Everything in the human experience hinges on the ability of memory. In many ways we are the sum of our memories defining who we are by what we can recall. Anything that disrupts this process will drastically affect our lives, typically adversely. Because of the innate importance disorders like amnesia have been a favorite plot device since people began telling stories to each other. There is not a single soap opera that hasn’t rebooted a character or story arc using the covenant plot device of memory loss. The fascination with audiences with this affliction is simple; waking up without the comfort and security is frightening challenging everything we know about ourselves and what define not only self image but how others interact with us. This affliction can provide the basis for taut drama such as in Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Spellbound’, unusual vantage point for a murder mystery as done with ‘Memento’ or taken in a lighter direction as was done in the ABC network’s sit-com ‘Samantha Who?’ in this series the amnesia is the vehicle for a personality change from shrew to a nice person; a bit corny but the affable cast goes a long way to making it work. Also helping this show work is the way the writers handle the central premise. If the series was only about a young woman with retrograde amnesia then the results would be inclined to being a one trick pony; one joke that is squeezed until the result is pedantic, predictable and ultimately a failure. The production of this series took a higher road by focusing on the inner conflict in Samantha (Christina Applegate) who is trying to use her disorder as an opportunity to change her life for the better. Samantha realized the way she was conducting her life was self centered and this was a rare cosmic do over.

The series was created by newcomer Cecelia Ahern and veteran television writer Donald Todd. Todd’s resume is representative of quality TV typically shows that offer a different viewpoint to life such as; ‘Ugly Betty’, ‘Dave’s World’, ‘Alf’ and ‘The Twilight Zone’. Here Samantha is a victim of a car accident awakening in the hospital with no recollection of who she is. As she soon discovers she was a completely self serving, unlikable person. Even her own mother Regina (Jean Smart) you would understand how Samantha got to be that way. She has an almost obsessive need to control everything and everyone within her vicinity. Meanwhile her Dad (Kevin Dunn) just tries his best to keep out of her way. The two friends in Sam’s life act sort of like the cartoons where an angel is sitting on one shoulder and s devil is on the other. Andrea Belladonna (Jennifer Esposito) is impetuous, living by her own rules. She had been Samantha’s best friend before the accident and dislikes the person Sam is turning into. On the other side is Dena (Melissa McCarthy), who knew Samantha for awhile and always wanted to hang out with cool kids like Samantha and her friends but was not considered worthy enough. She takes the loss of memory to try to convince Samantha that they are close and reinforces the good Samantha. Complicating matters for Samantha is her former boyfriend Todd Deepler (Barry Watson). He is stilling living at their old apartment and he is attempting to re-establish a relationship with the new Sam.

In this second season the memory problem is still addressed but some of the stories have begun to migrate towards typical sit-com zany circumstances. Sam brings someone to dinner at her parent’s who goes off on the horrors of chicken farming unaware that Sam’s father owns a chicken farm. Then there is the episode where sam is on a clinical program and starts to remember more about her hateful former self. This does lighten the mood lighten the mood considerably taking the onus off the emotional issues. Ultimately this may resulted in the series changing it direction too radically losing viewership and being cancelled. At least fans can own both seasons on DVD. It is a shame. Although this series had its flaws it had potential to improve if only given a chance. There was also the notorious writer’ strike that threw off the scheduling of ‘on the bubble’ series like this one. This could have risen beyond the one joke comedy if it was permitted to change the direction that season two took it an return to the original emotional focus.