''Side Order of Life'' is an American

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

tic

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

broadcast by Lifetime on Sunday night. It

premiere A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its fi ...

d on Lifetime on July 15, 2007. In its first five weeks it aired at 8:00pm ET/PT, then switched to the 9:00pm time slot. Lifetime broadcast ''Side Order of Life'' with '' State of Mind'' and ''

Army Wives ''Army Wives'' is an American drama television series that followed the lives of four army wives, one army husband, and their families. The series premiered on Lifetime on June 3, 2007, and ran for seven seasons, ending on June 9, 2013. The s ...

'' in an effort to offer a night of new original programming aimed primarily at female viewers during the summer

hiatus Hiatus may refer to: * Hiatus (anatomy), a natural fissure in a structure * Hiatus (stratigraphy), a discontinuity in the age of strata in stratigraphy *''Hiatus'', a genus of picture-winged flies with sole member species '' Hiatus fulvipes'' * G ...

. Initial reviews were positive. Lifetime declined to renew ''Side Order of Life'' for a second season.

Premise

Marisa Coughlan Marisa Christine Coughlan ( ; born March 17, 1974) is an American actress and writer. Her first prominent role was a lead in Kevin Williamson's ''Teaching Mrs. Tingle'' (1999), followed by a role as Officer Ursula Hanson in the comedy '' Super Tr ...

plays Jenny McIntyre, a photographer who reconsiders her life and is reawakened to her options after her best friend, Vivy Porter ( Diana-Maria Riva), is diagnosed with a recurrence of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

Jason Priestley Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969) is a Canadian actor and television director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–1998, 2000), as Richard "Fitz" Fitzpatrick in t ...

returns to regular series television as Ian Denison, Jenny's fiancé.

Christopher Gartin Christopher Russell Gartin (born January 12, 1977, in New York City, New York) is an American actor and producer, known for ''Black Swan'' (2010), '' Tremors 2: Aftershocks'' (1996) and ''Transcendence Transcendence, transcendent, or transcende ...

rounds out the main cast as Jenny's boss Rick Purdy at the fictional ''In Person'' magazine; he is in love with Vivy, who has rejected him.

Cast

Main

as Jenny McIntyre, a photojournalist at In Person magazine. * Diana-Maria Riva as Vivy Porter, Jenny's best friend, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. *

as Rick Purdy, editor of In Person magazine, and secretly in love with Vivy *

as Ian Denison, Jenny's ex-fiancé, engaged to Becca despite warnings from friends about rebound relationships * Ashley Williams as Becca, Vivy's 'other best friend', who dated Ian in college, engaged to Ian currently. In a moment of candor, when discussing his role on a female-oriented show on a female-oriented network, Jason Priestley referred to himself as "the man-meat," but stated, "I'm ok with that."

Recurring

* Steven Weber (uncredited in episodes 1–12) as Cell Phone Man, whom Jenny called by accident when trying to reach Ian, and who she continued to call for reassurance and support. *

Joe Regalbuto Joe Regalbuto (born August 24, 1949) is an American actor and director. He is known for his role as Frank Fontana on the CBS television sitcom ''Murphy Brown'', which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1989. Early life Regalbuto gra ...

as Mr. McIntyre, Jenny's father, and a good friend of Ian's, even after the breakup. *

Susan Blakely Susan Blakely is an American actress and model. She is best known for her leading role in the 1976 ABC miniseries '' Rich Man, Poor Man'', for which she received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. Blakely also ha ...

as Margot, Jenny's mother, a self-described trophy wife. *

Lisa Waltz Lisa Waltz is an American actress who has had roles in many television shows and who played Nora in the film adaptation of ''Brighton Beach Memoirs''. Personal life Waltz was born and raised in Limerick, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Bobby and ...

as Dr. Misty Raines, Vivy's Oncologist, who also has cancer. * Paula Jai Parker as Stargell Grant *

Ron Fassler Ron Fassler (born March 4, 1957 in New York City) is an American film and television actor and author. He is best known for his role as Bryan Grazer, the LAPD captain in the Fox Network cult science fiction TV series ''Alien Nation''. The serie ...

as Teddy Smalls *

Ian Ziering Ian Andrew Ziering (; born March 30, 1964) is an American actor best known for his role as Steve Sanders on the television series '' Beverly Hills, 90210'', which he played from 1990 to 2000. He is also the voice of Vinnie on '' Biker Mice from ...

as Brian Fowler

Episodes

Reception

Initial reviews were positive, with ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

''s Brian Lowry saying, "writer-producer Margaret Nagle brings a level of wit to the proceedings superior to most chick-lit-inspired TV drama." The ''

Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington st ...

'', after describing the premise, said, "If this all sounds kind of corny, well, it kind of is until you realize the story line hits its mark, making you recall your own missteps and regrets for not having taken better charge." The ''

Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Puli ...

'' stated that "Lifetime’s new dramedy ''Side Order of Life'' wants to be the next ''

Grey’s Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...

'' so badly, it even borrows Meredith's TV dad for the debut," but despite the content of the review, rated it a 'B' and said it was "almost satisfying."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Side Order Of Life 2000s American drama television series 2007 American television series debuts 2007 American television series endings Lifetime (TV network) original programming Television series by Warner Horizon Television Television Academy Honors winners