Stephen Moyer Joe Mantegna Anika Noni Rose
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	6
Production
Producers	Jon Avnet Stephanie Davis Howard Klein Gigi Levangie Josann McGibbon Sara Parriott
Production companies	Haypop Productions 3 Arts Entertainment McGibbon-Parriott Productions
Original release
Network	USA Network
Release	May 31 (2007-05-31) – June 28, 2007 (2007-06-28)

The Starter Wife is a 2007 USA Network television miniseries, based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Gigi Levangie Grazer. Its title is derived from the concept of a starter marriage. Filmed over four months in Queensland, Australia,^[1] the plot focuses on Molly Kagan (Debra Messing) who, after years of marriage to a Hollywood film mogul, is forced to redefine herself and her role in society when her husband leaves her for a younger woman.

The mini-series premiered with a two-hour presentation on May 31, 2007 at 9:00 pm ET. The premiere attracted 5.4 million viewers, with 2.8 million of them being adults aged 25–54 (the network's target demographic). Ratings steadily decreased as the series progressed. The series is available for purchase on iTunes (to American customers only) and was available for DVD purchase starting September 11, 2007.

The miniseries was nominated for ten Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Miniseries, Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Debra Messing), Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (Joe Mantegna), Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Judy Davis), and Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special (Josann McGibbon & Sara Parriott). Davis was the sole winner, while Messing was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie.

Although initially intended as a one-shot miniseries, USA subsequently ordered The Starter Wife as a new series for the 2008 spring season.^[2] Production on the series first ten-episode season was delayed due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, and began airing October 10, 2008.

Characters

• Molly Kagan (Debra Messing) is a 41-year-old wife and mother of five-year-old daughter Jaden (Miniseries: Bethany Whitmore; Series: Brielle Barbusca). Soon after the characters are introduced, she is abandoned by her husband and is forced to rebuild her life and assert herself within the film community, most of which ignores her after the split.
• Joan McAllister (Judy Davis) is Molly's oldest friend and an alcoholic socialite who lends Molly her beachfront Malibu home when she pretends to jet off to Paris but actually enters a rehab center in Ojai. She later calls upon Molly to impersonate her non-existent sister "Bambi", upon whom she has placed all blame for her failings, when her therapist insists the two confront each other and work out their hostilities.
• Cricket Stewart (Miranda Otto) is one of Molly's friends whose allegiance to her is tested when her film director husband, a business associate of Kenny's, demands she break all ties with her. When she discovers him in a compromising situation with their children's nanny, she orders him to leave the house and reconnects with Molly. She later takes him back but has difficulty forgetting the image of her husband with the nanny. After she discovers she is pregnant she tells Molly that she has finally found the image to replace the one of her husband cheating.
• Rodney Evans (Chris Diamantopoulos), one of Molly's best friends, is a gay interior decorator suffering a financial setback.
• Kenny Kagan (Miniseries: Peter Jacobson) is Molly's soon-to-be ex-husband and President of Production at Durango Pictures. He leaves Molly for a woman half his age and aims to replace the current CEO of the company.
• Sam Knight (Stephen Moyer) is a homeless beach bum who saves Molly from drowning. He openly scorns her as superficial but the two eventually become involved in a romantic relationship. It is later revealed he spent five years in prison for involuntary manslaughter after his best friend was killed in a car crash caused by Sam's DUI.
• Lou Manahan (Joe Mantegna) is the head of Durango Pictures. He fakes his suicide by drowning to start anew, yet cannot help but attend his memorial service (disguised as a woman) to see how his friends and colleagues react to his death.
• Lavender (Anika Noni Rose) is the security guard at the entrance to the gated community where Joan lives. Molly takes her and her grandmother under her wing when they are evicted from their apartment for having a dog.
• Shoshanna (Trilby Glover) is a young pop music singer who becomes involved with Kenny. It is revealed she was only using him to advance her career and she dumps him when he is fired from his job.

Nielsen Ratings by episode

International broadcasting

Country	TV Network(s)	Series Premiere	Weekly Schedule
United States	USA Network	May 31, 2007
Canada	A-Channel	September 10, 2007	Mondays at 9:00 pm
Australia	Network Ten	December 5, 2007	Wednesdays at 8:30 pm
Thailand	Hallmark Channel	October 21, 2007	Sundays at 8:00 pm
Malaysia			Sundays at 9.00 pm
Singapore
Hong Kong
Philippines
Portugal	MOV	December 2007
	TVI	November 2009	Thursdays at approximately 00:15 am
Brazil	Rede Telecine / People+Arts	October 2007
United Kingdom	Sky Movies Drama	December 10, 2007	Mondays at 9:40 pm
Turkey	CNBC-e	September 18, 2008	Thursdays at 9:00 pm
Sweden	Kanal 5	March 11, 2008	Tuesday at 9:00 pm
Germany	Premiere	February 19, 2008	Tuesdays at 8:15 pm
Croatia	Nova TV	announced	TBA
France	Canal+	August 7, 2008	Thursdays at 8:50 pm (2 episodes)
Spain	Cosmopolitan TV (cable)	February 2, 2009
	TVE 2	July 2009
Italy	Mya	September 4, 2008	Thursdays at 9:00 pm
Switzerland	SF zwei	November 17, 2008	Monday at 8.00 pm
Hungary	TV2	May 26, 2009	Friday at 10.15 pm
Japan	Star Channel(CS)	October 2008
The Middle East	Showseries Showtime Arabia
Netherlands	RTL8	January 3, 2010	Sundays at 8.00 pm
Ireland	TG4
Belgium	La Une	June 2010	Thursdays at 10:00 pm (2 episodes)
Serbia	Fox Life

Awards and nominations