“Take My Wife,” the comedy series created by lesbian comics and real-life spouses Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher, is back.
The acclaimed, slice-of-life show ― which starred Esposito and Butcher as slightly exaggerated versions of themselves ― had been facing an uncertain future since last summer.
The series originally aired on NBC’s now-defunct streaming service, Seeso. When the network pulled the plug on Seeso in August 2017, “Take My Wife” was left without a home ― even though the show’s second season had been completely shot and edited by then. (Watch the trailer for the first season above.)
On Monday, Esposito announced that both seasons of “Take My Wife” would be available on iTunes. The show will also be available for viewing on the Starz app on May 1.
Esposito said that she and Butcher were “stoked as hell” to finally debut the second season of their show. The women hope the iTunes and Starz releases will “continue the push for diversity in television,” Esposito told INTO.
Added Butcher, “I’m just really excited that people get to see it. A lot of awesome people worked really hard on this show, and I’m glad their hard work gets to be seen.”
Many of the other performers and artists involved in “Take My Wife” shared Esposito and Butcher’s enthusiasm.
The first season of “Take My Wife,” which premiered on Seeso in August 2016, made waves as one of the few scripted series to specifically focus on queer women. Both Esposito and Butcher made a point to involve women, people of color and LGBTQ people in all aspects of production.
The second season’s cast, Esposito said, is made up of 83 percent women and 54 percent LGBTQ people. Guest stars include LGBTQ actors and public figures like Jen Richards, Solomon Georgio and indie pop duo Tegan and Sara.
The first season of “Take My Wife” was a critical darling. The A.V. Club said the show offered “a much more real and lively representation of lesbians than the static stereotypes and tropes that dominate television,” while The New York Times praised “Take My Wife” for having “a D.I.Y. charm and a perspective that have long been underrepresented on the small screen.”
Ultimately, Esposito would like “Take My Wife” to be seen as a testament to the possibilities of diversity in Hollywood.
“As a small budget show, we prioritized hiring queer folks, POC and female standups,” she said. “If we can do it, shows with more financial support certainly can!”
