Life Unexpected is an American television series that ran for two seasons, from 2010 to 2011.

The show premiered on The CW on Monday, January 18, 2010. The 13-episode first season run ended on April 12, 2010. The series was picked up for a second season, which premiered on September 14, 2010, airing on Tuesdays at 9/8c following One Tree Hill.^[1][2]

The CW declined to order the back 9 episodes for the show's second season, leaving the season's episode count at 13.^[3] On December 6, 2010, series creator, Liz Tigelaar made the TV show's cancellation official via Twitter.^[4][5]

On December 3, 2010 Warner Bros. reported that the show's two seasons would be released on DVD as a "Complete Series" set; but, on December 24, 2010 this was changed and the set was renamed "The Complete 1st & 2nd Seasons."^[6]

Production[link]

Life Unexpected is produced by Best Day Ever Productions and Mojo Films in association with CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Liz Tigelaar (Brothers and Sisters, What About Brian), Janet Leahy (Boston Legal, Gilmore Girls), and Gary Fleder (October Road). Gary Fleder directed the pilot.

The CW announced the series in January 2009 under the working title of Light Years because the main character Lux's name means Light.^[7] According to Tigelaar, the title "tested way too sci-fi"^[8] and it was changed to LUX (the name of one of the lead characters) in April. This was quickly changed again into Life Unexpected, but at The CW Upfronts in May, the series was promoted as Parental Discretion Advised.^[9][10] That June, the network reverted to the name Life UneXpected, again highlighting the name of the main character in capital letters. Initial advertising for the series in fall 2009 listed it without the capitalized "X", which became the final version as it appears now.

While the show is set in Portland, Oregon, most of the filming is done in Vancouver, British Columbia. Scenes of Westmonte High are filmed at Sutherland Secondary School in North Vancouver and H. J. Cambie Secondary School in Richmond, British Columbia. The exterior of Baze's bar is located on Granville Island and the Ironworks Building in Vancouver. North Shore Studios, formally Lionsgate, was used as the primary studio for season one while Coast Mountain Film Studios housed the show for the second and final season.^[11][12]

Plot[link]

Teenager Lux (Britt Robertson) had been through the foster care system for almost her whole life. Cate Cassidy (Shiri Appleby) had given birth to her while still a teen but gave her up for adoption believing a better home could be found for her. Most likely because of her heart problems as a baby, Lux was never adopted. On her 16th birthday, she decides that it's time for her to become an emancipated minor, but before that occurs, she has to get signatures from her unknown birth parents. First she encounters former High-School Football Quarterback, Nathaniel "Baze" Bazile (Kristoffer Polaha), her birth father and owner of the Open Bar. He lives a semi-fraternity boy lifestyle above the drinking establishment with two lazy roommates, and sleeps with many women. However, even when he signs the papers, Baze discovers that he is bonding with his newfound daughter, and realizes that she has his eyes. He introduces Lux to her mother Cate, co-host of the "Morning Madness" drive time show at Portland radio station K-100 and Baze's former one-night stand from high school. Lux has been listening to Cate's voice on the radio as long as she can remember, so she feels an instant connection with the mom she's never met. Baze takes Lux to meet Cate, who is shocked and saddened to learn that Lux has grown up in foster care instead of the adoption she believed would take place and is reluctant to commit to her daughter. Eventually, Cate wants to be a part of Lux's life, and she shows that she really does care. When a judge decides that Lux isn't ready for emancipation and unexpectedly grants temporary joint custody to Baze and Cate, they agree to try to get past the awkwardness. Cate, due to her job as a radio host, and the fact that she has a suitable house, is given primary custody of Lux. Ryan Thomas (Kerr Smith), her radio broadcast partner, as well as her fiance, also takes to Lux.

As the series progresses, though, Baze becomes more responsible, and works harder to get the bar and the living space above it in shape so that Lux can be able to visit and stay with him. Due to their close bond, Baze, the one that was considered to perhaps be more of a slacker, had proven that when the chips are down, he inevitably comes through for Lux, giving her support and love. Cate, despite her constantly disappointing Lux, still means well. Her radio show is produced by Alice (Erin Karpluk), who often serves as her confidante. Ryan, in some ways jealous and insecure because of Baze's constant presence in his fiancee's life, gets resentful and has physically fought Baze. Ryan, finally fed up with Baze's continual interference, breaks it off with Cate. Eventually though, Ryan and Cate reconnect, and their engagement is back on. He also relents a bit towards Baze after the two have drinks and Baze explains that all he is to Cate is the father of Lux, and nothing else. Baze's bar is owned by his father Jack (Robin Thomas), who considers Baze a disappointment but softens towards him somewhat in later episodes. Lux has several friends from her old life, including best friend Tasha (Ksenia Solo), Lux's boyfriend Bug (Rafi Gavron), and Tasha's boyfriend Gavin (Rhys Williams). She must decide whether she can continue to have her old friends in her life as she attempts new friendships. Sometimes, Bug is known for doing things which brings him in trouble with the law, and that sometimes imperils Lux's life with Baze and Cate. Her case is handled by her social worker, Fern (Lucia Walters). Baze also incurs Cate's wrath when it is discovered that he is sleeping with her sister and Lux's aunt, Abby (Alex Breckenridge). Baze also slept with Ryan's sister Paige (Arielle Kebbel) after a drunk incident in season two. Lux meets a young man at Baze's bar, Eric Daniels (Shaun Sipos), and goes on a date with him, only to find out he is her new teacher. The second season deals with Lux's affair with her teacher, Kate and Ryan's new marriage and their attempts to have a child, and Baze's relationship with his coworker Emma Bradshaw (Emma Caulfield).

Cast and characters[link]

Lux Cassidy is the main protagonist. Catherine "Cate" Cassidy-Thomas is Lux's birth mother and primary caregiver. Nathaniel "Baze" Bazile is Lux's father, who lives above the bar he owns called the Open Bar. Matthew "Math" Rogers is Baze's best friend, who lives with him and Jamie above the bar. Ryan Thomas is Cate's former morning drive-time partner on the Morning Madness radio show, as well as her fiance.

• Lux Cassidy (Britt Robertson)
• Catherine "Cate" Cassidy (Shiri Appleby)
• Nathanial "Baze" Bazile (Kristoffer Polaha)
• Ryan Thomas (Kerr Smith)
• Matthew "Math" Rogers (Austin Basis)
• Natasha "Tasha" Siviac (Ksenia Solo)
• Eric Daniels (Shaun Sipos)
• Jamie (Reggie Austin)
• Jones (Austin Butler)
• Jack Bazile (Robin Thomas)
• Alice (Erin Karpluk)
• Bug (Rafi Gavron)
• Fern (Lucia Walters)
• Paige Thomas (Arielle Kebbel)
• Abby Cassidy (Alexandra Breckenridge)
• Kelly Campbell (Amy Price-Francis)
• Laverne Cassidy (Cynthia Stevenson)

Guest stars have included Emma Caulfield (11 episodes as Emma Bradshaw), Sarah McLachlan, Pam Grier, Ben Lee, Rain Perry, Kate Voegele, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Jaime Ray Newman, Krista Allen, Shanica Knowles,Landon Liboiron and Keegan Connor Tracy.

Awards[link]

Episodes[link]

[edit] One Tree Hill crossover

In an attempt to improve Life Unexpected's ratings by attracting One Tree Hill viewers, The CW aired a crossover event involving both programs on October 12, 2010.^[13] Beginning with One Tree Hill installment "Nobody Taught Us to Quit", Haley James Scott (Bethany Joy Galeotti) and Mia Catalano (Kate Voegele) traveled to Portland (where Life Unexpected is set) to perform at the Sugar Magnolia Music Festival hosted by K-100. Haley and Cate meet in the crossover and are "surprised to learn that they share a similar back story [as] mothers." "Music Faced," the Life Unexpected episode of the crossover, also featured Sarah McLachlan, Ben Lee and Rain Perry whose song "Beautiful Tree" serves as the series' opening theme.

Critical reception[link]

Life Unexpected scored a 69 out of 100 on Metacritic.^[14] The series has garnered mostly positive feedback, with many reviews favorably comparing the show to the critically acclaimed series Gilmore Girls and Everwood.^{[15][16][17][18][19]} Maureen Ryan, from the Chicago Tribune, stated that the show "recall[s] the good things about shows like Gilmore Girls and Everwood,"^[17] and similarly, Hank Stuever from The Washington Post called it "a pleasant mix of a little Juno hipitude and a lot of Everwood glow."^[18] Furthermore, the Chicago Tribune review called Life Unexpected a program "that parents and their older kids could enjoy together without feeling condescended to,"^[17] and The Boston Globe's Matthew Gilbert states that "the show works, in its own hokey, feel-good, alt-soundtrack way."^[20]

Show writer Liz Tigelaar (who has also worked on Brothers & Sisters, American Dreams, and Once and Again),^[21] has received much praise. A review in the Los Angeles Times called Tigelaar's writing smart and insightful.^[19] Similarly, Randee Dawn, from The Hollywood Reporter stated that Tigelaar "has a delicate, spot-on feel for dialogue."^[22] The Futon Critic's Brian Ford Sullivan singled out writer Liz Tigelaar and director Gary Fleder for adeptly exploring Lux's perceived lack of love in her life.^[23]

On a negative note, a review in the Chicago Sun Times by Paige Wiser called the show "somewhat predictable"^[16] and The Post's Stuever adds that Life Unexpected "burns off its most interesting plot twist [...] in the first 20 minutes."^[18]

U.S. Nielsen ratings[link]

International distribution[link]

Country	Network	Premiere Date	Title Life Unexpected
Serbia	AXN Happy TV	April 6, 2010 (AXN) October, 2010 (Happy TV) and November 28, 2011 (rerun)	Neočekivani život
Montenegro	AXN TV IN	April 6, 2010 (AXN) February, 2012 (TV IN)	Neočekivani život
Croatia	AXN	April 6, 2010	Neočekivani život
Slovenia			Nepričakovano življenje
Bulgaria			Превратностите на живота
Hungary			Derült égből család
Macedonia			Ново семејство
Czech Republic			Změna je život
Brazil	LIV	April 12, 2010[26]	Life Unexpected
El Salvador	Telecorporación Salvadoreña	TBA
Canada	Radio-Canada
Canada	YTV Canada (September 2010)
France	Canal+ Family	November 7, 2010
Italy	Rai 2	October 2, 2010
Ireland	RTÉ Two	August 2011
Honduras	Canal 11	TBA
Germany	sixx	January 4, 2011
Denmark	DR HD	2011
Norway	TV 2 Bliss	October 2010
Turkey	Dizimax	June 2010
Spain	FactoríaDeFicción
Hong Kong	Hallmark Channel Asia	June 17, 2010
Singapore
Malaysia
Indonesia
Philippines	Hallmark Channel Philippines
	Velvet	September 2010
Netherlands	RTL 5
Israel	HOT3	April 22, 2010	חיים בלתי צפויים
Romania	AXN	April 24, 2010[27]	Viaţă Neaşteptată
Poland	nVOD AXN Spin HD	April 12, 2010 February, 2012	Nieoczekiwana szansa Druga szansa
Portugal	Fox Life	August 11, 2010	Vida Inesperada
United Kingdom	E4	September 19, 2010 , Season 2 Daily from Thursday 27th January 2011 15.25	Life Unexpected
Ireland	RTÉ Two	July 2011	Life Unexpected
Cyprus	RIK 2
Estonia	Kanal 11	April 7, 2011	Elu keerdkäigud
Russia	SET (Russia)	May 4, 2011[28]	Жизнь непредсказуема
Peru
Slovakia	JOJ	May 8, 2011	Zmena je život
Australia	Network Ten	November 5, 2011	Life Unexpected
Finland	Nelonen	January 8, 2012[29]	Outo, uusi elämä

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Life Unexpected at the Internet Movie Database

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2011)

Britt Robertson
Brittany Robertson on October 10, 2010.
Born	Brittany Leanna Robertson (1990-04-18) April 18, 1990 (age 22) Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2000–present

Brittany Leanna "Britt" Robertson (born April 18, 1990) is an American actress. She is mostly known for playing the roles of Cara Burns in Dan In Real Life, Samantha in Swingtown, Trixie Stone in The Tenth Circle, Lux Cassidy in Life Unexpected, and Marnie Cooper in Scream 4. Recently, she starred as Ally Pennington in Avalon High and as young orphan witch Cassie Blake in The CW's The Secret Circle. She also stars in the movies Triple Dog as Chapin.

Life and career[link]

Early life[link]

Robertson was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, and grew up in Chester, South Carolina, where she first aspired to act. She is the oldest of seven children with three brothers and three sisters and was homeschooled by her mother.^{[citation needed]} She stayed in Chester with her grandparents for a couple of months to film the movie Ghost Club.

Career[link]

Robertson first appeared before an audience when performing various roles on stage at the Greenville Little Theater in her home town. At age 12, Robertson began making extended trips to Los Angeles to audition for roles in TV shows and even landed a spot in a pilot for a show which was never picked up by a network. Her first big break came when she was selected to play Michelle Seaver in the Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers.^[1] Her most notable role to date is that of Cara Burns in the 2007 film Dan In Real Life. Robertson appeared in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in episode 168 "Go to Hell", and had a role as a recurring character in the CBS television series Swingtown.

In 2008, she played the main character in a Lifetime Original Movie, Trixie Stone, in the movie based on Jodi Picoult's novel, The Tenth Circle, followed by other television roles.

In 2009, she played a small role as DJ in The Alyson Stoner Project. She also made a guest appearance on Law and Order: SVU in the episode "Babes" as Tina Bernardi, a Catholic teen who gets pregnant in a pact. In 2010, she starred in The CW's show Life Unexpected as Lux Cassidy, a teenager who gets back in her parents' lives. In late autumn 2010, she starred as Allie Pennington in Avalon High, which is based on Meg Cabot's book of the same name.

Robertson starred as Cassie Blake in The CW's 2011 television series The Secret Circle until the show was cancelled in 2012.

Filmography[link]

References[link]

1. [1]

External links[link]

Find more about Britt Robertson on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Images and media from Commons

• Official website
• Britt Robertson on Twitter
• Britt Robertson at the Internet Movie Database

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2010)

Rain Perry (born November 9, 1966) is a folk-rock singer/songwriter. Her song "Beautiful Tree" was the theme song for the CW Network series Life Unexpected. "Yosemite," her celebration of the pains of growing up, won the Grand Prize (Folk Division) in the 2000 John Lennon Songwriting Contest and has been recorded by Tom Russell and Nanci Griffith. Her autobiographical one-woman, multi-media show Cinderblock Bookshelves is currently touring the country.

Biography[link]

Rain Noel Perry was born in Los Angeles, California. She spent her early years in Los Angeles and Redondo Beach as a member of Bethel Tabernacle church. When her young mother died in 1974 (of, presumably, toxic shock syndrome)^{[citation needed]}, Perry was raised by her father, writer/actor John Hazen Perry. They lived variously (and often precariously) in Marin County, southwestern Colorado, and Los Angeles, before settling in Ojai, California, where she attended Nordhoff High School, graduating in 1984. She married attorney Bill Slaughter in 1988 and graduated with high honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1995, with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She and her husband live in Ojai with their two daughters, Sarah and Stella.

When she was twenty-two, Perry was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which affects two million Americans, mostly women. She now works as an advocate for people with arthritis. In 2000, she produced "Agility: A Woman’s Music Festival to Benefit the Arthritis Foundation," featuring Julie Christensen, Perla Batalla, Victoria Williams and Sara Hickman.

The play “Cinderblock Bookshelves” evolved from her 2008 album of the same name and is a memoir of her counterculture childhood, an ode to her imperfect, beloved family. The play's subtitle is "A Guide for Children of Fame-Obsessed Bohemian Nomads," and it had its world premiere at Theater 150 in Ojai, California, under the direction of Kim Maxwell, with Sasha Heslip producing.

Music[link]

Rain Perry has released two albums and a CD single on her own label, Precipitous Records, and is scheduled to release her third in late Spring 2010. She has been a guest performer on half a dozen albums by other musicians. Mark Hallman produced "Cinderblock Bookshelves" at the Congress House in Austin, Texas. The album placed #22 on the Euroamericana Chart in 2009.

Awards[link]

▪ 2000 Telluride Troubadour Competition (Telluride Bluegrass Festival) Finalist ▪ 2000 John Lennon Songwriting Contest – Grand Prize (Folk Division) ▪ 2005 ROCKRGRL Discoveries Award Grand Prize

Discography[link]

• Balance (2000)
• Wide Awake (CD Single) (2001)
• Cinderblock Bookshelves (2008)
• Internal Combustion (due 2010)

References[link]

• Four Folk Tales for the Modern Age
• Amazon.com
• "Clouded By Memories" - Ventura County Star
• Aspen Times

External links[link]

• Rain Perry's Website
• Rain Perry's Facebook page
• Rain Perry's Last.fm page
• Rain Perry's Myspace page

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (December 2009)

Shiri Freda Appleby (born December 7, 1978) is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her leading role as Liz Parker in the television series Roswell. Her film credits include A Time for Dancing, where she was one of the two female main characters; Swimfan; Havoc with Anne Hathaway; and Charlie Wilson's War with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.

In 2008, Appleby joined the cast of the final season of ER, playing an intern named Daria Wade, and starred in the CW drama Life Unexpected as Cate Cassidy. Life Unexpected was cancelled in its second season. She is currently starring as Lucy in the comedy, Dating Rules from My Future Self.

Early life[link]

Appleby was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Dina (née Bouader), a Hebrew school teacher, and Jerry Appleby, a telecommunications executive.^[1] Her mother is Israeli-born and of Sephardic Moroccan Jewish background, and her father is an American Jew.^[2] In Hebrew, shiri means either "my song", "my poem", or simply "sing" (in the imperative). She and her younger brother Evan were raised in Calabasas in Los Angeles County. She has a scar above her left eyebrow, which resulted from a dog bite when she was young. To get over her fear of dogs, she went on the show Emergency Vets, accompanying staff veterinarian Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald (she also overcame another phobia in the same episode by holding a live snake, one of Fitzgerald's patients) and shortly after adopted a Tabby, which she named Abby.^{[citation needed]} Appleby graduated from Calabasas High School in 1997 and went on to major in English literature at the University of Southern California while also studying theater arts.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

Appleby began her acting career at the age of four, starting with advertisements for various products such as Cheerios and M&M's. Her first advertisement was for Raisin Bran but it was never aired. She made guest appearances on many television programs, most notably thirtysomething (1987), Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989), ER (1994), Baywatch (1989), Xena: Warrior Princess (1995), 7th Heaven (1997), Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990), before landing her break-out role in the series Roswell (1999-2002), for which she tried out for the roles of both Isabel and Maria before landing the leading role of Liz Parker.

Appleby also featured in a number of music videos, such as Bon Jovi's video for "It's My Life" with Will Estes, and the 2004 video for the song "I Don't Want To Be" by Gavin DeGraw, opposite Scott Mechlowicz. She also appeared in Sense Field's music video for "Save Yourself" which is part of the Roswell soundtrack and featured in the first season DVD boxset.^[3]

In 2006, she took a recurring role on the short-lived ABC drama Six Degrees as Anya, a young assistant in a relationship with a much older photographer. Later that year she was chosen to play Hildy Young in the new USA Network series To Love and Die, that began airing in late December 2008. She also participated in a short film called Carjacking directed by Dan Passman and co-starring Geoff Stults.

In 2007, she appeared in the movie What Love Is alongside Cuba Gooding Jr., Matthew Lillard and Anne Heche. She also participated in another short film, Love Like Wind, from Shaolin Film Productions. At the end the year, she appeared as Charlie Wilson's press secretary in the film Charlie Wilson's War, which stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. In 2008, Appleby got a recurring role on the 15th and final season of ER, being her second time on the show, playing an intern named Daria Wade.

Appleby then starred in The CW network drama; Life Unexpected as Cate Cassidy, a radio talk show host whose daughter gets back into her life. The show was cancelled after two seasons. She is currently the main character of "Dating Rules from my Future Self". The show can be seen on www.hulu.com.

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

Films[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Shiri Appleby at the Internet Movie Database
• Shiri Appleby at AllRovi

Kerr Van Cleve Smith (born March 9, 1972) is an American actor best known for playing Jack McPhee on The WB drama series Dawson's Creek, Kyle Brody in The WB's, supernatural drama, Charmed and more recently Axel Palmer in My Bloody Valentine 3D. He is also known for portraying Carter Horton in Final Destination and Ryan Thomas in The CW drama series, Life Unexpected.

Early life[link]

Smith was born in Exton, Pennsylvania, to a father who works as a financial advisor.^[1] He has a sister named Allison. He attended Peirce Middle School and he graduated from Henderson High School in West Chester, Pennsylvania, then studied at the University of Vermont, where he was a member of the Kappa SIgma Fraternity.

Career[link]

Smith began acting with roles on As the World Turns as Teddy Hughes from 1996 to 1997, the films Final Destination (2000) and a cameo in The Broken Hearts Club (2000), written and directed by Dawson's Creek writer Greg Berlanti and as a guest star in The WB's hit show Charmed as Agent Kyle Brody- a love interest for the fourth sister, Paige.

When he first appeared as Jack McPhee in the second season of the WB's Dawson's Creek, Smith portrayed a 16-year-old high school student; in reality, the actor was 26. Smith was 31 when the series ended its six-year run in 2003. He was the first man to have an on-screen gay kiss on U.S. television, in season three of Dawson's Creek.^{[citation needed]}

Smith was the last person to ever be pranked on the MTV show, Punk'd. In 2007, he appeared in several episodes of the popular TV series CSI: NY as Andrew "Drew" Bedford, the 333 stalker. Kerr Smith also played the radio host Ryan Thomas on The CW's drama series Life Unexpected.

Smith guest starred on the television show NCIS, where he played Jonas Cobb, a naval officer who also happened to be the "Port-to-Port Killer," a serial killer who targets Navy personnel. He made his last appearance on the Season 8th finale.

Personal life[link]

Smith married actress Harmoni Everett on June 7, 2003. He filed for divorce as of March 20, 2009 after six years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.^{[citation needed]} Smith is a certified pilot, and enjoys motorcross. He owns a dog named Pat.

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Kerr Smith at the Internet Movie Database