GCB (TV series)
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''GCB'' (also known as ''Good Christian Bitches'' and ''Good Christian Belles'') is an American
comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
television series developed by Robert Harling, produced by
Darren Star Darren Star (born July 25, 1961) is an American writer, director and producer of film and television. He is best known for creating the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–2000), ''Melrose Place'' (1992–1999), ''Sex and the City' ...
, and starring
Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...
,
Leslie Bibb Leslie Louise Bibb (born November 17, 1974) is an American actress and model. Bibb first appeared on television in 1996 with minor roles in a few series, and on film in 1997 with a small role in '' Private Parts''. Her first recurring TV role wa ...
,
Jennifer Aspen Jennifer Aspen (born October 9, 1973) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Daphne Jablonsky in Fox teen drama series ''Party of Five'' (1998–2000), as Trina Hamilton in ABC family sitcom '' Rodney'' (2004–2006), as Kendra Gia ...
,
Miriam Shor Miriam Shor (born July 25, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her performance in the rock musical ''Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical), Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' and in the Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film), 2001 film adaptation of ...
,
Marisol Nichols Marisol Nichols (born November 2, 1973) is an American actress, known for her roles as Nadia Yassir on the Fox series '' 24'' and Hermione Lodge on the CW drama series '' Riverdale''. Early life Nichols was born in the Rogers Park neighbor ...
, and
Annie Potts Anne Hampton Potts (born October 28, 1952) is an American actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for ''Corvette Summer'' (1978) and won a Genie Award for '' Heartaches'' (1981), before appearing in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984), ''Pretty i ...
. Based on the semi-autobiographical 2008 novel ''Good Christian Bitches'' by Kim Gatlin, the series centers on a recently widowed woman who moves her family back to the upscale
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
-area town where she grew up. The series debuted on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
as a
mid-season replacement In American network television scheduling, a mid-season replacement is a television show that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between December and May. Mid-season replacements usually take place after a sh ...
for ''
Pan Am Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...
'' in the 2011–12 television season, on March 4, 2012. On May 11, 2012, both series were canceled by ABC. In its series finale, ''GCB'' drew 5.6 million viewers. A reboot of the series, also titled ''Good Christian Bitches'', was greenlit by
The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
in November 2018.


Synopsis

The series follows Amanda Vaughn (
Leslie Bibb Leslie Louise Bibb (born November 17, 1974) is an American actress and model. Bibb first appeared on television in 1996 with minor roles in a few series, and on film in 1997 with a small role in '' Private Parts''. Her first recurring TV role wa ...
), former high-school "Queen Bitch" and recently widowed mother of two, who returns to her hometown of
Highland Park, Texas Highland Park is a town in central Dallas County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,864 in 2020. It is located between the Dallas North Tollway and U.S. Route 75 (North Central Expressway), north of downtown Dallas. Highland Park is bo ...
, an
enclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
of
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
. Formerly rich, Amanda lost everything when her husband was exposed as stealing billions of dollars from investors and died in a car crash with his mistress. She meets the former schoolmates she used to mock: Carlene Cockburn (
Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...
), the new "Queen Bitch"; Sharon Peacham (
Jennifer Aspen Jennifer Aspen (born October 9, 1973) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Daphne Jablonsky in Fox teen drama series ''Party of Five'' (1998–2000), as Trina Hamilton in ABC family sitcom '' Rodney'' (2004–2006), as Kendra Gia ...
), who was beautiful in high school and is now heavy and insecure and does the bulk of Carlene's bidding; glamorous business mogul Cricket Caruth-Reilly (
Miriam Shor Miriam Shor (born July 25, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her performance in the rock musical ''Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical), Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' and in the Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film), 2001 film adaptation of ...
), whose husband, Blake (
Mark Deklin Mark Deklin (born December 3, 1967) is an American actor and fight coordinator. He starred in the Fox primetime drama '' Lone Star'', the ABC comedy-drama '' GCB'', the Lifetime comedy-drama ''Devious Maids'', and in 2017 joined the ABC politica ...
), is gay; and Heather Cruz (
Marisol Nichols Marisol Nichols (born November 2, 1973) is an American actress, known for her roles as Nadia Yassir on the Fox series '' 24'' and Hermione Lodge on the CW drama series '' Riverdale''. Early life Nichols was born in the Rogers Park neighbor ...
), a powerful Dallas real-estate agent. Amanda and her teenage children move in with her wealthy 60-something mother Gigi Stopper (
Annie Potts Anne Hampton Potts (born October 28, 1952) is an American actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for ''Corvette Summer'' (1978) and won a Genie Award for '' Heartaches'' (1981), before appearing in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984), ''Pretty i ...
), who tries to influence Amanda's parenting and style choices, and gives her advice about strategic maneuvering among these women. While Amanda has grown considerably since high school and wants to move on with her life, Carlene and the others still resent Amanda. They don't believe she's changed and are out to drive her away.


Cast and characters


Main characters

*
Leslie Bibb Leslie Louise Bibb (born November 17, 1974) is an American actress and model. Bibb first appeared on television in 1996 with minor roles in a few series, and on film in 1997 with a small role in '' Private Parts''. Her first recurring TV role wa ...
as Amanda Vaughn (née Stopper), the
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
of the series. A newly single mother and widow from Santa Barbara, California who moves back to her childhood hometown of
Highland Park, Texas Highland Park is a town in central Dallas County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,864 in 2020. It is located between the Dallas North Tollway and U.S. Route 75 (North Central Expressway), north of downtown Dallas. Highland Park is bo ...
, with her two teenage children after her businessman husband, Bill (
Greg Vaughan James Gregory Vaughan Jr. (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor and former fashion model, known for his roles in the soap operas ''The Young and the Restless'' (2002–03), ''General Hospital'' (2003–09), and ''Days of Our Lives'' (2012– ...
), dies in a car accident with his mistress who are attempting to flee the country after stealing billions of dollars from investors in a
Ponzi scheme A Ponzi scheme (, ) is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors. Named after Italian businessman Charles Ponzi, the scheme leads victims to believe that profits are comin ...
. In high school, Amanda was the head cheerleader and most popular girl in school. She was also leader of a
clique A clique ( AusE, CanE, or ), in the social sciences, is a group of individuals who interact with one another and share similar interests. Interacting with cliques is part of normative social development regardless of gender, ethnicity, or popular ...
of so-called "mean girls" whom were called the "Foxes." Also known as the school's "it girl" or "queen bitch," Amanda used intimidation, terror and bullying to control her friends and enemies. Having lost everything, she now tries to change her life and redeem herself to her former classmates whom have formed their own clique called the "GCB's." Amanda is a recovering alcoholic, but falls off the wagon in the final episode when she is forced to drink tequila when she and the GCB's are lost in a desert. At the end of the series' final episode Pastor Tudor kisses her, and she kisses back. *
Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...
as Carlene Cockburn (née Lourd), the main
antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist. Etymology The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
of the series. She is a former "
javelina A peccary (also javelina or skunk pig) is a medium-sized, pig-like hoofed mammal of the family Tayassuidae (New World pigs). They are found throughout Central and South America, Trinidad in the Caribbean, and in the southwestern area of North A ...
" (literally a skunk pig) — a derisive nickname for girls outside the popular "Foxes" — who was a frequent target of Amanda's bullying and teasing throughout high school due to her short height and ugly appearance. After several plastic surgery procedures, she is now attractive and the new leader of the GCB's clique. While she claims to be a good Christian, she holds a personal grudge against Amanda and is judgmental of her, refusing to accept Amanda's apology for her past mistreatment and abuse, or to believe that Amanda is a better person now. Crafty and manipulative, she works behind the scenes to ruin Amanda's life in order to drive her out of town, or possibly worse. She is also a plastic-surgery addict. Carlene is the owner of Boobylicious, a local
Hooters Hooters is the registered trademark used by two American restaurant chains: Hooters, Inc., based in Clearwater, Florida, and Hooters of America, Inc. based in Atlanta, Georgia, and owned by the private investment firm Nord Bay Capital (with ...
-like bar. Discovering how Ripp also lost money to Amanda's husband's Ponzi scheme, she's convinced Amanda believes Bill to still be alive and wants to find out the truth. Talking with Amanda convinces Carlene that Bill is really dead, and that going after Amanda might cause her to face retribution from God. Carlene also blackmailed Amanda, using public disgrace against Gigi, after she went on a date with Carlene's younger brother, Luke. After Gigi sorted out the blackmail, Amanda got back together with Luke to the disgust of Carlene. She starts a "Purity Club" but is criticized by Pastor Tudor for going too far making sex look evil. When she and Amanda discover Amanda's daughter, Laura, kissing Carlene's son, Landry, the two put their differences aside to talk to the kids. Carlene confesses to Laura that she constantly slept around in high school and regrets it. In the season finale, Carlene is rocked to discover that Ripp has a 22-year-old daughter he never told her about. *
Jennifer Aspen Jennifer Aspen (born October 9, 1973) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Daphne Jablonsky in Fox teen drama series ''Party of Five'' (1998–2000), as Trina Hamilton in ABC family sitcom '' Rodney'' (2004–2006), as Kendra Gia ...
as Sharon Peacham (née Johnson), current member of the GCB's and a former beauty queen who is now focused on cooking meals for her husband, Zack, and children. She has gained weight and reluctantly allows herself to be pushed around by Carlene. Although a former Fox in high school, she competed in a beauty pageant against Amanda where she was sabotaged to lose by Amanda and has held a grudge against her ever since. Her husband, Zack, also has a huge crush on Amanda, which threatens Sharon. When she confronts him about kissing Amanda, he talks of how Amanda was a reminder of his glory days but insists he still loves Sharon. She responds that she had "glory days" too and thinks she can have even more. She sets up her own Bible-inspired weight-loss company, called "Losin' It With Jesus", which causes her to consider herself a successful businesswoman, much to Cricket's chagrin. In the finale, Zack sells her company to a Caruth subsidiary without Sharon's knowledge; although Sharon is furious, Cricket is impressed, since her underlings have instructions to acquire only the best. *
Marisol Nichols Marisol Nichols (born November 2, 1973) is an American actress, known for her roles as Nadia Yassir on the Fox series '' 24'' and Hermione Lodge on the CW drama series '' Riverdale''. Early life Nichols was born in the Rogers Park neighbor ...
as Heather Cruz, a single woman, the most successful realtor in their town, and another friend of Carlene's and member of the GCB's. She used to be an outsider back in high school because she was poor (her mother worked in the school cafeteria as the cook), but Gigi took her under her wing and helped her become the successful real estate agent she is now. Despite the fact Heather also used to be an occasional target of Amanda's bullying and abuse in school, she is the only one of the GCB's who accepts Amanda's apologies and befriends her, largely in part because Heather does not hold any personal grudge against Amanda, unlike the rest of the GCB's. Heather eventually defies Carlene by openly by refusing to stay away from Amanda. She is also the resident "gossip girl" of the clique. *
Miriam Shor Miriam Shor (born July 25, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her performance in the rock musical ''Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical), Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' and in the Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film), 2001 film adaptation of ...
as Cricket Caruth-Reilly, a strong-willed business woman and another one of Carlene's friends and member of the GCB's. She is just as crafty and wicked as Carlene, and sometimes competes against her for the spotlight. Similar to Carlene and Sharon, Cricket also holds a personal grudge against Amanda because, in high school, Amanda stole her boyfriend (who happened to be Bill) and spread a false rumor that turned her into a outcast "javelina." She does her best to prevent Amanda from getting a job or feeling welcome in their hometown. As a teenager, her father constantly criticized her and told her she would never have the capability to run the family business of a clothing company. She knows the truth about her husband Blake's homosexuality, but stays with him because she feels that he is the only man in her life who loves her for who she is and not for her money. Cricket is well known as a fitness fanatic, which is a cover for her extramarital sexual affairs. When Blake hires Amanda to design a line of jeans for her company, Cricket publicly praises Amanda's skill as a designer, but secretly sabotages the product (and her own company) because she is jealous of Blake and Amanda's friendship and refuses to forget that Amanda stole Bill from her. Cricket slowly develops a grudging respect for Amanda as the series goes on. At one point, Cricket privately thanks Amanda for stealing Bill away from her by pointing out that if she didn't, Bill would have cheated on and stole from Cricket had she ended up marrying Bill. *
David James Elliott David James Elliott (born September 21, 1960) is a Canadian actor who was the star of the series ''JAG (TV series), JAG'', playing lead character Harmon Rabb, Harmon Rabb Jr. from 1995 to 2005. Early life Elliott was born David William Smith on S ...
as Ripp Cockburn, Carlene's husband, the only one of the local men who seems hostile or indifferent to Amanda. He indicates that he and Amanda's late husband, Bill, have a past. It later turns out that Ripp lost a lot of money to Bill's
Ponzi scheme A Ponzi scheme (, ) is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors. Named after Italian businessman Charles Ponzi, the scheme leads victims to believe that profits are comin ...
and is convinced Amanda knows where it is hidden and should help him locate it. In fact, after reading notes Amanda wrote to get her feelings out about Bill, he and Carlene believe that Bill is still alive and hiding with their money. Even after finding proof that Bill really is dead, Ripp refuses to accept it. *
Mark Deklin Mark Deklin (born December 3, 1967) is an American actor and fight coordinator. He starred in the Fox primetime drama '' Lone Star'', the ABC comedy-drama '' GCB'', the Lifetime comedy-drama ''Devious Maids'', and in 2017 joined the ABC politica ...
as Blake Reilly, Cricket's husband who is secretly gay, although Cricket knows and helps keep his secret. In the early episodes, he was in love with his ranch foreman, Booth Becker. Blake and Booth broke up over Blake canceling plans to celebrate their anniversary because he wanted to see his cheerleader daughter perform at a pep rally. He now has a new ranch foreman (and "love interest") named Rusty. Blake, like most of the men in their town, is friendly with Amanda, though in his case it is actual friendship and not attraction. Blake is the second-in-command of Cricket's company, and personally designs most of their clothing lines. He enjoys being a father, and approaches Cricket about having another child, since their daughter is about to go away to college. He and Cricket first consider surrogate motherhood, but later decide to try the old-fashioned way, with comic results. *
Brad Beyer Brad Beyer (born September 20, 1973) is an American actor. He may be best-known for his role in the CBS series '' Jericho'', playing Stanley Richmond. Early and personal life Beyer was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where he graduated from Catho ...
as Zack Peacham, Sharon's lecherous, luxury car dealership-owning husband who secretly loves Amanda. He kisses her against her wishes, unfortunately with Carlene spying it, believing Amanda encouraged it, and reporting it to Sharon. He was drafted by the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
but injured his knee, so he tries to convince Sharon that kissing Amanda was about trying to reclaim his "glory years," and insists she is the only woman he has ever truly loved. *
Annie Potts Anne Hampton Potts (born October 28, 1952) is an American actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for ''Corvette Summer'' (1978) and won a Genie Award for '' Heartaches'' (1981), before appearing in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984), ''Pretty i ...
as Elizabeth "Gigi" Stopper, Amanda's Christian mother and local socialite. She made "Gigi" her nickname because of her dislike of being called "Grandma." Despite Amanda's insistence about wanting to live a normal life, Gigi pushes her to be part of Dallas high society. Gigi and Amanda still have issues over Amanda's belief that Gigi can't accept her wanting her own life, and believing that Gigi is embarrassed by her. Gigi always thought Bill was no good for Amanda and enjoys saying "I told you so" about Amanda's mistakes in life. However, as the series progressed, she expressed that she is proud of how strong her daughter is, and starts to support her in many things, even those that involve Amanda's rivalry with Carlene. When Carlene's Uncle Burl and his wife Bitsy (Gigi's high school rival) come to town, Gigi is happy to see them, as she and Burl have always gotten along well. Burl reveals he has a heart condition. Bitsy, believing Gigi wants her husband, intends to take him on a worldwide cruise, preferring he die with her rather than be with Gigi. However, Bitsy ends up dying in Gigi's home when she chokes on a pork rib. Immediately after the funeral Burl tries to get together with Gigi, but Gigi claims it would be wrong so soon after his wife died. Later Gigi and Burl secretly try to get together; Carlene thinks it's Amanda with her brother Luke, and uses "Neighborhood Watch" to catch them. At the fundraiser the next day, Gigi tells everyone by kissing Burl in front of everyone.


Recurring characters

* Tyler Jacob Moore (Donny Boaz in the pilot) as Pastor John Tudor, minister at Hillside Park United Memorial Church. *
Eric Winter Eric Barrett Winter (born July 17, 1976) is an American actor and former fashion model. He has appeared in the television roles of Rex Brady on the NBC soap opera ''Days of our Lives'', FBI Special Agent Craig O'Laughlin on the CBS drama seri ...
as Luke Lourd, Carlene Cockburn's younger brother whose car is rear-ended by Amanda while he's not wearing pants. He becomes Amanda's love interest, which upsets Carlene greatly. *
Bruce Boxleitner Bruce William Boxleitner (born May 12, 1950) is an American actor and science fiction and suspense writer. He is known for his leading roles in the television series '' How the West Was Won'', '' Bring 'Em Back Alive'', ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King ...
as Burl Lourd, Carlene's uncle and Gigi's love interest. * Lauran Irion as Laura Vaughn, Bill and Amanda's daughter. Amanda had feared Laura would be made fun of by the very clique/bully system she set up, but instead Laura was embraced as a "Fox." Amanda warned her daughter not to be part of this clique because it would corrupt her just like it did to Amanda when she was in high school, but Laura snapped back by saying that no matter what, she would never be like Amanda. Despite their differences, Laura openly expresses her love to her mother and tells her she is proud of her. * Colton Shires as Will Vaughn, Bill and Amanda's son who Carlene said at first glance was the spitting image of Bill, Amanda's late husband. * Alix Elizabeth Gitter as Alexandra Caruth-Reilly, Cricket's daughter and leader of the local "foxes". At her mother's suggestion, she takes Amanda's daughter Laura into the group as a way of keeping an eye on her. She had a breast augmentation with her mother's encouragement, which leads to public humiliation when her top breaks open during a pep rally. * Mackinlee Waddell as McKinney Peacham, Sharon's daughter. *
Hartley Sawyer Hartley Sawyer (born January 25, 1985) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Kyle Abbott on the CBS Daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' and Ralph Dibny / Elongated Man on The CW series ''The Flash''. Career In Ma ...
(Ryan Akir in the pilot) as Bozeman Peacham, Sharon's son. * Jack DePew (
Nick Krause Nick Krause (born April 14, 1992) is an American film and television actor. In 2014 Krause won Best Actor for his portrayal of Harlon in the film ''White Rabbit'' at the Boston and Catalina Film Festivals. Other roles include the film ''The Descen ...
in the pilot) as Landry Cockburn, Carlene's son.


Notable guests

*
Tom Everett Scott Thomas Everett Scott (born September 7, 1970) is an American actor. His film work includes a starring role as drummer Guy Patterson in the film ''That Thing You Do!'', the protagonist in ''An American Werewolf in Paris'', and notable roles in ...
as Andrew Remington a former high school nerdy classmate turned software billionaire from Seattle and Heather's lab partner in high school. They reconnect and start a relationship, but Andrew ends it when he realizes that he doesn't like living in Heather's high-profile social circle. *
Donna Mills Donna Mills (born Donna Jean Miller on December 11, 1940) is an American actress. She began her television career in 1966 with a recurring role on ''The Secret Storm'', and in the same year appeared on Broadway in the Woody Allen comedy '' Don ...
as Bitsy Lourd, Burl's jealous wife and Gigi's nemesis; dies by choking on barbecue at Gigi's party. *
Kevin Alejandro Kevin Michael Alejandro (born April 7, 1976) is an American actor and film director. He is known for his roles as Nate Moretta in the crime drama '' Southland'', Forklift Mike in '' Parenthood,'' Jesús Velázquez in the supernatural thriller '' ...
as Danny, a local butcher who offers to supply meat for Amanda's cookout on the condition that Heather goes on a date with him. Heather winds up liking him, but is concerned about the vast differences in their income. *
Grant Bowler Grant Bowler (born 18 July 1968) is a New Zealand-Australian actor and television presenter who has worked in American, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian film, television, and theatre. He is known for playing the role of Constable Wayne ...
as Mason Massey, a "frozen foods magnate and thoroughbred horse breeder." Sparks fly when Massey meets with Cricket (Miriam Shor) to negotiate stud fee for his prize horse. *
Greg Vaughan James Gregory Vaughan Jr. (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor and former fashion model, known for his roles in the soap operas ''The Young and the Restless'' (2002–03), ''General Hospital'' (2003–09), and ''Days of Our Lives'' (2012– ...
as Bill Vaughn, Amanda's late husband, Laura and Will's father. * Denton Blane Everett as Booth Becker, Blake's ex-ranch foreman and love interest. *
Sandra Bernhard Sandra Bernhard (born June 6, 1955) is an American actress, singer, comedian and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy, where she often critiqued celebrity culture and political figures. She is perhaps b ...
as Debbie Horowitz, a wannabe
Aztec The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...
terrorist *
Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three li ...
as Herself


Episodes


Development and production

Jennifer Aspen Jennifer Aspen (born October 9, 1973) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Daphne Jablonsky in Fox teen drama series ''Party of Five'' (1998–2000), as Trina Hamilton in ABC family sitcom '' Rodney'' (2004–2006), as Kendra Gia ...
became the first actress cast in the pilot in February 2011. Aspen plays the role of Sharon Peacham. On March 1, 2011, it was announced that
Leslie Bibb Leslie Louise Bibb (born November 17, 1974) is an American actress and model. Bibb first appeared on television in 1996 with minor roles in a few series, and on film in 1997 with a small role in '' Private Parts''. Her first recurring TV role wa ...
had landed the role of Amanda Vaughn in the pilot.
Annie Potts Anne Hampton Potts (born October 28, 1952) is an American actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for ''Corvette Summer'' (1978) and won a Genie Award for '' Heartaches'' (1981), before appearing in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984), ''Pretty i ...
also joined the show as Amanda's overbearing mother. Potts fielded 3 pilot offers before settling on ''GCB''. Creator Robert Harling went to high school with Potts and based the character of Gigi on Potts' own mother. On March 4, 2011, ''
Deadline Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to: * Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain * ''Deadline'' (magazine), a British ...
'' announced that
Miriam Shor Miriam Shor (born July 25, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her performance in the rock musical ''Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical), Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' and in the Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film), 2001 film adaptation of ...
had joined the cast. On March 10, 2011, it was announced that
Marisol Nichols Marisol Nichols (born November 2, 1973) is an American actress, known for her roles as Nadia Yassir on the Fox series '' 24'' and Hermione Lodge on the CW drama series '' Riverdale''. Early life Nichols was born in the Rogers Park neighbor ...
had also joined the ensemble cast. On March 14, 2011, it was announced that
Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...
had landed the lead role of Carlene Cockburn, the GCBs' queen bee. On March 16, 2011,
David James Elliott David James Elliott (born September 21, 1960) is a Canadian actor who was the star of the series ''JAG (TV series), JAG'', playing lead character Harmon Rabb, Harmon Rabb Jr. from 1995 to 2005. Early life Elliott was born David William Smith on S ...
was cast in the role of Ripp Cockburn, Carlene's husband. On May 13, 2011, ABC picked up the pilot for the 2011–2012 television season. Ten episodes were produced for the first season. Season 1 premiered on March 4, 2012. On December 1, 2011, it was announced that
Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three li ...
and
Sandra Bernhard Sandra Bernhard (born June 6, 1955) is an American actress, singer, comedian and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy, where she often critiqued celebrity culture and political figures. She is perhaps b ...
would be guest stars in the series.


Naming

ABC was contacted by a number of Christians and Christian organizations who objected to the original title of the series, ''Good Christian Bitches'', as they believed the name was demeaning toward Christianity, while some advocates for women found it problematic to use the word " bitches" to refer to women. Word of the name change came along with ABC's announcement that it had ordered the series. The series was renamed ''Good Christian Belles'' which appeared in several promos before the final renaming to the
initialism An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...
''GCB''. Several ABC affiliates in
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
and other states in the
Bible Belt The Bible Belt is a region of the Southern United States in which socially conservative Protestant Christianity plays a strong role in society and politics, and church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation's aver ...
had threatened to not air the show if the name wasn't changed. It was known as ''GCB'' in Australia. The
American Family Association The American Family Association (AFA) is a Christian fundamentalist 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States.
filed a petition against the show, arguing that "With a title like ''Good Christian B-tches'', you can imagine what kind of show it will be. Even if they change the title, the content will still mock people of faith." Its sister group
One Million Moms The American Family Association (AFA) is a Christian fundamentalist 501(c)(3), 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States.New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
councilor A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...
Peter Vallone, Jr. called for a boycott of ''GCB'' claiming the series is "yet another outrageous attack on the Christian faith." Series star Chenoweth, a self-proclaimed evangelical Christian, said "I certainly wouldn't do anything that would make fun of my own faith. This is just chocolate cake, and it's actually a love letter to Dallas." Despite being retitled in the U.S., the series aired under its original title ''Good Christian Bitches'' in Denmark on Kanal 4, in Sweden on Kanal 5, in Norway on TV Norge and in the Netherlands on NET5. In Brazil and Latin America, it will air under its second working title ''Good Christian Belles'' on
Canal Sony Sony Channel (commonly referred to on-air as Sony) is a Latin American pay television channel that broadcasts TV series and movies. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and distributed by Ole Distribution. It was the first pan-regional ba ...
.


Reboot

In November 2018, it was announced that a
reboot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
of the series was in the works at
The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
from original producer
ABC Studios ABC Signature is an American television Filmmaking#Production, production studio that is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a division of Walt Disney Television, which is part of the List of assets owned by The Walt Disney Company#Disne ...
as well as
CBS Television Studios CBS Studios, Inc. is an American television production company which is a subsidiary of CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. It was formed on January 17, 2006, by CBS Corporation as CBS Paramount Television, as a renaming of the o ...
with writer Leila Cohan-Miccio set to executive produce alongside original executive producers
Darren Star Darren Star (born July 25, 1961) is an American writer, director and producer of film and television. He is best known for creating the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–2000), ''Melrose Place'' (1992–1999), ''Sex and the City' ...
of Darren Star Productions and Aaron Kaplan of Kapital Entertainment, in addition to Kapital's Dana Honor. In February 2019, it was reported that the project would roll over to the next development cycle, with the producers expected to "start from scratch" on the adaptation.


Music

Most of the music heard on the show is available for purchase at the
iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
and went on sale every week consecutively, on the same day episodes aired. Music releases include "
This Little Light of Mine "This Little Light of Mine" is a popular gospel song of unknown origin. It was often reported to be written for children in the 1920s by Harry Dixon Loes, but he never claimed credit for the original version of the song, and the Moody Bible Ins ...
" performed by
Miriam Shor Miriam Shor (born July 25, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her performance in the rock musical ''Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical), Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' and in the Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film), 2001 film adaptation of ...
and
Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...
and " Prayer of St. Francis" also by Chenoweth, originally recorded for her
Some Lessons Learned ''Some Lessons Learned'' is the fourth album by singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth. Overview The country pop disc was released on September 13, 2011. The lead single, "I Want Somebody (Bitch About)" was released on May 31, 2011. The album con ...
album. There are also many unreleased songs, like "Jesus Is Just Alright with Me" by Shor, Chenoweth,
Mark Deklin Mark Deklin (born December 3, 1967) is an American actor and fight coordinator. He starred in the Fox primetime drama '' Lone Star'', the ABC comedy-drama '' GCB'', the Lifetime comedy-drama ''Devious Maids'', and in 2017 joined the ABC politica ...
and Cast, Deklin's "It's a Miracle", both from the episode ''Pride Comes Before a Fall'',
Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three li ...
's "The Gospel According to Me" and Shor's rendition of "
Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...
", both from episode ''Forbidden Fruit''.


Background

An official album release featuring songs from the soundtrack titled ''GCB: Music from Season One'' was planned for a May 8, 2012, release, although after news of cancellation the release was apparently postponed or cancelled as well. Series star
Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...
contributed two tracks to the album; Other contributing artists include country duo
The JaneDear Girls the JaneDear girls was an American country music duo, consisting of Susie Brown (vocals, mandolin, fiddle, bass, guitar, accordion) from Alpine, Utah, and Danelle Leverett (vocals, guitar, banjo, harmonica) from Amarillo, Texas. The duo was with ...
and singer-actress Emily West. It consists mainly of original country, Christian songs, and only a few songs (
Jason McCoy Jason McCoy (born Jason Dwight Campsall on August 27, 1970) is a Canadian country singer-songwriter. He has won the 2001 Male Vocalist of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards, 3 SOCAN Song of the Year awards, 19 CCMA nominations and ...
,
Rick Trevino Ricardo Treviño Jr. (born May 16, 1971) is an American country music artist. Signed to Columbia Nashville in 1993, Trevino began his career that year with the release of his debut single "Just Enough Rope", the first mainstream country music sin ...
and
Elizabeth Cook Elizabeth Cook (born July 18, 1972) is an American country music singer and radio host. She has made over 400 appearances on the Grand Ole Opry since her debut on March 17, 2000, despite not being a member. Cook, "the daughter of a hillbilly s ...
's) that have been previously released. The entire soundtrack is available as individual singles on iTunes and
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...
, except "Can't Behave" by
Brett Eldredge Brett Ryan Eldredge (born March 23, 1986) is an American country music singer, songwriter and record producer, signed to Warner Music Group Nashville. Eldredge has had five No. 1 singles on the ''Billboard'' Country Airplay chart, three of ...
; none of
Jeff Beal Jeff Beal (born June 20, 1963) is an American composer of music for film, television, recordings, and the concert hall. Highly regarded as a jazz instrumentalist and versatile composer, Beal creates music that often incorporates a synthesis of im ...
's original score from the show is included.


Track listing


Reception

The show received mixed reviews from critics.
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
gave it an aggregate score of 56 out of 100 or "mixed or average reviews" based on reviews from 21 critics. ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' awarded the pilot episode with a disappointing grade of C−, remarking that the show failed to make an impression. Both critics, however, noted Chenoweth's performance as a highlight. The show won the "TV You Betta Watch" category at
Logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wordma ...
's 2012
NewNowNext Awards The NewNowNext-Awards is an American annual entertainment awards show, presented by the LGBT, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-themed channel Logo TV. Launched in 2008, awards are presented both for LGBT-specific and general interest achievem ...
. Eric Winter, who played Luke Lourd, said, "This is an extremely creative and smart show that just needs more of a chance to take off and run."


References


External links

* * * {{IMDb title, 1727387, GCB 2010s American comedy-drama television series 2010s American LGBT-related comedy television series 2010s American LGBT-related drama television series 2012 American television series debuts 2012 American television series endings American Broadcasting Company original programming Christianity in popular culture controversies English-language television shows Religious controversies in television Religious controversies in the United States Television controversies in the United States Television series by ABC Studios Television shows based on American novels Television shows set in Dallas Television series by Kapital Entertainment