There's some big celebrations in order for Kaley Cuoco fans, and we're not just talking about the star returning to The Big Bang Theory universe. If you have been missing Cuoco on your screens since her last major project, this year's MGM+ mystery thriller miniseries Vanished, we're about to get a whole lot more of her in a brand-new series on HBO Max.
Before you get too excited, it's nothing related to The Big Bang Theory. Cuoco reprised her role as an alternate version of Penny in two episodes of the sitcom's latest spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. While she could likely appear again in the comedy's second season, Cuoco has a new family drama series lined up at HBO Max that finally got the best update yet.
HBO Max picks up How to Live Without Me starring Kaley Cuoco
After filming the pilot for How to Survive Without Me, HBO Max has officially picked up the family drama to series. In addition to Cuoco starring in one of the leading roles, the main cast is also fleshed out by fellow familiar faces Ray Romano, Joshua Jackson, and Rita Wilson. The upcoming series was created by Greg Berlanti, Bash Doran, and Robbie Rogers.
How to Survive Without Me centers on the DeAngelis family, who aren't as close as they used to be after the passing of their matriarch Beverly (Rita Wilson). However, Beverly found a way to remain the glue that holds her family together even in her death, as she forces her loved ones back together with the prospect of experiencing her final work, whatever that might be, as their reward.
The new series further cements HBO Max's conscious push into original content that's more in line with the broadcast model, which began with the fan-favorite, Emmy Award-winning medical drama The Pitt. Like Noah Wyle's successful series, How to Survive Without Me will contain 15 episodes per season and release annually, should the series be renewed for additional seasons.
Ahead of its release, How to Survive Without Me has been compared to Berlanti's past series Everwood, which was the first series he created, and Brothers & Sisters, as well as Six Feet Under. That's quite the thrilling trio of shows to compare the incoming series to and makes us especially excited to see what the cast and crew have in store for the DeAngelis family's stories.
In addition to the core quartet of cast members, the series also features Julia Schlaepfer, Jack Ball, Kylar Miranda, Julian Grey, Scarlett Abinante, Tommy Dewey, Matthew Kellison, Colette Porch, and Ella Rubin in other roles within the family. We can also expect other guest stars to make appearances throughout the first season, now that the series has received an official pickup.
How to Survive Without Me will be an emotional and heartwarming series, as Berlanti previews the inspiration comes from his own family. For the first time, he co-created a series with Rogers, his husband, making for an especially personal creation. As he said in a statement, "To also co-create it with Bash and my husband, Robbie, and draw from our own families’ experiences of love and loss has made the whole show the most personal thing I’ve worked on in years"
It's unclear when production will commence on the remaining 14 episodes of the first season's order, though considering Cuoco's currently pregnant with her second child with partner Tom Pelphrey, filming will likely begin after the actress has given birth. For now, we should expect production to continue much later this year or in early 2027 for a premiere date sometime later on next year.
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