Samantha Who?

Recently rewatched this as I remembered quite liking it the first time around. The whole cast compliments each other well, but in my opinion Jennifer Esposito steals the show in every scene she's in. Her portrayal of Andrea is hilarious. Why this show didn't last beyond two seasons is beyond me.

I wish there was more seasons of this! Watched a couple of episodes when it was first on, but bought the dvds recently and binged them - such a lovely show. It's light, funny, sassy, great actors and script. Love Christina Applegate and Jennifer Esposito, they are hilarious. We need more light-hearted shows like this!

After a car accident gives Samantha (Christina Applegate) amnesia, she has to start her life all over, while gradually discovering her past. In truth, she was a partying mean girl. Now she has to deal with the consequences. This one stars Jennifer Esposito and Melissa McCarthy as her friends. Kevin Dunn and Jean Smart play her parents.

It makes for an interesting premise that would allow her to redeem herself in every episode. Christina Applegate is a lovely and compelling actor. This show definitely showcases her skills and personality. Sadly it lasted only 2 seasons. I think it had some more steam left in it.

The series was unusual in tackling the issue of original sin, or of free will. Is Samantha born to sin as the sparks fly upward? And the issue was handled with a good comic touch; quite a few good and original lines of dialog. Not surprisingly considering his track record of first-class work, Kevin Dunn managed to satisfactorily fill out an underwritten part-- the series is presented from a woman's point of view and there is little character behind the men's predictability or unpredictability. Maybe the biggest mistake was allowing time to pass at real average rate of a year per year, because the possibilities are greatest when Samantha's awakening is recent. After a while, the series begins to cast her in the same gags as the visitor from space-- Mork, or Alf (who is name-checked in one episode), or Dick Solomon-- who is surprised to be experiencing human life. Also, with time, the rules of behavior keeping the good friend good and the evil friend evil begin to crack a little. But the dynamic with the parents looked like the life raft that might-- who knows?-- have rescued the series for another season.

Here is an original idea. What if we all had the chance to forget the transgressions we committed in our life up to this time? What would happen if you woke up from a coma not knowing the first thing about your past? Such is the premise of "Samamtha Who?", a charming fantasy-comedy starring Christina Applegate, formerly of "Married...With Children". I suspect that most of us, given the chance, would probably not like a few things about our past lives, but Samantha, pre-amnesia, was a bit more unlikeable than most. Miss Applegate has progressed quite a bit as a comedic actress over the years, and her character here gets a chance to show her considerable comedic talents. Her reactions and expressions remind one of the early Marlo Thomas in the "That Girl" series. This series deserves a chance to succeed, if only the writers can keep up the writing end, not running out of ideas based soley on the amnesia gag. There is promise here.