Can’t remember much about Christina Applegate? Don’t worry; neither can she.
Actually, it’s her newest character who doesn’t have a memory. The former “Married … With Children” co-star returns to sitcom work as an accident victim with no post-coma recollection of her past when “Samantha Who?” premieres Monday ABC.
A clean slate seems like a good thing for Samantha Newly, since from all indications, she wasn’t very likable. A lot of information comes from her parents (Jean Smart, Kevin Dunn) — from whom she’s been estranged — and her sassy friend Andrea (Jennifer Esposito, “Crash”), who reveals the earlier Sam wasn’t exactly a pillar of morality, particularly in terms of love and liquor.
Barry Watson bounces back from the demise of “What About Brian” to play Sam’s boyfriend, who doesn’t know all the details of her wilder side — not yet, anyway. Melissa McCarthy, fresh off a long run as Sookie on “Gilmore Girls,” and Tim Russ (alias Tuvok of “Star Trek: Voyager”) also co-star.
Titled “Sam I Am” until the estate of children’s author Dr. Seuss weighed in, “Samantha Who?” lets Applegate tackle something unique by design.
“I get to play two different characters,” she says. “In every episode, I get to be Bad Sam and Good Sam. That’s a lot of fun, to be able to do both. To be able to discover things for the first time, that’s a wonderful thing that I’m going to be able to do every week.”
Series co-creator and co-executive producer Donald Todd (“Ugly Betty”) confirms regular appearances by Bad Sam, even as Good Sam aims for a happier life that also benefits others.
“Why talk about somebody and not be able to see them?” Todd reasons. “We want to see that. It gives us insight into exactly what we’re dealing with, overcoming that. It’s not just in flashbacks; she has in her the ability to turn that (badness) on and off, which is frightening to her, so she has to watch it.”
Sam also has to watch the people around her, since some have their own agendas. A prime example is Dena (McCarthy), who’s bent on convincing Sam they were best friends before the accident.
“The slightly psycho is a fun element to play,” the cheerful McCarthy says. “She is still genuinely sweet and seemingly a happy person, but faking a friendship with someone who’s incredibly ill is so crazy! When I read that, I was like, ‘I have no idea what to expect from her.’ “
To prepare for her part, Applegate watched the 2005 documentary “Unknown White Male,” about retrograde amnesia — which Sam has. “I did do my own sort of work finding out what this condition was,” the actress says.
Todd adds, “You could do this in a lot of ways. You could make this ‘The Bourne Identity,’ but to take something that’s legitimately a problem, then make it funny — is what I try to do. The show’s entirely about discovering one’s identity, but in a fantasy, wish-fulfillment way.”
