BATTLESTAR GALACTICA’s Michael Trucco isn’t the only familiar face returning to TV tonight. For sandwiched between DANCING WITH THE STARS and the start of Trucco’s multi-episode arc on CASTLE is none other than TV Addict childhood favorite Alyssa Milano (CHARMED, WHO’S THE BOSS) with her much-anticipated return to the small screen. Premiering tonight at 9:30PM (est), ROMANTICALLY CHALLENGED follows lawyer and mom Rebecca (Milano) who re-enters the dating scene after a 15-year marriage with the help of some truly clueless friends. And here to talk about the not-so-romantic challenges involved with launching a new series in an increasingly competitive entertainment landscape is Milano herself, with whom we had the pleasure of catching up with via phone earlier in the month.
ROMANTICALLY CHALLENGED was your fourth pilot post-CHARMED. What do you think differentiated it from previous shows you’ve tried to get off the ground?
Alyssa Milano: Oh it’s lighting in a bottle, you can never tell why something works and doesn’t. In the case of ROMANTICALLY CHALLENGED, we had elements that all came together and were really sort of special. The show is a great team, we have Ricky Blitt from FAMILY GUY who is our executive producer and creator, [Director] James Burrows who is a TV God and this amazing cast. I’ve gotten smart enough to know it’s about all the elements, not specifically about the character I would be playing. So when I look for projects I’m looking for a complete package. Regardless of whether it’s an ensemble or a show about me I want all the elements to be there, and this really has that from the get go and ABC has been wonderful and given us an opportunity because they believe in us.
Just how much has the industry changed since growing up on television in WHO’S THE BOSS?
As far as the work process and what the actors, especially on a multi-camera, I think it hasn’t changed much at all. On this show we taped in front of a live audience and rehearsed for four days before just like I did on WHO’S THE BOSS. What’s changed is the television industry. There is so much competition for entertainment. Not only just on TV with the different cable networks, but also with video games, computers, people are getting their entertainment from many difference places now.