Demi Lovato is getting back to her TV roots by signing on to star in a series on NBC. Only her new sitcom sounds very different than her breakout, Sonny with a Chance on Disney. This new show is called Hungry and focuses on a food issues support group as they navigate life while supporting each other.
Demi Lovato will star in a comedy project in the works at NBC.
The actress and recording artist has signed on to Hungry, a single-camera comedy from Universal Studio Group’s Universal TV and sitcom veteran Suzanne Martin (Will & Grace, Hot in Cleveland, Frasier). The project, which also counts Hazy Mills and SB Projects as producers, has a put pilot commitment from the network, meaning NBC will pay a penalty if it doesn’t air.
Hungry will follow a group of friends who belong to a food issues group and help each other as they look for love, success and that one thing in the refrigerator that will make it all better.
Lovato, who has been open about having an eating disorder, is also an executive producer, alongside Martin, Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner of Hazy Mills and Scooter Braun, James Shin and Scott Manson of SB Projects.
It sounds like a copycat Mom, only with food instead of alcohol and drugs. I wonder if the “food issues group” will actually be Overeaters Anonymous. I am not opposed to this at all, even if it is derivative. Food addiction is rarely addressed in film or television and if this is handled smartly, it could do a lot to educate people on the issue. Demi is a strong spokesperson for eating disorder recovery, so this is a cause she believes in strongly. As an executive producer she can make sure it’s tackled in a meaningful way. The reason I support Mom is because of how they handle sobriety and the challenges surrounding it. I like that they approach addiction from different angles and socio-economic conditions. Plus, they show some of the tricks and deceptions alcoholics use to cover up their issues. If Hungry can show similar things for people with food issues, it would be groundbreaking, particularly for parents with kids who are struggling. It’s a bold undertaking and I’m interested to see what they do with it. Good for Demi for getting involved.
When CB sent me the story, she mentioned the Matthew Perry TV show Go On that dealt with grief. It also revolved around a group setting and was predominantly a comedy. I watched it when it was on but I’d forgotten about it. I rewatched the pilot after CB’s email and remembered I actually enjoyed it (it only lasted one season, so I guess I was alone in that). I thought Go On was funny, but it didn’t strike the right balance between explaining the grief process and finding the humor in it like Mom does. I know it sounds odd to laugh about sobriety, grief and eating disorders but people like me listen when humor is involved. I’m optimistic about Hungry opening some eyes to food issues and hopefully starting some really important discussions.
Photo credit: Avalon and Instagram
Does anyone remember Starved with Eric Schaeffer? That show was AMAZING. I wish it had lasted more than 9 episodes. Not sure how good this will be but I’ll probably give it a go!
“Mom” was what popped into my head too when I saw this headline. i can see this series working if its done in the right way, and with Demi’s own struggles I think that it has a better chance of working, since she’s been there.
We watched “Go On” and I honestly cant remember why we stopped. I just think it didnt click for us. We liked the Odd Couple with Matthew Perry a lot better.
This is something a lot of people can relate to if done correctly. Funny I was just reading Karen Carpenter’s bio yesterday and back then (70’s) it was a non topic, it was something very few knew much or anything about. She changed that sadly, but it is still an under represented issue 40 years after her death so kudos to the team doing this, I hope they have success with their new show.
I hope, hope, hope that they don’t try and present Hollywood thin actors as someone struggling with overeating or food addiction. It’s always insulting when Hollywood develops a character that supposedly uses food as a crutch or stress relief or is obsessed with (insert any type of unhealthy food) and they are abnormally thin. I’m not talking about someone struggling with anorexia or bulimia, as I understand the body types typically associated with those types of eating disorders. As woke as Hollywood pretends to be, they still cannot accept people above a size 2 or people with disabilities. Maybe this show can be part of the change, but I’m gonna be p!ssed if everyone looks like a supermodel.
i think this could go either way – i mean, as someone with an ed i definitely have a morbid sense of humour around the whole thing, but hollywood keeps telling ed stories that center anorexia and pretty white women, when that’s just not really representative of the ed community (for lack of a better term). i’m interested to see who else gets cast – that’ll decide if i give the pilot a look or not.