It was only after Mamie Gummer first appeared on "The Good Wife" that I learned she was Meryl Streep's daughter -- not that it mattered, because by then she had already won me over as that snippy, seemingly harmless Nancy Crozier. Gummer may have only done four "Good Wife" episodes, but that was all it took. She had me with her faux naivete. I followed her over to Shonda Rhimes' "Off the Map," which was unfairly -- but unsurprisingly -- canceled, but I knew it would be no time before someone snapped up the talented actress. The CW did just that, and not only did they scoop her up, they made her the lead of her very own show.
"Emily Owens, M.D." centers on a former (sometimes still-)sweaty nerd during her first-year internship at Denver Memorial. She assumed her loser status was done once the scrubs were on, but she gets a rude awakening upon discovering the hospital halls are just like the high school ones (think hot, unattainable boys and girls who make Regina George seem sweet).
Emily Owens is no Trapper John. In fact, the dramedy is more like "Grey's Anatomy" lite -- but that doesn't make it bad. Rather, the show is quite good. It's sweet and has heart and that's a testament to the awesomeness of Gummer, who absolutely shines in the lead role. But, to be honest, I don't quite get what's so geeky about Emily (though maybe it takes one to know one). She's smart, obviously, pretty, sweet without being annoying, albeit a bit awkward ... but is that it? Or that she gets the odd pit stain? Couldn't we all be labelled a loser at one point or another?
The CW-ified doctor show is a breath of fresh air, and while I'm sure there'll be the usual patients of the week, it's the simpler, personal stuff that will lure viewers back. Emily's crush on Will (Justin Hartley) is meh, at best, not because a girl like Em couldn't get a guy like him; I just simply don't see it. Gummer could have chemistry with a scalpel, but I see nothing between her and Hartley.
The writers are obviously leaning towards her and Micah (Michael Rady) -- a pairing I'm already on board with; it's just going to take Emily some time to realize it. Thanks to Gummer, her relatability and her fun portrayal of the titular character, I'll keep tuning in to see it happen. I want to know what happens to this girl, I want to root for her every week (because who doesn't love an underdog?), I want her to impress her stern boss (Necar Zadegan), top that irksome Cassandra (Aja Naomi King) and realize who the right man is for her.
"Emily Owens, M.D." premieres Tuesday, October 16 at 9 p.m. ET on CTV Two in Canada/The CW in the US.
Fall TV Stars With Famous Parents
Dakota Johnson, "Ben and Kate" (Fox)(01 of10)
Open Image ModalDakota Johnson brings an understated charm to Fox's new comedy "Ben and Kate," and she can thank her parents for some of that. She's the daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, which also makes her the granddaughter of Tippi Hedren. Dakota also has the true stamp of Hollywood royalty on her resume: She was Miss Golden Globe in 2006. (credit:Fox)
Katie Cassidy, "Arrow" (The CW)(02 of10)
Open Image ModalCassidy is third generation in Hollywood, with dad David Cassidy (her mother Sherry Williams was a model) and grandparents Jack Cassidy, a Tony winner and Emmy nominee, and actress Evelyn Ward. She made her on-screen acting debut at 17 and has since become a CW/CBS darling with "Supernatural," "Harper's Island," "Melrose Place," "Gossip Girl" and now "Arrow" on her resume. (credit:Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Jonny Lee Miller, "Elementary" (CBS)(03 of10)
Open Image ModalJonny Lee Miller's been around long enough to have proven himself as a talented leading man, but his start in the business can still be attributed to his family connections: Parents Anne Lee and Allen Miller were both actors, and his grandfather Bernard Lee played "M" in 11 Bond films. (Of course, you can't talk about Miller's Hollywood connections without also noting that his ex-wife is Angelina Jolie.) (credit:CBS)
Alexandra Breckenridge, "Save Me" (NBC)(04 of10)
Open Image ModalYou know how everyone has an uncle that's sort of embarrassing? Well, Alexandra Breckenridge has the opposite: Her uncle is "NCIS" star Michael Weatherly. His success on TV couldn't have hurt her choice to take on small-screen roles, with "Dirt," "Life Unexpected," "American Horror Story" and now NBC's midseason comedy "Save Me" all on her resume. (credit:Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Georgia King, "The New Normal" (NBC)(05 of10)
Open Image ModalGeorgia King might be British, but she grew up in a very Hollywood family. Her dad, actor Jonathan Hyde, is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. (And if that doesn't impress you much, he played Cadbury in the "Richie Rich" movie.) King is making her U.S. TV debut as Goldie, the charming surrogate mom-to-be for a gay couple on NBC's "The New Normal." (credit:NBC)
Brian White, "Cult" (The CW)(06 of10)
Open Image ModalClara Mamet, "The Neighbors" (ABC)(07 of10)
Open Image ModalWilla Holland, "Arrow" (The CW)(08 of10)
Open Image ModalWilla Holland's dad is cinematographer Keith Holland and her mom is actress Darnell Gregorio-De Palma, but it was family friend Steven Spielberg and her one-time stepfather director Brian De Palma who encouraged her to get in the business and she began modeling and acting (remember her as Marissa's little sister on "The O.C."?) at a young age. (credit:Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Jesse Bradford, "Guys With Kids" (NBC)(09 of10)
Open Image ModalJesse Bradford is the son of Curtis Watrouse and Terry Porter, both commercial actors, which explains why he started his career at the ripe old age of 5. He's amassed quite the resume since then, and is now starring in NBC's "Guys With Kids." (credit:NBC)
Mamie Gummer, "Emily Owens, M.D." (The CW)(10 of10)
Open Image ModalIt only takes one look at this picture to know who Mamie Gummer's mom is: Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep. Resemblance aside, there's not much else Streep-like in her new show "Emily Owens, M.D." (and that's a compliment -- she's paving her own way!), where she stars as a young doctor who can't seem to get her act together. (credit:The CW)
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