''Young & Hungry'' is an American Romantic

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

created by

David Holden David Holden (1924–1977) was a writer, journalist, and broadcaster, best known as the Chief Foreign Correspondent for ''The Sunday Times'', specialising in Middle-Eastern affairs, where he had been since 1965. He was murdered in execution sty ...

. The

multi-camera The multiple-camera setup, multiple-camera mode of production, multi-camera or simply multicam is a method of filmmaking and video production. Several cameras—either film or professional video cameras—are employed on the set and simultaneous ...

series stars

Emily Osment Emily Jordan Osment (born March 10, 1992) is an American actress, singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Osment began her career as a child actress, appearing in numerous television shows and films, before co-starring as Gerti ...

, Jonathan Sadowski,

Aimee Carrero Aimee Carrero (born July 15, 1988) is a Dominican-American actress. She is known for voicing Princess Elena on Disney Channel's ''Elena of Avalor'' and She-Ra, Adora/She-Ra in the Netflix series ''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power''. Her live ac ...

Kym Whitley Kym Elizabeth Whitley is an American comedian and actress. She is best known for her roles on television sitcoms, such as '' My Brother and Me'', '' Sparks'', ''Animal Practice'', '' The Boondocks'', ''Young & Hungry'', ''The Parkers'', ...

and Rex Lee, and premiered on

ABC Family The American cable television, cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and s ...

(now Freeform) on June 25, 2014. On March 7, 2016, Freeform renewed the series for a fourth season, which premiered on June 1, 2016, and concluded on August 3, 2016. On October 24, 2016, Osment announced via

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

that ''Young & Hungry'' had been renewed for a fifth season. On March 15, 2018, it was officially announced that the fifth season would be the last. The final ten episodes premiered on June 20, 2018, and concluded on July 25, 2018. A series finale movie was initially announced with the cancellation, but was scrapped on August 24, 2018.

Plot

Set in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

wealthy Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating Old English word , which is from an I ...

tech entrepreneur Josh Kaminski hires Gabi Diamond as his

personal chef A personal chef is a chef who is hired by different clients and prepares meals in the clients' home kitchens, based on their needs and preferences. Description A personal chef often will meet with a client and customize a multi-meal plan by determ ...

. The two have a

one-night stand A one-night stand or one-night sex is a single sexual encounter in which there is an expectation that there shall be no further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single ...

after having a bit of trouble on Gabi's trial dinner. The series follows the two and their lives. The dynamic follows the couple's relationship and love life. Gabi faces challenges both in and outside of the kitchen. Gabi lives in an apartment with her best friend, Sofia. Sofia (AKA 'lil SoSo). They constantly get into crazy antics thanks to Gabi's elaborate plans.

Cast and characters

Main

as Gabi Diamond, a young chef from Florida who lives in San Francisco. She is named after and inspired by San Francisco food blogger Gabi Moskowitz. Osment describes her character as "a fun, ditzy, energetic blonde, but she also makes sure to put herself first. Sometimes she gets a little wrapped up in what’s going on with her relationship with Josh, but she always goes back to what’s most important for her." * Jonathan Sadowski as Josh Kaminski, a young nerdy tech entrepreneur and self-made millionaire *

as Sofia Rodriguez, Gabi's best friend and roommate. She is a strong-minded and career-driven young woman with a degree from

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

. *

as Yolanda, Josh's housekeeper * Rex Lee as Elliot Park, Josh's

publicist A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a company, a brand, or public figure – especially a celebrity – or for a work such as a book, film, or album. Publicists are public relations specialists who ...

and right-hand-man. He is an openly gay Korean-American.

Recurring

Mallory Jansen Mallory Jansen (born 18 June 1988) is an Australian actress. She co-starred as Madalena in the ABC series ''Galavant''. Following the cancellation of ''Galavant'', she joined the cast of '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' as "Aida", Agnes Ki ...

as Caroline Penelope Huntington (season 1), Josh's girlfriend turned fiancée *

Jesse McCartney Jesse McCartney (born April 9, 1987) is an American actor and singer. He achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama ''All My Children'' as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo mus ...

as Cooper Finley (season 1–2), a nerdy computer hacker that Josh hires to work for him * Bryan Safi as Alan (season 2–5), Elliot's lover and later husband * Chris Smith as Nick Walker (season 5), a cocky immigration lawyer who becomes Sofia's boyfriend

Guest stars

Ashley Tisdale Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress and singer. During her childhood, she was featured in over 100 advertisements and had minor roles in television and theatre. She achieved mainstream success as Maddie Fitzpatr ...

as Logan Rawlings, who publishes a "30 under 30" list for a popular magazine. When she appears to be attracted to Gabi, Elliott sets them up to go on a date in the hope of securing Josh a spot on her list. She heads a media company called Click'd in season 4 and hires Sofia as her assistant. *

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

as Shauna, a tech reporter for

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

with whom Josh has a fling in the episodes of season 2 entitled "Young & Moving" & "Young & Ferris Wheel". Shauna has a seven-year-old son named Brett, and an estranged adult daughter, Danielle, but when Gabi reunites Shauna with Danielle, they realize that Josh has had trysts with both of them. *

Keegan Allen Keegan Phillip Allen (born July 22, 1989) is an American actor, photographer, author and musician known for his main role as Toby Cavanaugh on the Freeform series ''Pretty Little Liars.'' Early life Allen was born and raised in California, t ...

as Tyler, a drummer Sofia pressures Gabi to date to deal with working for Josh again. A double date with Josh and woman from Gabi and Sofia's building reveals Tyler is actually homeless. *

Cheryl Hines Cheryl Ruth Hines (born September 21, 1965) is an American actress and director, best known for playing the role of Larry David's wife, Cheryl, on HBO's ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', for which she has been nominated for two Emmy Awards. She also s ...

as Kathy Kaminski, Josh's mother who has a drinking problem *

Jerry O'Connell Jerry O'Connell (born February 17, 1974) is an American actor and television host. He is known for his roles as Quinn Mallory in the television series ''Sliders'', Andrew Clements in ''My Secret Identity'', Vern Tessio in the film '' Stand by M ...

as Nick Diamond, Gabi's father who becomes romantically involved with Josh's mother, Kathy, much to the shock of Gabi and Josh *

Briana Lane Briana Lane (born October 27, 1985) is an American actress and musician. She is best known for her recurring roles on Freeform's ''Young & Hungry'' and '' Switched at Birth'' and her portrayal of Brook Lynn Quartermaine on ABC's ''General Hospi ...

as Dr. Jessica Rounds (season 3), Josh's

therapist Therapist is a person who offers any kinds of therapy. Therapists are trained professionals in the field of any types of services like psychologists, social workers, counsellors, life coachers and others. They are helpful in counselling individuals ...

, who falls for Josh when he helps take her injured dog to the animal hospital * Demi Mills as Keisha (season 4), Elliot and Alan's 13-year-old foster child *

Heather Dubrow Heather Paige Dubrow (née Kent; born January 5, 1969) is an American actress and television personality. Heather portrayed Lydia DeLucca in the television series '' That's Life'' in 2000 and starred on the reality television series ''The Real H ...

as Natasha Cook-Campbell, a celebrity chef and lifestyle guru who is one of Gabi's idols *

Betty White Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of early television, with a television career spanning almost seven decades, White was noted for her vast work in the entertainment indust ...

as Ms. Wilson, Gabi's downstairs apartment neighbor, who gives her romantic advice. Ms. Wilson reunites with an old lover Bernie (

Carl Reiner Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, ...

), in the episode "Young & Vegas Baby", Bernie and it's revealed in that episode that her first name is Bernice. *

Andy Buckley Andrew P. Buckley Jr. (born February 13, 1965) is an American actor and financial analyst best known for his role as David Wallace on the NBC comedy series ''The Office'' from 2006 to 2013. Early life Buckley was born in Salem, Massachusetts, ...

as Matt Danon, Josh's estranged father *

Jose Moreno Brooks Jose Moreno Brooks is an American actor best known for playing Gael Garnica on the NBC comedy ''Telenovela''. Early life Growing up in San Jose, California, Brooks attended Bellarmine College Preparatory. He graduated from University of Californ ...

as Juan Carlos (season 5), a guy in Mexico who charms Sofia Celebrity chef and television personalities have also appeared in the show as themselves including

Michael Voltaggio Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

Rachael Ray Rachael Domenica Ray (born August 25, 1968) is an American cook, television personality, businesswoman, and author. She hosts the syndicated daily talk and lifestyle program ''Rachael Ray'', and the Food Network series '' 30 Minute Meals''. ...

Giada de Laurentiis Giada Pamela De Laurentiis (; born August 22, 1970) is an Italian-American chef, writer, and television personality. She was the host of Food Network's ''Giada at Home''. She also appears regularly as a contributor and guest co-host on NBC's ...

, and

Alex Guarnaschelli {{Infobox chef , name = Alex Guarnaschelli , image = , caption = , birth_date = {{birth date and age, 1969, 6, 20 , birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. , birth_name = Alexandra Maria Guarnaschelli ...

Development and production

The show is inspired by San Francisco food blogger Gabi Moskowitz. On August 23, 2013,

placed a pilot order. The pilot was written by

and directed by Andy Cadiff.

, Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum, and Jessica Rhoades serve as executive producers. Filming for the pilot started on April 21, 2014. On January 6, 2014, ABC Family placed a series order on ''Young & Hungry'', with the premiere on June 25, 2014, alongside the comedy ''

Mystery Girls ''Mystery Girls'' is an American sitcom starring Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth that aired on ABC Family on June 25 through August 27, 2014. The series follows Holly and Charlie, former stars of the fictional 1990s TV detective series ''Mystery G ...

''. On September 29, 2014 the network renewed ''Young & Hungry'' for a second season. On June 24, 2014 the first webisode was released with Gabi Moskowitz starring.

Book

On April 11, 2017 a book titled "Young & Hungry: Your Complete Guide to a Delicious Life" was published.

Casting

Casting announcements began in September 2013, with

first cast in the lead role of Gabi Diamond, a blunt and klutzy food blogger who not only has a true gift for cooking, but also the ability to figure out what it is people want to eat.

was the next actor cast in the series regular role of Sofia Rodriguez, Gabi's best friend and an ambitious banking intern. Shortly after, Jonathan Sadowski and Rex Lee were cast in the series, with Sadowski playing the lead role of Josh Kaminski, a young tech entrepreneur who hires Gabi as his personal chef; and Lee cast as Elliot Park, Josh's high-strung personal aide and right-hand-man.

was the last actor cast in the series regular role of Yolanda, Josh's housekeeper. MTV announced Australian singer

as a guest star in the second season as a potential new love interest for Josh.

Series overview

Reception

Critical response

''Young & Hungry'' has received mixed reviews from critics. On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

the first season holds a rating of 43%, based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 4.9/10. On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, the first season has a score of 48 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". In a double review with fellow ABC Family series, ''Mystery Girls'', Mary McNamara of the ''

LA Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' gave ''Young & Hungry'' a mixed review. Whilst praising the comedic skills of Osment, McNamara opined "''Young & Hungry'' feels much more Disney Channel than ABC Family" and criticized the pilot as "overwrought". McNamara finished with hope that if the series "settled down", it would "give Osment the successful starring role she deserves".

Ratings

The first season ended with a 0.4 rating in the 18–49 demographic with 900,000 total viewers.

Awards and nominations

Broadcast

In Australia, the series premiered on July 25, 2015 on FOX8. In Turkey, the series airs on Dizimax Drama. In the Netherlands the series started on August 21, 2016 on

Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...

. In the United Kingdom, the show started airing on November 14, 2016 on E4. In India, the first two seasons of the show aired in 2016 on

Zee Café Zee Café is an Indian pay television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. The channel mainly syndicates popular American and British television shows to appeal to the English-speaking population of India. History Zee English was ...

Spin-off

During April 2016, it was confirmed that ''Young & Hungry'' would possibly spawn a spin-off series titled ''Young & Sofia'' centered on Gabi's best friend, Sofia Rodriguez. In May 2016, cast details surfaced with

starring as Sofia Rodriguez;

as Logan Rawlings, Sofia's overbearing boss at Click'd Media;

Steve Talley Steven Douglas Talley (born August 12, 1981) is an American actor who grew up in Avon, Indiana. He is best known for his portrayal of Dwight Stifler in ''American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile '' and ''American Pie Presents: Beta House''. Career ...

as Kendrick; and

Ryan Pinkston Ryan James Pinkston (born February 8, 1988) is an American actor and model. He was a cast member on ''Punk'd'', he played Arnold in the ''Spy Kids'' films, and played Billy Hunkee in '' Soul Plane''. Life and career Pinkston was born in Silver ...

as Leo. The spin-off was introduced in the eighth episode of season four, but ultimately was not picked up.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Young And Hungry 2010s American LGBT-related comedy television series 2010s American romantic comedy television series 2010s American sitcoms 2010s LGBT-related sitcoms 2014 American television series debuts 2018 American television series endings ABC Family original programming American LGBT-related sitcoms English-language television shows Fictional LGBT couples Freeform (TV channel) original programming Television series by CBS Studios Television series by Disney–ABC Domestic Television Television shows set in San Francisco