The Smart Woman Survival Guide is a Canadian situation comedy, filmed in Toronto, Ontario, that aired from September 4, 2006, to January 5, 2008. It aired on the W Network and CosmoTV. It was renewed for 26 further episodes before season one had finished shooting. The show was originally conceived as a two-act show that grew to four acts with a teaser and tag.
Premise
The Smart Woman Survival Guide is a half-hour hybrid that is part lifestyle and part comedy. Lifting the ‘Ironed Curtain’ on a Martha Stewart Living-type show, the series takes place behind the scenes of a fictional lifestyle program called Smart Woman and follows a group of women who bond over their work, lives and loves. The series stars Tricia Braun as Lana Pearson, the demanding host of Smart Woman, and her trusty staff, producer Liz, associate producer Brooke, and researcher Natalie. As the women attempt to navigate the challenges of their personal and professional lives, the audience is presented with tips, how-tos and information for today’s “smart woman”. When the Smart Women go into the real world to research segments for the show, they interact with real world experts who make guest appearances on the Smart Woman show. These include real-life Olympians, celebrity chefs and New York Times bestselling authors.
Cast
Tricia Braun – Lana Pearson, the host of Smart Woman
Barbara Coloroso, internationally recognized parenting expert and author of four best selling parental advice books: Kids are worth it; Parenting Through Crisis, Helping Kids in Times of Loss, Grief, and Inner Discipline; The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander; Just Because it’s not Wrong Doesn’t Make It Right.
The series was edited at Visual Fixations. Audio post production and 5.1 surround mixing for the 39 episodes was completed at Rhythm Division. The re-recording mixer was Jim Longo, with additional editing on season 3 by Andrea Cyr. Music for season 1, as well as the show theme were composed by Tom Third. For seasons 2 and 3 the music was composed at Rhythm Division by Kevan Staples. Executive Producer Al Magee was the creative consultant for Showcase Network, contributing to numerous shows, including Slings & Arrows, Kink, Naked Josh, Show Me Yours, Kenny vs. Spenny, and Trailer Park Boys. Series composer Kevan Staples was a member of the Canadian new wave rock band, Rough Trade. He has won 4 Juno Awards and a Genie Award. The photo of Liz and Steve on Liz’s desk is a real photo of Siobhan Murphy and Jean-Paul Saurine taken years ago, when the two were classmates at theatre school.
