Girlfriends' Guide To Divorce
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''Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce'' (also known as ''Girlfriends' Guide to Freedom'' in season 3, ''Girlfriends' Guide to Bossing Up'' in season 4, and ''Girlfriends' Guide to Ever After'' in season 5) is an American comedy-drama television series developed by
Marti Noxon Martha Mills Noxon (born August 25, 1964) is an American television and film writer, director, and producer. She is best known for her work as a screenwriter and executive producer on the supernatural drama series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' ( ...
for the American
cable network Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...
Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels * Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 * Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing compa ...
. Based on the ''Girlfriends' Guides'' book series by Vicki Iovine, the series revolves around Abby McCarthy, a self-help author who finds solace in new friends and adventures as she faces an impending divorce.
Lisa Edelstein Lisa Edelstein ( ; born May 21, 1966) is an American actress and artist. She is known for playing Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the Fox medical drama series ''House'' (2004–2011). Between 2014 and 2018, Edelstein starred as Abby McCarthy in the Bravo s ...
portrays the main character, Abby. Beau Garrett and Necar Zadegan co-star.
Janeane Garofalo Janeane Garofalo ( ; born September 28, 1964) is an American comedian, actress, and former co-host on Air America Radio's '' The Majority Report''. The accolades she has received include nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Screen Act ...
was part of the main cast for the first seven episodes of season 1 before departing the cast. She was replaced in episode 8 with Alanna Ubach.
Paul Adelstein Paul Adelstein (born April 29, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for the role of Agent Paul Kellerman in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox television series ''Prison Break'' and his role as pediatrician Cooper Freedman in the American Broad ...
co-starred as a main cast member for the first two seasons, before being reduced to a recurring character for the third and fifth seasons.
Retta Marietta Sangai SirleafJung, E. Alex Vulture.com, May 23, 2018. rchived https://web.archive.org/web/20180523214634/https://www.vulture.com/2018/05/retta-has-a-story-to-tell.htmlon 05-23-2018
recurred during the show's second season before being promoted to the main cast at the start of season 3. Produced by
Universal Cable Productions Universal Content Productions LLC (UCP) is an American television production company operating within the Universal Studio Group division of NBCUniversal, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. History Universal Cable Productions In July ...
, it is the first original scripted series for Bravo. A 13-episode first season was ordered by the network, which premiered on December 2, 2014. The show debuted to 1.04 million viewers. Critical reception for the series has initially been generally positive, with particular praise towards Edelstein's performance and the series' quality over the reality series on Bravo. The show was eventually renewed for a second season, which premiered on December 1, 2015. On April 13, 2016, it was announced that Bravo had renewed the show for a third, fourth and fifth season. On August 5, 2016, it was announced that the fifth season would be the show's last.


Cast


Main

*
Lisa Edelstein Lisa Edelstein ( ; born May 21, 1966) is an American actress and artist. She is known for playing Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the Fox medical drama series ''House'' (2004–2011). Between 2014 and 2018, Edelstein starred as Abby McCarthy in the Bravo s ...
as Abby McCarthy, a self-help book author in her early 40s in Los Angeles. Her marriage has recently ended, throwing both her personal and professional lives into serious disarray. * Beau Garrett as Phoebe Conte, a recent divorcée and former model. Up until now she has been a typical free spirit but she is now seeking a more stable life. * Necar Zadegan as Delia Banai, a divorce attorney who represents Abby in her divorce. She struggles with career and personal life balance. * Alanna Ubach as Jo Hernandez-Frumpkis, Abby's best friend from college who comes to live with her in LA. She is recently separated from her husband after finding out he had a second family. (season 1, episode 8–season 5) *
Paul Adelstein Paul Adelstein (born April 29, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for the role of Agent Paul Kellerman in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox television series ''Prison Break'' and his role as pediatrician Cooper Freedman in the American Broad ...
as Jake Novak, Abby's husband from whom she is recently separated. He is a director with a limited amount of success and has up until now lived in Abby's shadow. (seasons 1–2; recurring seasons 3 & 5) *
Janeane Garofalo Janeane Garofalo ( ; born September 28, 1964) is an American comedian, actress, and former co-host on Air America Radio's '' The Majority Report''. The accolades she has received include nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Screen Act ...
as Lyla Straley, Abby's friend, a divorcée and entertainment lawyer. A bitter custody battle with her ex causes her to flee California for Portland in the middle of season 1. (season 1, episodes 1–7) *
Retta Marietta Sangai SirleafJung, E. Alex Vulture.com, May 23, 2018. rchived https://web.archive.org/web/20180523214634/https://www.vulture.com/2018/05/retta-has-a-story-to-tell.htmlon 05-23-2018
as Barbara Sawyer, Abby's co-worker at SheShe, who later becomes her business partner. (seasons 3–5; recurring season 2)


Recurring

* Conner Dwelly as Lilly, Abby's daughter * Dylan Schombing as Charlie, Abby's son * Julianna Guill as Becca Riley, Jake's new girlfriend and a successful actress on a CW show * Patrick Heusinger as Max McCarthy, Abby's brother * J. August Richards as Ford, husband to Abby's brother *
Warren Christie Hans Warren Christie (born 4 November 1975) is a Canadian television and film actor known for his roles as Ray Cataldo on the ABC drama '' October Road'' and as Aidan "Greggy" Stiviletto on the ABC series '' Happy Town''. More recently, Chri ...
as Will, Abby's new boyfriend *
Brian Markinson Brian Markinson (born ) is an American actor who has appeared in a wide variety of films and television shows. Some of Markinson's best known roles include a U.S. Attorney General in ''Shooter'', an unscrupulous industrialist in ''Godzilla'', ...
as Albert, Delia's boss and long-time fling. Delia has an affair with him while engaged to Gordon *
Matthew Glave Matthew Glave is an American actor best known for his recurring roles in the television shows ''Picket Fences'', ''ER (TV series), ER'', ''Charmed'', ''Stargate SG-1'', ''Army Wives'', ''Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce'', ''Better Things (TV s ...
as Gordon Beech, Delia's client with whom she starts an affair * Brandon Jay McLaren as Marco, Phoebe's love interest *
Aaron Staton Aaron Staton (born August 10, 1980) is an American actor. He played Ken Cosgrove on the AMC series '' Mad Men'' (2007–15) and Cole Phelps in the video game '' L.A. Noire'' (2011), for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Perfor ...
as JD, Phoebe's love interest *
Jean Smart Jean Elizabeth Smart (born September 13, 1951) is an American actress. Jean Smart filmography, Her work includes both comedy and drama, and List of awards and nominations received by Jean Smart, her accolades include six Primetime Emmy Awards a ...
as Katherine Miller, Abby's editor * Mark Valley as Dr. Harris, Abby's love interest *
Maury Sterling Charles Maury Wallace Sterling (born September 1, 1971) is an American actor. He is known for playing Max Piotrowski in '' Homeland'', Rafferty in the comedy film '' Beverly Hills Chihuahua'', and Lester Tremor in the action film '' Smokin' Ace ...
as Rob Frumpkis, Jo's ex-husband * Will Kemp as Scott, the vegan confectioner at Jo's bakery *
Megan Hilty Megan Hilty (born March 29, 1981) is an American actress and singer. She rose to prominence for her roles in Broadway musicals, including her performance as Glinda in '' Wicked'', Doralee Rhodes in '' 9 to 5: The Musical'', and her Tony Award– ...
as Charlene, Frumpkis' new girlfriend * Charles Mesure as Ralf, Phoebe's ex-husband * James Lesure as Mike Brady, Charlie's baseball coach * Daisy Betts as Gemma * Alison Thornton as Zooey Hernandez Frumpkis *
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''. Care ...
as Tony, Phoebe's brother


Guest

*
Carrie Fisher Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the Star Wars original trilogy, original ''Star Wars'' films (1977–1983) and reprised the role in'' Star Wars: The F ...
as Cat *Suke Kaiser as Kori Wingo, Phoebe's former boss *
Bernadette Peters Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress and singer. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo concerts and released reco ...
as Annie *
Laverne Cox Laverne Cox (born May 29, 1972) is an American actress and LGBTQ advocate. She rose to prominence with her role as Sophia Burset on the Netflix series '' Orange Is the New Black'', becoming the first transgender person to be nominated for a ...
as Adele Northrop * Victor Webster as Carl, a male escort who Abby spends the night talking to *
Barry Bostwick Barry Knapp Bostwick (born February 24, 1945) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Brad Majors in '' The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975) and Mayor Randall Winston in the sitcom '' Spin City'' (1996–2002). Bostwick has also ...
as George, Abby's dad *
Lesley Ann Warren Lesley Ann Warren (born August 16, 1946) is an American actress, singer and dancer. She made her Broadway debut in '' 110 in the Shade'' in 1963. In 1965 she received wide recognition for playing the title role in the television musical product ...
as Dina, Abby's mom * Malcolm Jamal Warner as Darrell *
Kathie Lee Gifford Kathryn Lee Gifford (Given name, née Epstein; born August 16, 1953) is an American television presenter, singer, songwriter, actress, and author. From 1985 to 2000, she and Regis Philbin hosted the talk show ''Live with Kelly and Mark, Live! wi ...
as herself *
Hoda Kotb Hoda Kotb ( ; born August 9, 1964) is an American broadcast journalist, television personality, and author. She was the main co-anchor of the NBC News breakfast television, morning show ''Today (American TV program), Today'' from 2018 to 2025, ...
as herself *
Kyle Richards Kyle Egan Richards Umansky (; born January 11, 1969) is an American actress, socialite, and television personality. Since 2010, she has appeared as a main cast member on ''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'', and as of 2025, is the last rema ...
as herself * Jessica Clark as Merete *
Denise Richards Denise Lee Richards (born February 17, 1971) is an American actress, TV personality, and model. She rose to prominence with roles in the science fiction film ''Starship Troopers'' (1997), the erotic thriller film '' Wild Things'' (1998), and the ...
as Temple Hampton, Will's new girlfriend *
Talia Shire Talia Rose Shire (née Coppola; born April 25, 1946) is an American actress and member of the Coppola family. She is best known for her roles as Connie Corleone in The Godfather (film series), ''The Godfather'' trilogy and Adrian Pennino, Adrian ...
as Meryl Frumpkis, Jo's mother-in-law


Episodes


Reception


Critical response

''Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce'' was met with generally positive reviews from
television critics Television criticism (also called TV criticism or TV reviewing) is the act of writing or speaking about television programming to subjectively evaluate its worth, meaning, and other aspects. It is often found in newspapers, television programs, r ...
. At Metacritic, which assigns a
weighted mean The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...
rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the series received an average score of 69, based on 21 reviews. Lori Rackl of ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'' gave the episode a 4 star rating (out of 4 stars), calling it "a sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking story about an L.A.-based self-help author" and added that the first two episodes "reveal a much more nuanced, poignant tale, punctuated by some genuinely funny scenes." LaToya Ferguson of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' gave the series a grade of "A−", calling it "a very solid drama" that should be on
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or
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. Ferguson also praised the characters and the series's messiness, writing "Visually, it's almost flawless (there's one obvious green-screen moment in the pilot, but it's not Ringer level), but every character here is deeply flawed." ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
''s Mary McNamara lauded the series' cast's portrayal of the characters and deemed the series "smartly acted, crisply written and willing to address all manner of issues — marriage, betrayal, family economics, friendship, even the pitfalls of public domesticity — in gratifyingly complex ways." Brian Lowry, writing for ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', applauded the series' cast and material, noting how it sticks to the network's demographic while maintaining a level of quality. Gail Pennington of ''
St. Louis Post-Dispatch The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the '' Belleville News-Democra ...
'' called the series "a smart, solid examination of just how messy relationships are and how hard it is to make them work." ''
Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
''s Willa Paskin highlighted Edelstein's portrayal of the lead character, describing her as "very well cast, both commanding and nurturing enough to seem like the ideal advice-giver" and noted that the series has "a satisfying and complex take on social dynamics in friendship and romance." Alessandra Stanley of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' praised Edelstein and Garofalo as "one reason" the show is entertaining and found the comic side of the series "a lot more fun." ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
''s writer James Poniewozik praised the writing and Edelstein's "sympathetic" performance, noting that the latter "grounds a show that often otherwise plays like young-adult fiction for actual adults." However, Poniewozik opined that "there's one lesson Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce has (over)learned from its Bravo peers: that there's no reality so compelling that it can’t be sweetened with a little Photoshop." David Hinckley, writing for the ''
New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...
'', highlighted the series' best moments as those showing the messy side of marital discourse while heralding Edelstein's performance as "memorably moving." Margaret Lyons of ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...
'' was critical of the several aspects of the series, including the characters Abby and Lyla's attitude on giving their spouses child support, but found the series to be its best "at its nastiest."


Ratings


Arabic adaptation

In October 2021, it was announced that
MBC Group MBC Group (), formerly known as Middle East Broadcasting Center (), is a Saudi media conglomerate based in the Riyadh region. Launched in London in 1991, the company moved its headquarters to Dubai in 2002 and to Riyadh in 2022. It is majority ...
was developing their own version of the American series, ''Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce'' with Sally Wally along with their production company,
S Productions S, or s, is the nineteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and other latin alphabets worldwide. Its name in English is ''ess'' (pronounced ), plural ''esses''. ...
in partnership with NBCUniversal Formats. The series was greenlit for a 45-episodes of fifth and final season which premiered on 21 November 2021 on
MBC 4 MBC 4 is a television channel in the Middle East. It was launched on 1 February 2005 at 5:00 P.M. (GMT) and is owned by the Middle East Broadcasting Center. MBC 4 airs international programmes with Arabic language subtitles. Its programming is ...
, Shahid VIP & S Productions collaborate on their first comedy-drama series: The 45 Rules of Divorce.


Broadcast

''Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce'' premiered in the United States on
Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels * Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 * Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing compa ...
on December 2, 2014, in Canada on Slice on January 9, 2015, and in the United Kingdom on Lifetime UK on September 15, 2015.


Home media and streaming

The first season was released on DVD in region 1 on October 13, 2015. On November 1, 2015 season 1 of ''Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce'' became available to stream in the US for
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
subscribers. The show is also available from electronic sell-through platforms such as iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and Vudu.


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce 2010s American comedy-drama television series 2014 American television series debuts 2018 American television series endings Bravo (American TV network) original programming American English-language television shows Television shows based on books Television series by Universal Cable Productions Television shows filmed in Vancouver Television shows set in Los Angeles Television series about divorce Television series created by Marti Noxon