Butterviews

I was asked to preview CMT’s first scripted sitcom, Working Class by the One2One Network.

Working Class premieres next Friday, January 28th, at 8PM ET/PT. It stars Melissa Peterman and Ed Asner. Here’s a synopsis of the new show:

The new 12 episode, multi-camera series follows Carli Mitchell (Melissa Peterman), a single mom from a rough and tumble background, trying to give her three kids a better life by moving them to an upscale suburb. She quickly finds that making the transition to “the good life” is harder than she thought. She’s unwittingly befriended by her cranky neighbor, Hank (Ed Asner), her only “career” prospect is a glorified deli job at the local grocery store, and the man she falls for not only already has a girlfriend – but he’s also her boss, Rob (Patrick Fabian). With her ladies-man brother, Nick (Steve Kazee), to help her out (when he’s not acting like one of thekids himself), Carli faces the challenges of parenting, dating, and making friends in her new community by doing more with less, staying true to herself and approaching each day with a touch of
working class.

The complete cast includes:
• Melissa Peterman – “Carli Mitchell”
• Ed Asner – “Hank Greziak,” Carli’s neighbor.
• Steve Kazee – “Nick Garrett,” Carli’s brother.
• Patrick Fabian – “Rob Parker,” Carli’s boss and love interest.
• Lachlan Buchahan – “Scott Mitchell,” Carli’s eldest son.
• Courtney Merritt – “Pam Mitchell,” Carli’s daughter.
• Cameron Castaneda – “Will Mitchell,” Carli’s youngest son.

The show will also feature multiple guest stars throughout the season, including recently-announced Reba, whose on-screen reunion with Melissa Peterman will air in February. Additional guest stars include David Faustino (“Married with Children” and Not Another B Movie); Kathy Kinney (“The Drew Carey Show” and “The
Secret Life of the American Teenager”); Martin Mull (“Roseanne” and “’Til Death”); John Schneider (“The Dukes of Hazzard” and “Smallville”); Ryan Stiles (“Whose Line Is It Anyway” and “The Drew Carey Show”); and Lesley Ann Warren (“In Plain Sight” and “Desperate Housewives”), as well as CMT’s own Evan Farmer from
CMT TOP 20 COUNTDOWN. WORKING CLASS is executive produced by Jill Cargerman (“Spin City,” “Las Vegas,” “Gary Unmarried”) and Bryan Johnson of The Film Syndicate.

I jotted down a few notes as I watched the show:

• It is really nice to see Melissa Petersen as someone who is NOT a ditz!
• The show reminds me a lot of Roseanne in it’s appeal to me (and my family background) without the meanness I saw in that show.
• Very cute, and a little silly.
• Good mindless entertainment – which is exactly what I want out of a 1/2 hour sitcom.

So, what can I say in summary? Will it change television history? No. Does it appeal to my demographic? Yes. Is the acting worth watching? Yes. Will I watch it again? Yes. I’m curious how they’re going to take the story line. All in all, a positive review!

EQUATION:

The good promotional people sent me a “sample” that was actually a full sized Febreze for Fabrics, Carpets and Air in the “lavender vanilla & comfort” scent for me to use and review for you good people.

I chose my reading chair – a second hand find that’s made of a nubby corduroy type material.  I vacuumed it first – cause eewwww cat hair.  And then I followed the instructions and sprayed away.

Of note about the product:  It’s safe for dogs and cats (which, you know, good for me since I have two cats) but unsafe around birds (as with all air products).

PLUS:

When I picked it up, even the bottle felt good.  It’s rounded, and the sprayer attachment isn’t all pointy.  When you spray it, it sprays evenly and easily with no drips. To me, it didn’t smell like lavender and vanilla.  But it did smell like a freshly changed baby.  You know when you use the wipes, and a fresh diaper, and clean clothes, and then pick them up?  That scent, which is wonderful.  It was nice and light, and not overpowering or “chemically.”  It took about a half an hour for the dampness to subside, which to me, doesn’t seem terribly long since you purposefully made fabric wet.  And when I sat, it set off that wonderful scent again.

MINUS:

Honestly?  None.  It’s rare that I can say that…  Usually something rubs me wrong on everything (aren’t I a ball of sunshine?)  But in this case – nope!

EQUALS:

A positive review.  A great product, and one that I will willingly and purposely buy in the future.

I honestly don’t remember who turned me onto this site, but I think it was one of my Twitter pals. Mon.thly.Info is basically a site to track your period easily.

From their site:

How does it work?
Each time you start your period, add the date to your Mon.thly account, and it will use your history to predict the next time your cycle will start. This provides you with a record of your menstrual cycles, which can be an important addition to your medical history. If you want, Mon.thly will also email you a customized reminder before or on your next estimated start date.

PLUS: It’s a great site design. Aesthetically pleasing, love the graphics, and way easy maneuverability. There’s a clear “About” page to tell you how to do it. If you choose, you can have an email reminder sent to let you know your cycle’s coming. The more data you feed it over time, the better it becomes at predicting your cycle.  Great for knowing when it’s coming, or to have the info for that infamous question, “And when was your last period?”  Here’s some screenshots in which you find out more information than you EVER wanted to know about me.

MINUS: The only thing I can see is that you cannot mark notes on the days – it’s strictly a calendar.  In other words, if you want to track your flow, or pain levels, that’s not possible here.  This also wouldn’t be a totally fabulous tool to try and get pregnant, except for a general ovulation date.

EQUALS:  LOVE IT.  I love it.  I use it.  I recommend you use it too!