Contessa

Contessa is a New Cambrian sitcom, created and written by James D. Rankin, who also serves as the show's director. It deals with the daily life of an aging ex-soap opera actress who learns how quickly her fame disappears after she is unexpectedly fired from her show. An initial 13-episode series was commissioned by New Cambria Television following the approval of the show's audition program. The original main cast consisted of Margaret Howe, Kyle Mason, John Wall, Janna Weaver and Stacey Clyde. Wall and Clyde left the programme after the second series, with Jake Collins promoted from a recurring role to the main cast in series three. The programme is taped and set in Southport.

Garnering mediocre-to-good ratings for NCT One in its original Monday night timeslot, a second series of seven episodes was commissioned in 2007, which was expanded into a full 14-episode order shortly thereafter. One of New Cambria's few home-grown situation comedies, Contessa did not become popular with viewers until midway through its second series, after which it continually ranked as one of NCT One's most popular original programmes. Spin magazine attributed the rise in Contessa's popularity to its timeslot move from Monday nights to Tuesdays, directly following American sitcom import Scrubs. Despite its still-growing popularity amongst viewers, the creator and several principal cast members have confirmed that the fourth series of Contessa will be its last, with the finale airing in February 2010.

Overview
Fifty-two-year-old Contessa Kelley (Margaret Howe) has been a principal actor on the popular soap opera Living Dangerously for over thirty years, and is shocked to find out that she has been abruptly "killed off" the show in a most undignified way. Finding herself out of work, virtually unemployable and financially exhausted, she returns to Southport to live with her estranged son Kevin (Kyle Mason) and his new wife Jenny (Janna Weaver) in an apartment above their garage. Also living nearby is David Wright (John Wall), Kevin's bachelor best friend and co-worker, and Meredith Ross (Stacey Clyde), Jenny's protective older sister.

In the early episodes, much of the comedy derives from Contessa's adjusting to everyday suburban life, and clinging onto her former fame, despite most of the country having already forgotten her. Other plot devices include Contessa's complete incompetence at anything domestic and seemingly distorted (at least, from Kevin's perspective) memories of her own days as a young mother, Jenny's obsessive tidiness compared to Contessa and Kevin's poor housekeeping, and a brief romantic fling between Contessa and David. By the second series, the plot lines were more sitcom standard, with Contessa finally getting a job, and eventually moving out in the series two finale.

In series three premiere, Kevin and Jenny move from Southport to St. Saviour (though the programme was still taped in Southport), and are followed by Contessa one episode later. John Wall and Stacey Clyde's characters were written out of the show, though both made guest appearances in series three and four. College professor Bryan Yannick (Jake Collins), whom Contessa began a secret relationship with in the last episodes of series two, is promoted to a full cast member in series three. Jenny finds out about Contessa and Bryan, but promises to keep it a secret from Kevin. Kevin eventually finds out in the series three finale.

Regular Cast

 * Margaret Rowe as Contessa Kelley
 * Kyle Mason as Kevin Kelley
 * Janna Weaver as Jenny Kelley (née Ross)
 * John Wall as David Wright (episodes 1-27, 36, 50-53)
 * Stacey Clyde as Meredith Ross (episodes 1-28, 40, 44)
 * Jake Collins as Bryan Yannick (episodes 24, 26-55)