The
sitcom centers on
New York novelist and loner Tom (
Breckin Meyer,
Clueless) who was raised as an only child. After he marries Susan (
Kiele Sanchez,
That Was Then), a woman raised in the Midwest by a large family, the couple moves to
Kansas so they can be closer to them. Tom has to quickly adjust to life with a big, caring, and somewhat creepy family. He initially dislikes and is uncomfortable around the family, but Susan forces him to spend time with the Kellys and try to please them. When Tom married Susan he thought he was only getting a new wife. He never even considered that he would be getting a brand-new family as well. Sandy is the mother and rule-maker of the house and Bill, the father and an only child himself, could be the person Tom can relate to the most. Mary is Susan's competitive, condescending, and envious sister and both she and her whipped, frat-boy type husband Chris, who considers himself Bill and Sandy's favorite son-in-law, find Tom as somewhat of a threat. Susan's brother Lewis, a shy and awkward young man, has made a career of collecting bugs. He is the only family member Tom finds a real relationship with. Other family members who occasionally drop by include Uncle Dave, the big-shot banker of the family, and Lisa, the youngest daughter who wants to backpack around
Europe and become an art major. When
Married to the Kellys premiered Fridays at 8:30pm/7:30 central during
ABC's fall 2003 season, it aired after
George Lopez, where ABC brought back its famed
TGIF block along with the new
Kelly Ripa comedy
Hope & Faith and
Life with Bonnie. Originally bought by ABC as
The Untitled Tom Hertz Project the show needed a quick title in order for the series to be promoted in time for the network to unveil its new line-up. So they decided on the tentative title
Back to Kansas. Although the series does take place in
Kansas the title didn't quite work since the main character isn't really returning to
Kansas (his wife is) and the show wasn't really about the wife's "return" to Kansas but more about the entire Kelly family and the main character's efforts in trying to fit into a new situation. The show soon acquired the more appropriate and fitting title “Married to the Kellys“. Producer Tom Hertz (
Spin City,
Less than Perfect) loosely based this comedy on his life experiences. Not only were real-life situations used as inspiration for this sitcom, he also used real-life family members. All the characters in the series were named after Tom Hertz, his wife, and his in-laws (with the exception of Lewis).
Married to the Kellys also starred Josh Braaten (''
That '80s Show), Nancy Lenehan (Grace Under Fire), Emily Rutherfurd (The Ellen Show, Van Wilder), Sam Anderson (Angel''), and newcomer Derek Waters. ==Cast==