Nicole Weingart / NBC
What To Know
- Newlywedsstars Tim Daly, Téa Leoni, and Jamie Lee Curtis reflect on the romance of Jeanie and James.
- Plus, they debate the true meaning of “dating” versus “hookups.”
Newlyweds has arrived, and it’s introducing audiences to an all-new network rom-com with the help of real-life married couple Téa Leoni and Tim Daly, who step into the shoes of Jeanie and James.
In the NBC comedy, Jeanie and James waste no time and fall head over heels, deciding to marry before the first episode is through. While love may come first in their relationship, there’s a lot more at stake beyond “I dos.”
Still, Daly says, “There’s a certain kind of naivete to the characters where they believe so strongly in something that can be so ridiculous, and if you do it right, you bring the audience along with you.” And it’s hard to deny the love apparent between them, but there are certainly roadblocks to happily ever after, like James’ ex-wife, Claudia (series cocreator Jamie Lee Curtis).
While Claudia can’t seem to leave James alone, he’s only got eyes for Jeanie, as Daly adds, “What we’re trying to do here is show that people of a certain age should not stop living. They should get out there and take a risk and allow love to be in their way.”
Nicole Weingart / NBC
Thankfully for James, Janie is unfazed by Claudia’s presence, but could there be another ex that will shake things up?
“They run into an ex of James’ that then causes some consternation between the couple, because that’s what happens when you run into someone that you…” Curtis begins to say before Leoni’s expression leads her to add, “I wasn’t gonna say it.”
“It’s called dating,” Curtis clarifies, hinting at the deeper implications of such a classification. “We all know what dating means,” Curtis continues, putting air quotes around the word “dating” for emphasis.
“Dating does not mean dating,” Leoni points out, identifying that the term Curtis is more likely looking for is “hookup.”
Whether they agree or disagree, the debate is reminiscent of the tone fans will see as Season 1 ofNewlyweds unfolds, pushing unique personalities together to form a fascinating TV family.
Newlyweds, Season 1, Fridays, 8:30/7:30c, NBC
