Barry Watson was once a familiar face on the small screen to any who tuned in to The WB from 1996 to 2006, but he hasn't had the best luck on TV in the years since. Now he's slated to return to television for a leading role for the first time in a decade with a brand new show on UP. The dramedy will be called Date My Dad and put Watson in a position like never before.
Date My Dad will be a dramedy that follows Ricky, who is a former pro basketball player whose fortunes change dramatically when his wife passes away. He is left with three young daughters in difficult places in their lives. His mother-in-law had moved in in the wake of her daughter's death to help Ricky, but she decides to move out. Ricky is left to deal with everything "from makeup to boys" as the sole caregiver in the household. The girls react to the situation differently and start with schemes to get their dad dating again.
Actress Racquel Welch has signed on to co-star with Barry Watson on Date My Dad, although only in a recurring guest star capacity. She'll play Ricky's mother-in-law Rosa, according to TV Line. No casting news about Ricky's three daughters has yet been released. The first season of Date My Dad will run for ten episodes of one hour each on the UP network.
All things considered, Date My Dad sounds like a combination of the original Full House and the final scenes of How I Met Your Mother. Danny Tanner was no former professional basketball player, and Ricky's kids probably won't start encouraging their dad to date a family friend ASAP, but the similarities are easy to spot. Still, the fact that Date My Dad episodes will run for one hour each will set it apart from sitcoms that have toyed with the premise in the past.
Barry Watson is best known on television for his role as Matt Camden on The WB's 7th Heaven off-and-on throughout the first ten seasons of the show. Unfortunately, he hasn't landed a lasting leading man gig since leaving the show. He did star in the ABC dramedy What About Brian starting in 2006 as the titular Brian, but the show ran for only one season and was cancelled in early 2007. His role on Samantha Who? lasted a couple of seasons from 2007 to 2009. Watson's longest-running role since Samantha Who? was a 6-episode stint in the final season of Gossip Girl. Date My Dad will test whether or not Barry Watson has the acting chops to anchor a show of his own. Given that we probably won't be seeing a 7th Heaven reunion any time soon, Matt Camden fans have something to look forward to on the small screen.
There are no details just yet of when Date My Dad will debut on UP. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and don't forget to check out our midseason TV premiere schedule.
