Throng

New Adventures of Old Christine Friday 2 November, 7.30pm

Acclaimed comedienne Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns to TV2 as divorced working mother Christine Campbell, who is trying to successfully juggle the daily stresses of motherhood and business.

Christine gets along with her charming ex-husband, Richard, even better than when they were married, but her life got a lot more complicated when she met Richard's new girlfriend: a nice, young, impossible-to-hate woman also named Christine... the 'new' Christine. When 'old' Christine realised Richard was moving on with his life, it dawned on her that maybe it was time for her to take that same leap.
Christine owns a women's 30-minute workout gym, and her young son, Ritchie, attends a posh private school. She can be a little neurotic at times, but you can't really blame her… when she's not dealing with business and child-rearing, she has to deal with the stay-at-home mums from Ritchie's school judging her every move. She is also about to learn a lesson in giving up control, as her colleague Barb has become a co-owner of the gym and the two friends are not always going to agree on how to run it.

Creator Kari Lizer was a writer on Will & Grace, where she became determined to eventually make her very own sitcom. The inspiration for her main character was simply herself. Being a divorced working mum on good terms with her ex, Kari wanted to write about a "good divorce - a functional non-nuclear family".

The character of Christine may be neurotic and constantly vexed by friends and rivals, but ultimately Kari wanted to present her as a positive figure who is close to her ex and doesn't lament the divorce. "Christine's circumstances are based on my own," Kari explains. "Although with wild exaggerations and certain details added to make me look good!"

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has previously earned acclaim for her portrayal of Elaine Benes in the hit series Seinfeld. She received an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, five Screen Actors Guild Awards and four American Comedy Awards during the show's nine-year run. Her success continues with The New Adventures of Old Christine, for which she won a 2006 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Lizer's writing combined with Louis-Dreyfus' comedic skills have made for a warm, clever and hilarious series that critics continue to praise. The New York Post says, "it smells like a winner and only gets funnier each week." While Hollywood Reporter calls it "smartly written, particularly well-cast and a worthy vehicle for Louis-Dreyfus and her high energy comedy."

The New Adventures of Old Christine is back on TV2 this Friday 2 November at 7.30pm.