| Second Jen | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 18 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | Don Ferguson Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | City (first season) Omni |
| Release | October 27, 2016 – March 21, 2021 |
Second Jen is a Canadian television sitcom that premiered on City on October 27, 2016.[1] The series is produced by Don Ferguson Productions and stars Amanda Joy and Samantha Wan as Mo and Jen,[2] two young East Asian Canadian women experiencing the ups and downs of being independent after moving out of their parents' homes for the first time.[3] Joy and Wan are also co-creators and writers for the series.[2]
Following its release in 2016, the series received mixed reviews.[4][5][6][7] In 2018, Omni Television announced it had commissioned a second season.[8][9] It premiered on August 4, 2018.[10][11] On February 8, 2019, the second season was nominated for Best Comedy Series by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.[12] The third and final season premiered February 14, 2021.[13][14]
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 6 | October 27, 2016 | December 1, 2016 | |
| 2 | 6 | August 4, 2018 | September 8, 2018 | |
| 3 | 6 | February 14, 2021 | March 21, 2021 | |
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Canada viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Couch Surfing" | Unknown | Unknown | October 27, 2016 | N/A |
| 2 | 2 | "Jenny Has the Gay" | Unknown | Unknown | November 3, 2016 | N/A |
| 3 | 3 | "Re-Tales" | Unknown | Unknown | November 10, 2016 | N/A |
| 4 | 4 | "Borrow-a-Buddy Forever" | Unknown | Unknown | November 17, 2016 | N/A |
| 5 | 5 | "Pap Fiction" | Unknown | Unknown | November 24, 2016 | N/A |
| 6 | 6 | "Asian Night" | Unknown | Unknown | December 1, 2016 | N/A |
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Canada viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "Forecast Calls for Wedding Showers" | Romeo Candido | Carly Heffernan | August 4, 2018 | N/A |
| 8 | 2 | "The Break In" | Romeo Candido | Carly Heffernan | August 11, 2018 | N/A |
| 9 | 3 | "Like a Girl" | Romeo Candido & Samantha Wan | Amanda Joy | August 18, 2018 | N/A |
| 10 | 4 | "The Book of Jenesis" | Romeo Candido | Amanda Joy | August 25, 2018 | N/A |
| 11 | 5 | "No Escape Room" | Romeo Candido | Carly Heffernan | September 1, 2018 | N/A |
| 12 | 6 | "Wall Squirrelly" | Romeo Candido | Carly Heffernan & Amanda Joy | September 8, 2018 | N/A |
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [15] | Canada viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 1 | "Vive Le Conflict Resolution" | Unknown | Unknown | February 14, 2021 | N/A |
| 14 | 2 | "Happy Birthday" | Unknown | Unknown | February 21, 2021 | N/A |
| 15 | 3 | "Sense and Sensuality" | Unknown | Unknown | February 28, 2021 | N/A |
| 16 | 4 | "Exes and CEOS" | Unknown | Unknown | March 7, 2021 | N/A |
| 17 | 5 | "In Session" | Unknown | Unknown | March 14, 2021 | N/A |
| 18 | 6 | "Balikbayan" | Unknown | Unknown | March 21, 2021 | N/A |
Show creators Amanda Joy and Samantha Wan met on the set of the 2014 film Devil's Mile.[16] Tired of auditioning for the same stereotypical East Asian roles, they discussed creating their own work together.[17]
Joy and Wan stated that their show was originally rejected at an unnamed Canadian pitch contest.[18] It later went on to win Best Television Pitch at NexTV L.A. in 2013,[19] before being picked up for development with Rogers. Joy wrote the original pilot script,[20] with Wan directing alongside Joseph O'Brien.[21] The original spec pilot screened at Toronto's Reelworld Film Festival in 2014,[22] as well as Toronto's Asian Heritage Month.[21]
Prior to the release of the show, Tony Wong of the Toronto Star published an article declaring Second Jen "groundbreaking" in its depiction of two female East Asian leads "as if we had already arrived in a post-racial world."[23]
Brad Oswald of the Winnipeg Free Press praised Second Jen, calling it "Sharp, funny, slightly cheeky and smartly in tune with this country’s diverse demographic mix." Oswald wrote that "while it’s fair to say that attitude plays a bit part in this likable series’ early success, there are actually several elements that make Second Jen a must-see production."[4] Oswald also praised the strength of the cast noting that Joy and Wan are particularly "likeable and relatable" in the lead roles of Jen and Mo.[4]
Toronto Life's Will Sloan complimented the show's light-hearted tone. He noted that, while "not necessarily laugh out loud funny," Second Jen is a pleasant watch, with strong moments carried by "the likability of its goofy cast, and the familiar streets, bars and houses of its Little Italy setting." Sloan also praised Joy and Wan's performances, calling them breakout stars.[7]
Brad Wheeler of The Globe and Mail hailed the show as "A Laverne & Shirley for the Digital Age" as it stars "two sparky second-generation Asian-Canadian millennial women coming of age in an era so economically challenging that Laverne and Shirley would be crying in their beers instead of merrily goofing off at the bottling plant."[24]
In contrast, John Doyle, also of The Globe and Mail, panned the show, calling it "light, slight, silly and only occasionally outright funny [...] Second Jen is notable for having two female Asian lead characters but it is not notable, nor funny, as a comedy."[6]
