Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce

Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce
Also known as
  • Girlfriends' Guide to Freedom (season 3)
  • Girlfriends' Guide to Bossing Up (season 4)
  • Girlfriends' Guide to Ever After (season 5)
Based onGirlfriends' Guides series
by Vicki Iovine
Developed byMarti Noxon
Starring
ComposerRobert Duncan
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes45 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
CinematographyFlorian Ballhaus (pilot only)
Scott Williams
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time45 minutes
Production companiesTiny Pyro Productions
Universal Cable Productions
Original release
NetworkBravo
ReleaseDecember 2, 2014 (2014-12-02) –
July 19, 2018 (2018-07-19)
Related
The 45 Rules of Divorce - Arabic adaptation[1]

Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce (also known as Girlfriends' Guide to Freedom in season 3, Girlfriends' Guide to Bossing Up in season 4, and Girlfriends' Guide to Ever After in season 5) is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Marti Noxon for the American cable network Bravo. Based on the Girlfriends' Guides book series by Vicki Iovine,[2] the series revolves around Abby McCarthy, a self-help author who finds solace in new friends and adventures as she faces an impending divorce. Lisa Edelstein portrays the main character, Abby. Beau Garrett and Necar Zadegan co-star. Janeane Garofalo was part of the main cast for the first seven episodes of season 1 before departing the cast. She was replaced in episode 8 with Alanna Ubach. Paul Adelstein co-starred as a main cast member for the first two seasons, before being reduced to a recurring character for the third and fifth seasons. Retta recurred during the show's second season before being promoted to the main cast at the start of season 3.

Produced by Universal Cable Productions, it is the first original scripted series for Bravo.[3] A 13-episode first season was ordered by the network, which premiered on December 2, 2014.[4] The show debuted to 1.04 million viewers. Critical reception for the series has initially been generally positive, with particular praise towards Edelstein's performance and the series' quality over the reality series on Bravo. The show was eventually renewed for a second season, which premiered on December 1, 2015.[5] On April 13, 2016, it was announced that Bravo had renewed the show for a third, fourth and fifth season.[6] On August 5, 2016, it was announced that the fifth season would be the show's last.[7]

Cast

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Main

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  • Lisa Edelstein as Abby McCarthy, a self-help book author in her early 40s in Los Angeles. Her marriage has recently ended, throwing both her personal and professional lives into serious disarray.[2]
  • Beau Garrett as Phoebe Conte, a recent divorcée and former model. Up until now she has been a typical free spirit but she is now seeking a more stable life.[2]
  • Necar Zadegan as Delia Banai, a divorce attorney who represents Abby in her divorce. She struggles with career and personal life balance.[8]
  • Alanna Ubach as Jo Hernandez-Frumpkis, Abby's best friend from college who comes to live with her in LA. She is recently separated from her husband after finding out he had a second family.[9] (season 1, episode 8–season 5)
  • Paul Adelstein as Jake Novak, Abby's husband from whom she is recently separated. He is a director with a limited amount of success and has up until now lived in Abby's shadow.[2] (seasons 1–2; recurring seasons 3 & 5)
  • Janeane Garofalo as Lyla Straley, Abby's friend, a divorcée and entertainment lawyer. A bitter custody battle with her ex causes her to flee California for Portland in the middle of season 1.[2] (season 1, episodes 1–7)
  • Retta as Barbara Sawyer, Abby's co-worker at SheShe, who later becomes her business partner. (seasons 3–5; recurring season 2)[10]

Recurring

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Guest

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Episodes

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Main article: List of Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
113December 2, 2014 (2014-12-02)February 24, 2015 (2015-02-24)
213December 1, 2015 (2015-12-01)February 23, 2016 (2016-02-23)
37January 11, 2017 (2017-01-11)February 22, 2017 (2017-02-22)
46August 17, 2017 (2017-08-17)September 21, 2017 (2017-09-21)
56June 14, 2018 (2018-06-14)July 19, 2018 (2018-07-19)

Reception

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Critical response

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Edelstein and Garofalo's performances were praised by the critics.

Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce was met with generally positive reviews from television critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the series received an average score of 69, based on 21 reviews. Lori Rackl of Chicago Sun-Times gave the episode a 4 star rating (out of 4 stars), calling it "a sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking story about an L.A.-based self-help author" and added that the first two episodes "reveal a much more nuanced, poignant tale, punctuated by some genuinely funny scenes."[11] LaToya Ferguson of The A.V. Club gave the series a grade of "A−", calling it "a very solid drama" that should be on HBO or Showtime. Ferguson also praised the characters and the series's messiness, writing "Visually, it's almost flawless (there's one obvious green-screen moment in the pilot, but it's not Ringer level), but every character here is deeply flawed."[12] Los Angeles Times's Mary McNamara lauded the series' cast's portrayal of the characters and deemed the series "smartly acted, crisply written and willing to address all manner of issues — marriage, betrayal, family economics, friendship, even the pitfalls of public domesticity — in gratifyingly complex ways."[13] Brian Lowry, writing for Variety, applauded the series' cast and material, noting how it sticks to the network's demographic while maintaining a level of quality.[14]

Gail Pennington of St. Louis Post-Dispatch called the series "a smart, solid examination of just how messy relationships are and how hard it is to make them work."[15] Slate's Willa Paskin highlighted Edelstein's portrayal of the lead character, describing her as "very well cast, both commanding and nurturing enough to seem like the ideal advice-giver" and noted that the series has "a satisfying and complex take on social dynamics in friendship and romance."[16] Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times praised Edelstein and Garofalo as "one reason" the show is entertaining and found the comic side of the series "a lot more fun."[17] Time's writer James Poniewozik praised the writing and Edelstein's "sympathetic" performance, noting that the latter "grounds a show that often otherwise plays like young-adult fiction for actual adults." However, Poniewozik opined that "there's one lesson Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce has (over)learned from its Bravo peers: that there's no reality so compelling that it can’t be sweetened with a little Photoshop."[18] David Hinckley, writing for the New York Daily News, highlighted the series' best moments as those showing the messy side of marital discourse while heralding Edelstein's performance as "memorably moving."[19] Margaret Lyons of Vulture was critical of the several aspects of the series, including the characters Abby and Lyla's attitude on giving their spouses child support, but found the series to be its best "at its nastiest."[20]

Ratings

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No. in Episode title Air date Time slot (EST) 18–49 demo
rating 		Viewership
(millions) 		Ref
series season
1 1 Rule No. 23: Never Lie to the Kids December 2, 2014 Tuesdays
10:00 P.M. 		0.5 1.04 [21]
2 2 Rule No. 174: Never Trust Anyone Who Charges By the Hour December 9, 2014 0.4 0.85 [22]
3 3 Rule No. 47: Always Take Advantage of "Me" Time December 16, 2014 0.3 0.70 [23]
4 4 Rule No. 426: Fantasyland: A Great Place to Visit December 23, 2014 0.3 0.77 [24]
5 5 Rule No. 21: Leave Childishness to Children December 30, 2014 0.4 0.87 [25]
6 6 Rule No 33: When in Doubt, Run Away January 6, 2015 0.4 0.87 [26]
7 7 Rule No. 67: Don't Kill the Princess January 13, 2015 0.4 0.77 [27]
8 8 Rule No. 17: Ask the Answer Lady January 20, 2015 0.3 0.69 [28]
9 9 Rule No. 32: F-You, Rob Frumpkis January 27, 2015 0.4 0.91 [29]
10 10 Rule No. 3: Don't Stand in the Doorway February 3, 2015 0.3 0.74 [30]
11 11 Rule No. 46: Keep the Holidays Low Key February 10, 2015 0.4 0.83 [31]
12 12 Rule No. 92: Don't Do the Crime If You Can't Do the Time February 17, 2015 0.4 0.74 [32]
13 13 Rule No. 101: Know When It's Time to Move On February 24, 2015 0.3 0.79 [33]

Arabic adaptation

[edit]

In October 2021, it was announced that MBC Group was developing their own version of the American series, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce with Sally Wally along with their production company, S Productions in partnership with NBCUniversal Formats. The series was greenlit for a 45-episodes of fifth and final season which premiered on 21 November 2021 on MBC 4, Shahid VIP & S Productions collaborate on their first comedy-drama series: The 45 Rules of Divorce.[1][34][35][36][37][38][39]

Broadcast

[edit]

Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce premiered in the United States on Bravo on December 2, 2014, in Canada on Slice on January 9, 2015,[40] and in the United Kingdom on Lifetime UK on September 15, 2015.[41]

Home media and streaming

[edit]

The first season was released on DVD in region 1 on October 13, 2015.[42] On November 1, 2015 [43] season 1 of Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce became available to stream in the US for Netflix subscribers.[44] The show is also available from electronic sell-through platforms such as iTunes,[45] Amazon Instant Video,[46] and Vudu.[47]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "'Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce' Set for Groundbreaking Arabic-Language Adaptation (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. 18 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Bibel, Sara (February 19, 2014). "Bravo Orders 13 Episodes of Scripted Drama 'Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce' Starring Lisa Edelstein". Zap2it. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  3. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 19, 2014). "Bravo Picks Up Marti Noxon's 'Girlfriends' Guide To Divorce' As First Scripted Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  4. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (July 14, 2014). "'Million Dollar Listing New York' Renewed for Season Four + Bravo Greenlights Three New Series". TV by the Numbers (Press release). Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  5. ^ Dixon, Dani (September 30, 2015). "Season 2 of Bravo's Scripted Series 'Girlfriend's Guide To Divorce' To Premiere December 1". TV by the Numbers (Press release). Tribune Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  6. ^ "'Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce' gets 3-season renewal at Bravo". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com. Archived from the original on 2016-04-13. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  7. ^ "Bravo's 'Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce' to End After Season 5 (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 2016-08-05. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  8. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 14, 2014). "Bravo's 'Girlfriend's Guide To Divorce' Adds 'Rake's Necar Zadegan As New Regular". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  9. ^ "Alanna Ubach Joins Bravo's 'Girlfriends Guide To Divorce', Matthew Glave & Virginia Williams To Recur". Deadline Hollywood. August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  10. ^ Ausiello, Michael (30 June 2016). "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce Promotes Retta to Series Regular in Season 3". TV Line. TVLine Media, LLC. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  11. ^ Rackl, Lori (November 30, 2014). "Bravo found a keeper with great new series 'Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce'". Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago: Tim Knight. Sun-Times Media Group. Archived from the original on 31 January 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  12. ^ Ferguson, LaToya (December 2, 2014). "Girlfriends' Guide To Divorce is Bravo's beautifully messy introduction to scripted drama". The A.V. Club. Chicago: The Onion, Inc. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  13. ^ McNamara, Mary (December 2, 2014). "Review 'Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce' marries Bravo to good TV". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  14. ^ Lowry, Brian (November 30, 2014). "TV Review: Bravo's 'Girlfriends' Guide To Divorce'". Variety. Los Angeles. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  15. ^ Pennington, Gail (December 2, 2014). "TV review: Bravo's 'Girlfriends' Guide' is surprisingly good". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis: Ray Farris. Lee Enterprises. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  16. ^ Paskin, Willa (December 2, 2014). "Lowbrow and Delectable". Slate. The Slate Group. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  17. ^ Stanley, Alessandra (December 1, 2014). "Divvying Up Perks, Pity, Scorn and Snark". The New York Times. New York City. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  18. ^ Poniewozik, James (December 1, 2014). "Review: The Image-Conscious Uncoupling of Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce". Time. New York City: Time Inc. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  19. ^ Roush, Matt (December 2, 2014). "Tuesday TV: One for the Family (Toy Story) and One for Adults (Girlfriends' Guide)". TV Guide. Radnor: CBS Interactive. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  20. ^ Lyons, Margaret (December 2, 2014). "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Bravo's First Scripted Series, Is At Its Best When It's At Its Nastiest". New York. New York City: New York Media, LLC. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  21. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 3, 2014). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Tuesday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 12.2.2014". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 9, 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  22. ^ Bibel, Sara (December 10, 2014). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Sons of Anarchy' Wins Night, 'Anarchy Afterword', 'Pretty Little Liars', 'Benched', 'Ground Floor' & More". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  23. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (December 17, 2014). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Ink Master' Tops Night + 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills', 'The Curse of Oak Island', NBA Basketball & More". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on December 21, 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  24. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 24, 2014). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Tuesday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 12.23.2014". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  25. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (January 2, 2015). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: College Football Tops Night + 'Moonshiners' The Little Couple', 'Ground Floor' & More". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  26. ^ Bibel, Sara (January 8, 2015). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'The Haves and the Have Nots' Wins Night' 'Pretty Little Liars', 'Switched at Birth', 'Dance Moms', 'The Real World' & More". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on January 8, 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  27. ^ The Futon Critic Staff (July 13, 2011). "Monday's Cable Ratings: "Pawn Stars" Tops Heated Race". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  28. ^ The Futon Critic Staff (July 20, 2011). "Monday's Cable Ratings: History's "Pawn Stars" Holds Onto Crown". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  29. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (January 28, 2015). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Tops Night + 'Pretty Little Liars', 'The Haves and the Have Nots', 'Sons of Liberty' & More". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  30. ^ Bibel, Sara (February 4, 2015). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Being Mary Jane' Wins Night, 'Moonshiners', 'The Haves and the Have Nots', 'Pretty Little Liars', 'Justified' & More". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  31. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (February 11, 2015). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'The Haves and the Have Nots' Tops Night + 'Being Mary Jane', 'Pretty Little Liars', 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' & More". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on February 12, 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  32. ^ Bibel, Sara (February 19, 2015). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: '19 Kids and Counting' Wins Night, 'Being Mary Jane', 'Pretty Little Liars', 'Rizzoli & Isles', 'Cougar Town' & More". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  33. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (February 25, 2015). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Tuesday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 2.24.2015". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  34. ^ "Arab remake of 'Girlfriends Guide to Divorce' set to stream". Moving Image Middle East: MIME. 19 November 2021. Archived from the original on 19 July 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  35. ^ "إنجي المقدم تكشف تفاصيل "قواعد الطلاق الـ 45"". العربية. Archived from the original on 2022-11-27. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  36. ^ "مسلسل قواعد الطلاق الـ45.. الموعد ومنصات العرض". العين. Archived from the original on 2023-02-18. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  37. ^ "المسلسلات الجديدة يوميأ على MBC4: Scoop with Jory, The 45 Rules of Divorce, The 45 Rules of Divorce 1, The 45 Rules of Divorce 2, The 45 Rules of Divorce 3, The 45 Rules of Divorce 4, The 45 Rules of Divorce 5, CSI: Vegas, Sissi (Sisi), Killing Eve, Killing Eve 2, Killing Eve 3, Killing Eve 4, Killing Eve 1, The Right Stuff, الآنسة فرح 1, Code Lyoko Evolution, Newton's Cradle, Hala, Hala Show, حلا, MBC Beauty Match: تحدي الفاشينيستا, الآنسة فرح, الآنسة فرح 2, الآنسة فرح 3, Noobees, Nickelodeon's Spyders, Spyders, المبتدئون, The Hot Zone, Barkskins, The Hot Zone: Anthrax, Scoop with Raya, Groove High, Cut, لعبة نيوتن, أبطال ليوكو المتطورون, Overlord and the Underwoods, Drama Club, Danger Force, Side Hustle, Tyler Perry's Young Dylan 2, Goldie's Oldies, Tyler Perry's Young Dylan, A Million Little Things 3, Naomi, Riverdale 6, Roswell, New Mexico 3, Station 19 4, Bull 6, Good Sam, قواعد الطلاق ال 45، قواعد الطلاق ال 45 1، قواعد الطلاق ال 45 2، قواعد الطلاق ال 45 3، قواعد الطلاق ال 45 4، قواعد الطلاق ال 45 5، الآنسة فرح 4, ابنة السفير, ابنة السفير 2, انتقام الحب, الرجل الخطأ, عشق منطق انتقام, أطرق بابي, أطرق بابي 2, حكاية جزيرة, أسرار الزواج, عزيز, كذبتي الجميلة, Genius: Aretha, Rebel, For Life 2، Rebel, Big Sky , The Good Doctor 4, Grey's Anatomy 18, 4400, Charmed 4, Legacies 4, Nancy Drew 3, Dynasty 4 and 5 7KSA الى 1KSA". youtube.com. January 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  38. ^ "أجمل القصص وأحلى الحكايات في الأفلام والبرامج والدراما والمسلسلات العالمية والتركية واللاتينية والكورية والأمريكية والأجنبية الأفضل على MBC4: Killing Eve, Killing Eve 2, Killing Eve 3, Killing Eve 4, Kiling Eve 1, The Enemy Within, فريد 2, Outlander, Outlander 5, اسمي فرح 2, Atlantis, The Night Manager, ابنة السفير, ابنة السفير 2, Cut, لعبة نيوتن, Newton's Cradle, Code Lyoko Evolution, الآنسة فرح 3, الآنسة فرح 4, الآنسة فرح 5, عميل الحب, الملكة, الجار المثالي, ماذا لو!, المعلم 2, محكوم 2, ابنة السفير, كذبتي الجميلة, ابنة السفير 2, قواعد الطلاق ال 45, قواعد الطلاق ال 45 1, قواعد الطلاق ال 45 2, قواعد الطلاق ال 45 3, قواعد الطلاق ال 45 4, قواعد الطلاق ال 45 5, انتقام الحب, أسرار الزواج, الرجل الخطأ, عشق منطق انتقام, أطرق بابي, أطرق بابي 2, حكاية جزيرة, أمهات خطيرات, أصدقاء العمر, البديل, حب الأم, اسمي فرح, فريد, فريد 2, علي رضا, أميرة بلا تاج, خيط الحب, المعلم, محكوم, لحن الانتقام, اتصل بمدير أعمالي, العائلة, الجدار, أهمات, الرجل الخطأ, الآنسة فرح, الآنسة فرح 1, الآنسة فرح 2, ابنة السفير, ابنة السفير 2, الرجل الخطأ, أبطال ليوكو المتطورون, نازاري, Famous Foodies, Films and Stars, Hollywood Buzz, ET, Entertainment Tonight, Films & Stars, A-List Lifestyle, Celebrity Scoop, Scoop with Raya, Fashion Forward على MBC4". youtube.com. 2023-06-23. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  39. ^ "MBC 4 إعلان (2023)". youtube.com. 2023-06-23. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  40. ^ Brar, Jeevan (17 December 2014). "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce to premiere on Slice in Canada". The TV Watercooler. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  41. ^ "Lifetime UK Acquires 'Girlfriends' Guide To Divorce', Sets September Premiere - TVWise". TVWise. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  42. ^ Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce: Season 1, 2015-10-13, retrieved 2015-11-10
  43. ^ Armstrong, Olivia (2015-10-30). "What's New On Netflix This Weekend: 'Manson Family Vacation', November Titles, And More". Decider | Where To Stream Movies & Shows on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant, HBO Go. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  44. ^ "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce | Netflix". www.netflix.com. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  45. ^ "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Season 1 on iTunes". iTunes. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  46. ^ "Watch Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce Season 1 Episode - Amazon Video". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  47. ^ "VUDU - Watch Movies". www.vudu.com. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
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