Coverage by RCR’s Entertainment Reporter, Jada Montemarano
Follow her on Twitter @JadaMontemarano
Who knew we needed a show about an adult woman with an imaginary friend?! Well apparently we do! Imaginary Mary is a new comedy hitting ABC and it is packed full of romance and Jenna Elfman talking to an abstract of a childhood drawing.
Her character Alice is a single girl with no desire for children, who ends up falling in love with a divorcee with three. Her imaginary friend Mary, played by Rachel Dratch, gives her advice, some not always being the most helpful.
“I think she starts realizing that expanding her world to include children and to include these experiences with them… starts to expand her and make her a fuller human being,” said Jenna.
For someone who does not want kids, Alice has a very expansive imagination. Mary pops into her life for funny conversation and much needed advice. Jenna said she at first rehearsed with a puppet, but since Mary is CGI, she had to often act alone. “It was actually a great challenge comedically to maintain the scene with her, and the believability, the focal points,” said Jenna.
On the other hand, Rachel was able to watch all of the scenes and record her voice in response. But she had the luxury of being able to try the voiceover in different ways. “I had the freedom to go crazy,” said Rachel.
Even as Alice grows close to her boyfriend Ben’s kids, she will always need Mary’s help as new problems arise.
Who knows, maybe there will be another imaginary friend in the future? Executive Producer David Guarascio said there’s always a possibility. So watch Imaginary Mary premiering on ABC March 29th.
