Melissa & Joey (2010– )

After a family scandal leaves Mel, a local politician, alone with her niece, Lennox, and nephew, Ryder, she hires a man named Joe to become the family's male nanny, or "manny".

Creators:

David Kendall, Bob Young

Stars:

Melissa Joan Hart, Joseph Lawrence, Taylor Spreitler

1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Melissa Joan Hart	...	Melissa Burke (52 episodes, 2010-2013)
Joseph Lawrence	...	Joe Longo (52 episodes, 2010-2013)
Taylor Spreitler	...	Lennox Scanlon (52 episodes, 2010-2013)
Nick Robinson	...	Ryder Scanlon (51 episodes, 2010-2013)

Storyline

After a family scandal leaves Mel, a local politician, alone with her niece, Lennox, and nephew, Ryder, she hires a man named Joe to become the family's male nanny, or "manny".

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Plot Keywords:

nanny | politician | city councilwoman | male nanny | ohio | 

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Taglines:

A good manny is hard to find

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Melissa ja Joey

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hartbreak Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

Both Melissa and Joey have competed in Dancing with the Stars, Joey Lawrence in 2006, Melissa Joan Hart in 2009. He came in third, she placed sixth.

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Connections

Referenced in Suburgatory: Poetic Injustice (2012)

User Reviews

Surprisingly fun little sitcom!

If you would have come to me about six years ago and told me that I would like a show on ABC Family called Melissa & Joey starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence, I would have told you that your local village was missing it's idiot. I was not a fan of her Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and I wasn't a fan of his Blossum. Whoa! The premise is just corny enough to work. Mel Burke (Hart) is a local politician from a political family. When a family scandal leaves her niece, Lennox (Spreitler), and nephew, Ryder (Robinson), without their parents, Mel takes them in. Meanwhile, Joe Longo (Lawrence) is a former commodities trader left bankrupt after a Ponzi scheme who is searching for a job. So when Mel finds it hard to handle an instant family and her own life, she hires Joe to become the family's new male nanny, or "manny". Hollywood and TV producers have been playing this gender-bending card ever since Mr. Mom. It was funny then, it's still funny today.

The two leads have some great chemistry while on screen and I believe the little "will-they-or-won't-they" relationship they've got going on. So far, the writers have done a good job by not getting them together and Melissa Hart has stated in some interviews that they won't be getting together for a long, long time. So it appears that they will get together eventually. Right now, there are undertones of a budding romance (jealousy, looks, long pauses), but for now, they're both fun and fancy-free with their own suitors.

One of the show's main problems is the kids. Aren't they a little too old to be having a nanny? Plenty of kids even younger than them come home to an empty house while their parents are working. It's not like Joe needs to bathe and clothe them. Having the kids this old this early in a sitcom is not good news. They are going to age fast, then what becomes of Joe? You don't want to lose your sitcom's dynamic after only one season.

For now, though, the jokes are funny enough to get me to watch it. I like having Mel & Joe treat each other as "sparring partners" rather than lovers. Once they get together, it just may be the end of the show. More reviews at www.soveryterry.com Final Grade: B-