TV writer Annie Weisman was captivated by Don Draper and Walter White, the two very complicated family men at the heart of “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad,” when those ground-breaking characters were introduced nearly 15 years ago.
Byrne’s Sheila Rubin, a disillusioned progressive afflicted by intense self-loathing and an ongoing eating disorder, is on a par with Draper and White for sheer complexity.
A twist on Cate Blanchett’s Phyllis Schlafly in FX’s period limited series “Mrs.
But it quickly becomes apparent the series is less upbeat than those signifiers might indicate: Over the course of 10 episodes, available for streaming June 18, we learn more about secrets from Sheila’s past and her husband’s obliviousness to some of her private struggles.
Weisman, who has struggled with her own eating disorder, didn’t want to airbrush Sheila’s dark side or her punishing internal voice, which we hear throughout the season.
Buoyed by the backing of women throughout the development process, she believes “Physical” will find an audience, but recognizes that the storyline won’t resonate with everyone.
“I definitely think that streaming has turned out to be better for comedy,” Fey said during a Tribeca conversation with “Girls5Eva” creator Meredith Scardino and fellow executive producers earlier this month.
In the series, Grammy winner Sara Bareilles plays Dawn Solano, a mother of a young child that misses the spotlight and begins to flex her once thwarted songwriting skills.
Schlafly, the real-life conservative activist who rose to power in the 1970s, faced even more overt sexism than Dawn or Sheila; FX on Hulu’s limited series “Mrs.
A pivotal subplot in HBO Max’s “The Flight Attendant,” meanwhile, revolves around Rosie Perez’s Megan Briscoe, a frustrated middle-aged mom who inadvertently becomes enmeshed in high-stakes corporate espionage.
And on “Hacks,” also streaming on HBO Max, Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance recalls the sexism she encountered as a young mother on the comedy circuit.
“We definitely see and have thoughts and ideas for where she goes from here,” Weisman says.