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Man with a Plan (TV series)

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Man with a Plan
GenreSitcom
Created by
Starring
ComposerJohn Kimbrough
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes69 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Jackie Filgo
  • Jeff Filgo
  • Matt LeBlanc
  • James Burrows
  • Gregg Mettler
  • Michael Rotenberg
  • Troy Zien
  • Mark Gross
  • Suzy Mamann-Greenberg
Producers
  • Tommy Johnagin
  • Stewart Halpern-Fingerhut
  • Jamie Lissow
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseOctober 24, 2016 (2016-10-24) –
June 11, 2020 (2020-06-11)

Man with a Plan is an American television sitcom created by Jackie and Jeff Filgo and starring Matt LeBlanc, who also served as an executive producer.[1] The series ran on CBS from October 24, 2016, to June 11, 2020, airing for 69 episodes over 4 seasons.[2][3] The series was a staple on CBS' Monday night comedy lineup for its first three seasons, before being moved to Thursday nights for the fourth and final season.[4]

LeBlanc stars as Adam Burns, a contractor raising three children (Grace Kaufman, Matthew McCann, Hala Finley) in suburban Pittsburgh with his wife Andi (Liza Snyder), who decides to go back to work as a medical lab technician in the pilot. Kevin Nealon and Matt Cook co-starred through all four seasons as Adam's brother and friend, respectively. Stacy Keach and Kali Rocha recurred as Adam's father and sister-in-law, respectively, and were upgraded to regular cast members in later seasons.

In May 2020, the series was canceled after four seasons.[5]

Summary

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When his wife Andi returns to work, old-school father Adam Burns takes on more of the responsibilities of parenting his three rambunctious children (Kate, Teddy and Emme). Adam must learn to balance this challenge with running a contracting business with his brother Don, while at the same time dealing with his overbearing father Joe. The series is set in suburban Pittsburgh.

Burns family tree

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FrankAliceJoeBeverly
KellyAndiAdamDonMarcy
KateTeddyEmmeMikey*Unnamed wife*
Parker
  • *Character mentioned but does not appear in an episode.

Cast

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Main

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  • Matt LeBlanc as Adam Burns: The patriarch of the Burns household. Along with his brother, Don, he owns Burns Brothers Construction. Adam is the construction expert for the business, with Don handling sales. In season 4, he states that he is 50 years old.
  • Liza Snyder as Andi Burns: The matriarch of the Burns household. As the series started, Andi went back to work as a medical lab technician following several years as a stay-at-home mom. At the start of season 3, she has joined Burns Brothers Construction as a designer.
  • Grace Kaufman as Kate Burns: The eldest Burns child. At the start of the series, Kate is 13 years old, celebrating her 14th birthday later in the first season. She is the sassy, rebellious child, who is often embarrassed by her parents. She gets her driver's license in the penultimate episode of the series (season 4), suggesting she is at least 16 years old by then. Adam and Andi always punished her and give her a hard time.
  • Hala Finley as Emme Burns: The youngest child in the Burns family, who is five years old and beginning kindergarten at the start of the series. Emme is the younger, innocent daughter, who often knows her parents will never let her get away with a lot. She is six years old as of season 2.
  • Matthew McCann as Teddy Burns: The middle child in the Burns family, who turns 12 years old during the first season. Teddy is a rather dimwitted child, whose intelligence is often ridiculed by the other characters, including his parents. Adam states that Teddy has his Uncle Don's intelligence.
  • Jessica Chaffin as Marie Faldonado (season 1, episodes 1–13): One of Adam's fellow room parents, who is a promiscuous divorcee with children in both Emme and Kate's classes. After episode thirteen, Marie is never seen or mentioned again.
  • Matt Cook as Lowell Franklin: The other room parent and the Burns' friend, who idolizes Adam as his mentor. Lowell is a stay-at-home dad who relies on statistics and experts to help parent his children. In "The Three Amigos", he begins working with Adam and Don as their tech specialist after helping them land a lucrative job with a video presentation he created. Lowell's wife leaves him in season 3.
  • Diana-Maria Riva as Alicia Rodriguez (season 1): Emma's kindergarten teacher who is a thorn in Adam's side.
  • Kevin Nealon as Don Burns: Adam's older brother, who co-owns Burns Brothers Construction alongside Adam. It is mentioned in "The Three Amigos" that Don handles sales for the business. He is very dim-witted like his nephew Teddy. He is married to Marcy, and together they have a son, Mikey, who is an ex-convict living in a studio apartment.
  • Stacy Keach as Joe Burns (seasons 2–4; recurring season 1): Adam and Don's father, who moved his motor home into Adam and Andi's driveway. Adam frequently accuses Joe of favoring Don, but Joe insists it's only because Don has always needed more coddling than Adam.
  • Kali Rocha as Marcy Burns (seasons 3–4; recurring seasons 1–2): Don's wife and Andi's best friend. She has a hostile relationship with her mother-in-law Beverly, who doesn't think Marcy is ever good enough for her son.

Recurring

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  • Swoosie Kurtz as Beverly Burns, Adam and Don's mother and Joe's wife who heavily scrutinizes her daughters-in-law. While she becomes somewhat friendly toward Andi, she never warms up to Marcy.
  • Christine Woods as Lisa McCaffrey, Adam and Don's client on a mall construction project (seasons 1–2)
  • Sherri Shepherd as Joy, the Burns' neighbor who is also the building inspector on Adam's job site (season 2)
  • Tim Meadows as Rudy, the Burns' neighbor and Joy's husband (season 2)
  • Ron Funches as Funchy, Joe's home care nurse and friend (season 3)
  • Jessica St. Clair as Kelly, Andi's sister (season 3)

Episodes

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Main article: List of Man with a Plan episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
122October 24, 2016 (2016-10-24)May 15, 2017 (2017-05-15)
221November 13, 2017 (2017-11-13)May 21, 2018 (2018-05-21)
313February 4, 2019 (2019-02-04)May 6, 2019 (2019-05-06)
413April 2, 2020 (2020-04-02)June 11, 2020 (2020-06-11)

During the course of the series, 69 episodes of Man with a Plan aired, between October 24, 2016, and June 11, 2020.

Production

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Development

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On February 3, 2016, the production officially received a pilot order and James Burrows would direct the pilot.[6] The pilot was written by Jackie and Jeff Filgo who was also set to executive produce with Michael Rotenberg and Troy Zien. Production companies involved with the pilot include Double Double Bonus Entertainment, CBS Television Studios, and 3 Arts Entertainment. On May 12, 2016, it was announced that CBS had given the production, now titled Man with a Plan, a series order.[7] A day after that, it was announced that the series would premiere on October 24, 2016, by Monday at 8:30pm. On November 14, 2016, CBS picked up the series for a full season of 19 episodes.[8] On January 6, 2017, CBS ordered three additional episodes, increasing the first season order to 22.[9] On March 23, 2017, CBS renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on November 13, 2017.[10][11] On November 27, 2017, CBS ordered eight additional episodes for the second season, bringing the total to 21 episodes.[12] On May 12, 2018, CBS renewed the series for a third season which premiered on February 4, 2019.[13] On May 10, 2019, the series was renewed for a fourth and final season, which premiered on April 2, 2020.[14][4]

Casting

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Casting for the main cast started in February 2016 with Matt LeBlanc and ended the next month with Matt Cook and Grace Kaufman.[15] On May 13, 2016, it was reported that Jenna Fischer, who was originally cast to play the female lead opposite LeBlanc in the series, had exited and her role would be recast.[16] In 2021, Fischer asserted on the Office Ladies podcast that her role had been recast because test audiences didn't "believe Pam would marry Joey", referring to Fischer and LeBlanc's respective roles on The Office and Friends.[17]

On August 1, it was announced Liza Snyder would replace Fischer as the female lead.[18] On August 2, 2016, it was reported that Kevin Nealon had joined the cast in a main role.[19] On September 4, 2018, it was announced that Kali Rocha was promoted to series regular for season 3.[20]

Filming

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Man with a Plan was filmed at Radford Studio Center in Studio City, Los Angeles, but it's set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Cancellation

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On May 6, 2020, CBS announced that Man with a Plan had been cancelled after four seasons. While ratings for the fourth season were satisfactory, the network was reportedly looking to lower costs following the merger of CBS and Viacom that had taken place that same season. The series was expensive to produce for the network, which was a major factor in its decision to cancel the series.[5] The series concluded on June 11, 2020, following a 69-episode run.[21]

Reception

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Critical response

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Man with a Plan received negative reviews from critics. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 21%, based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 3.29/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Man with a Plan's flawed, unimaginative writing fails to properly showcase the charm of its unfortunately underperforming lead."[22] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the series has a score 36 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".

Ratings

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Viewership and ratings per season of Man with a Plan
Season Timeslot (ET) Episodes First aired Last aired TV season Viewership
rank		 Avg. viewers
(millions)		 Avg. 18–49
rating
Date Viewers
(millions) 		Date Viewers
(millions)
1 Monday 8:30 pm 22 October 24, 2016 (2016-10-24) 7.42[23] May 15, 2017 (2017-05-15) 5.73[24] 2016–17 47 7.41 1.5[25]
2 21 November 13, 2017 (2017-11-13) 5.38[26] May 21, 2018 (2018-05-21) 5.69[27] 2017–18 61 6.78 1.2[28]
3 13 February 4, 2019 (2019-02-04) 6.17[29] May 6, 2019 (2019-05-06) 4.87[30] 2018–19 67 6.35 1.1[31]
4 Thursday 8:30 pm 13 April 2, 2020 (2020-04-02) 7.01[32] June 11, 2020 (2020-06-11) 5.03[33] 2019–20 45 7.37 1.0[34]

Accolades

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Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
2017 People's Choice Awards Favorite Actor In A New TV Series Matt LeBlanc Won [35]
Favorite New TV Comedy Man with a Plan Won

International versions

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Country/language Local title Channel Date aired/premiered End date
 Ukraine Батько рулить / Father rules TET October 26, 2020

Home media

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The first season was released in Region 1, via Amazon's Manufacture on Demand (MOD) service, on November 16, 2018. The second season was released on July 8, 2019. The third season was released on September 22, 2020.[36] The fourth and final season was released on November 26, 2020.[37]

Season No. of
episodes 		DVD Release dates
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
1 22 November 16, 2018 TBA TBA
2 21 July 8, 2019 TBA TBA
3 13 September 22, 2020 TBA TBA
4 13 November 26, 2020 TBA TBA

See also

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  • Kevin Can Wait, another CBS sitcom often compared and partnered with Man with a Plan

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 13, 2016). "'Training Day', 'Bull', 'MacGyver', 'The Great Indoors', Matt LeBlanc Comedy & Jason Katims Drama Picked Up By CBS". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  2. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 21, 2016). "CBS Sets Fall 2016 Premiere Dates, Slates JonBenet Ramsey Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 22, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  3. ^ "Adam Scott Hosts ABC's Don't, Man With a Plan Ends, Bold Type Returns and More". TVLine. June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (January 28, 2020). "CBS Comedies 'Man With A Plan' & 'Broke' Get April Premiere Dates, Thursday Time Slots". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Ausiello, Michael (May 6, 2020). "Man With a Plan Cancelled at CBS". TVLine. Archived from the original on May 6, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  6. ^ Prudom, Laura (February 8, 2016). "Matt LeBlanc to Star In CBS Comedy Pilot with Series Commitment". TVLine. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  7. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 13, 2016). "'Training Day', 'Bull', 'MacGyver', 'The Great Indoors', Matt LeBlanc Comedy & Jason Katims Drama Picked Up By CBS". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  8. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 14, 2016). "CBS Orders More Episodes Of 'Man With A Plan', 'The Great Indoors' & 'Code Black'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 14, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 6, 2017). "Freshman Comedies 'Kevin Can Wait', 'The Great Indoors' & 'Man With A Plan' Get More Episodes At CBS". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  10. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 23, 2017). "CBS Renews 5 Freshman & 11 Returning Series, Including 'MacGyver', 'Superior Donuts', 'Life In Pieces' & 'Hawaii Five-0'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 23, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  11. ^ Ausiello, Michael (November 1, 2017). "Me, Myself & I Essentially Cancelled at CBS; Man With a Plan Called Off Bench". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  12. ^ Gelman, Vlada (November 27, 2017). "Man With a Plan, Superior Donuts Get Full-Season Orders at CBS". TVLine. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  13. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 12, 2018). "'Man With A Plan' Renewed For Season 3 By CBS, No Word Yet On 'Kevin Can Wait'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  14. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (May 10, 2019). "'Man With A Plan' Starring Matt LeBlanc Renewed For Season 4 By CBS". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  15. ^ Petski, Denise (March 4, 2016). "Matt Cook Joins CBS' LeBlanc Filgos Project". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  16. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 13, 2016). "Matt LeBlanc CBS Series 'Man With A Plan': Jenna Fischer Exits In Recasting". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  17. ^ Haring, Bruce (July 16, 2021). "'The Office' Star Jenna Fischer Lost Role In Matt LeBlanc's 'Man With A Plan' Series Because Focus Group Said, "Pam Wouldn't Marry Joey"". Deadline. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  18. ^ "Man with a Plan: Liza Snyder Joins Matt LeBlanc Sitcom – canceled TV shows – TV Series Finale". August 1, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  19. ^ "'Man With A Plan': Kevin Nealon Joins Matt LeBlanc CBS Sitcom". August 2, 2016. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  20. ^ Petski, Denise (September 4, 2018). "'Man With A Plan': Kali Rocha Upped To Series Regular For Season 3". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  21. ^ Schwartz, Ryan (June 11, 2020). "Man With a Plan Finale Recap: How Did Cancelled Matt LeBlanc Comedy End?". TVLine.
  22. ^ "Man With a Plan: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  23. ^ Porter, Rick (October 25, 2016). "'Kevin Can Wait' adjusts up, 'Timeless,' 'Supergirl,' and 'Jane the Virgin' adjust down: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  24. ^ Porter, Rick (May 16, 2017). "'Dancing with the Stars,' 'Man with a Plan' finale adjust up: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  25. ^ "Final 2016–17 TV Rankings: 'Sunday Night Football' Winning Streak Continues". Deadline Hollywood. May 26, 2017. Archived from the original on May 18, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  26. ^ Porter, Rick (November 14, 2017). "'The Voice,' 'Kevin Can Wait,' 'The Gifted' adjust up, 'DWTS' down: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  27. ^ Porter, Rick (May 22, 2018). "'Supergirl' and 'iZombie' adjust down: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  28. ^ "2017-18 TV Series Ratings Rankings: NFL Football, 'Big Bang' Top Charts". Deadline Hollywood. May 22, 2018. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  29. ^ Rejent, Joseph (February 5, 2019). "'The Bachelor,' 'The Neighborhood,' 'The Passage,' all other shows hold: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  30. ^ Rejent, Joseph (May 7, 2019). "'Man with a Plan' adjusts up, 'The Fix' adjusts down: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  31. ^ de Moraes, Lisa (May 21, 2019). "2018–19 TV Season Ratings: CBS Wraps 11th Season At No. 1 In Total Viewers, NBC Tops Demo; 'Big Bang Theory' Most Watched Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  32. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (April 3, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.2.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  33. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (June 12, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.11.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  34. ^ Porter, Rick (June 4, 2020). "TV Ratings: 7-Day Season Averages for Every 2019-20 Broadcast Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  35. ^ Hipes, Patrick (November 15, 2016). "People's Choice Awards Nominees 2017 — Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 3, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  36. ^ "Man with a Plan: Season 3". Amazon. September 22, 2020.
  37. ^ "Man with a Plan, Season 2". Amazon. July 8, 2019.
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