Actor
Matthew Perry of “Friends” fame writes, produces, and stars in ABC's “Mr. Sunshine,” a clever comedy centering around
Ben Donovan, manager of the Sunshine Center sports arena, and his colorful colleagues. His outlandishly eccentric boss, Crystal Cohen, is played to the hilt by
Allison Janney, best known for her role on “The West Wing.” His prim former friend-with-benefits, Alice, is played by
Andrea Anders, who was previously on the short-lived “Friends” sequel, “Joey.”
James Lesure is Alonzo, a former NBA star and all-around Mr. Perfect. Roman, Crystal’s charmingly goofy son, is played by
Nate Torrence, and
Portia Doubleday is Ben’s assistant and Roman’s crush, the psychotic Heather. In the first episode, Ben experiences a sort of mid-life crisis on his 40th birthday, realizing that his shallow and self-centered behavior might not be leading to long-term happiness. He has a very wry and sarcastic sense of humor, thus the ironically apt title of Mr. Sunshine. Meanwhile, Alice breaks it off with Ben to date Alonzo, and Roman is trying to connect with Crystal, his absentee mom. In addition, each week a new act or sporting event is booked into the Sunshine Center and hijinks ensue.
"Mr. Sunshine" was a mid-season replacement for "Cougar Town," which has been on hiatus, and so far only nine episodes have aired. It is unclear at this time if the show will be picked up for a second season. Stay tuned!