Read and look no further if you haven't seen the series finale The Big C! Spoilers ahead!

The video above features The Big C executive producer Jenny Bicks as she discusses Cathy's last words in The Big C's finale, which aired last night. The series finale focused on a number of topics, among which was the "last words" subject, which Cathy broached as she pondered what her own final words should be. Understandably, that topic was given a lot of thought by Bicks when she was writing the episode.

"I was writing, writing writing, and I'm thinking, I'm coming up to that place, where I'm going to have to think about what her last line is, and I don't know what it should be," Bick said. "Because it has to have all this meaning. And I was writing about her feeling lucky about being around all of her family, and I wrote 'Lucky Me' and I thought, you know, that's kind of great. And there was an optimism to it that I liked. But we also knew we didn't want to play it as the typical last line, where literally she says it and then dies. It's only in retrospect that you realize she has said it."

"Lucky me" seems like a fitting set of final words for Cathy, whose story has had its ups and downs as she and her family came to grips with her diagnosis and accepted that her life was drawing to a close.

Death is a topic frequently addressed in TV dramas, often used as a method of writing out characters, or adding a grievous occasion to the plot. Few dramas have addressed the subject as directly as The Big C. Six Feet Under, Dead Like Me, and - in some ways - The Walking Dead are the other recent series that come to mind when considering shows that have taken a dramatic approach to mortality. For The Big C, the subject was addressed through Laura Linney's character Cathy, a wife, mother and school teacher whose life is turned upside down when she learns she has terminal cancer. It's a dark subject, and one that hits close to home for anyone who has had cancer or lost someone to it.

Thanks to the writing and an outstanding cast of actors - led by the excellent Laura Linney - the series managed to approach the subject of cancer with humor and emotion in a way that often left me torn between laughing and crying and usually settling for someplace in between. We knew it probably wasn't likely that Cathy would survive the series, so her death at the end of last night's finale wasn't a big twist. But the series closer did a beautiful job of taking Cathy's story that final step, as she considered her faith, her final words, her relationship with her estranged father and the family and friends she was leaving behind. In that respect, the series closed out sadly, but nicely.

Goodbye The BIg C. And thank you. ("And you're not a loser.")

Looking ahead at the fourth and final 4-episode season of The Big C, star John Benjamin Hickey describes it as "beautiful, heartbreaking and hilarious." All three words seem like fair adjectives to describe the Showtime drama series, which inspires a mixture of laughter and tears in its focus on a woman fighting terminal cancer. A new video promoting the upcoming final season breaks down the series by stages of grief, and leads into a few glimpses of what's ahead for Cathy.

Though there are only four episodes for the final season of The Big C, a lot of tears seems inevitable, especially if the series is leading up to the worse case scenario for the lead character, Cathy (Laura Linney). We've watched her deal with her diagnosis and treatment throughout the first three seasons, and the rest of the story is set to begin playing out late next month. THR posted the video below, which features Linney, Hickey, Oliver Platt and Gabourey Sidibe talking about the focus of the series and where the show is heading as it wraps up.

The Big C really is an under-appreciated gem on Showtime. The show balances humor and hardship as it tells the story of a woman dealing with her cancer diagnosis, and how it changes her perspective on life and her family. As much as I've been enjoying it, I'm almost afraid of what these last four episodes have to offer. But that won't stop me from tuning in.

The Big C Season 4 premieres Monday, April 29 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.

We learned last summer that The Big C had been renewed for another season - kind of. The Showtime drama series was picked up for four more episodes, which will close out the series, concluding the story of Cathy, a wife and mother living with a cancer. Since it's a special season, it's getting a special title, and two guest stars!

Showtime announced today that The Big C will conclude with a four-hour limited event series called The Big C: hereafter. The network went on to say that Kathy Najimy and Isaac Mizrahi will guest star. Najimy's credits include Sister Act, Veronica's Closet, and more recently, ABC Family's Make It or Break It. She's set to appear in all four episodes of The Big C: hereafter as Cathy's "no-nonsense therapist who will help her deal with the challenges she faces." From what we've seen of her in previous roles, it's easy to picture her playing a character like that.

Meanwhile, fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi will appear in more than one episode of hereafter as the fashion mentor to Gabourey Sidibe's character Andrea. That too should be interesting, and given Mizrahi's background in fashion, he's probably well equipped for this role.

Cathy's had her ups and downs with her battle with cancer, and the nature of the show, which combines drama with comedy, makes it impossible to predict if this is the kind of series that's going to end with Cathy surviving and getting a fresh start on life, or if she'll lose her battle with the disease, which would be tragic, but possible. The Big C is the kind of series that makes me laugh and tear all at once. Whether the ending is happy or sad, something tells me I should stock up on tissues.

No premiere date was mentioned in Showtime's release, but it'll probably be sometime next year (2013).

As the year draws to a close, we’re rounding off the last of our “Best of 2011” lists. In looking over our list of the best female TV characters from this year, it’s evident that TV delivered some excellent women to the screen. Some were as fierce as warriors, while others made us laugh. One birthed a baby while another birthed dragons. One attempted to protect the country from terrorism, while another sipped champagne and glared a lot. These are our picks for the best female characters on TV in 2011.

Spoiler alert - This list contains references to TV shows that have aired over the course of 2011. Tread lightly if you're not caught up on your favorite shows!

Rest assured, we have a list of our favorite male characters of 2011 coming up. And you can view our picks for the Top 10 TV shows of 2011 here.

Daenerys Targaryen - Game of Thrones

Daenerys Targaryen, or Daenerys Stormborn (Emilia Clarke), is one of the last surviving members of House Targaryen, previous rulers of the Seven Kingdoms. Now political refugees on the run, Danerys and her brother Viserys are forced to make a wedding arrangement with a warrior horsetribe (Dothrakis) in an attempt to return and recapture their rightful throne by force. However, during the first season of Game of Thrones Daenerys narrative arch is perhaps more compelling than any other character as she rises from little more than a slave into the strong and powerful Khalessi, mother of dragons. The frightened child (and newlywed) soon becomes the confident Queen willing to walk into a burning pyre because "fire cannot kill the dragon." Of course she emerges not only unscathed but reborn. As powerful as she is kind, I'd watch out for her come Season 2.

Victoria Grayson - Revenge

There are a number of reasons to watch ABC’s Revenge, among which is Victoria Grayson, excellently portrayed by Madeleine Stowe. The Queen of the Hamptons, Victoria is graceful, beautiful and cunning. She isn’t easily intimidated, nor is she one to let anyone get the best of her. While she’s being set up to be Emily’s biggest opposition in this story of revenge, we’ve glimpsed the softer side of Victoria, particularly in flashbacks that indicate that she wasn’t entirely on board with what was done to Daniel. It’s largely due to Stowe’s deliciously soapy performance that Victoria has become a character you can’t take your eyes from when she’s on screen. She’s scary and mesmerizing all at once.

Penny Hartz - Happy Endings

It’s the year of Penny! 2011 introduced us to Happy Endings, and with it, Casey Wilson as Penny Hartz, a single woman who, despite her good looks and fashion sense, is kind of a mess sometimes. Among the group of friends, Penny represents the single, determined, not entirely unsuccessful woman who isn’t unwilling to take chances, try new things and pursue hew own happiness. She does a mean Samantha impersonation and when she gets drunk, she speaks Italian. While those are all great qualities, she makes the list because, thanks in large part to Wilson, Penny is one of the funniest things about Happy Endings.

Carrie Mathison - Homeland

Showtime's new series Homeland succeeds because of the compelling and fresh characters they have created. Obviously, the devastating performance Claire Danes delivers as CIA Analyst Carrie Mathison makes her so incredibly watchable but credit must also go to the writers for crafting such an engaging and unorthodox female lead. Carrie is an excellent analyst. She also suffers from Bipolar disorder and OCD, meaning that once something gets on her radar, like a tip that an American POW has been turned, there is nothing else on her radar until the case is closed. That is, unless her illness ends up getting the better of her and all those perceptions are tossed aside as merely symptoms. Her choice at season's end is heartbreaking and provides one of the best closing shots (first season or any) in 2011.

Lucretia - Spartacus: Gods of the Arena

Lucretia is cunning and feline, but those qualities are ultimately overshadowed by the ambition that rules her waking life. When first introduced to her, she was cold-hearted and willing to do anything to maintain her social status and importance in society. In Spartacus: Gods of the Arena she is only on her way to becoming this woman. We see this in the kindness she extends to her handmaids and her willingness to allow her slaves to love. Yet, in a scene where she forces her most prized handmaid to be raped by a noble, we see her first resolve to put ambition first. Lucretia is a woman who is forever and rapidly changing, and she wouldn’t be so engrossing to watch without Gods of the Arena involvement in explaining her roots.

Cathy Jamison - The Big C

Cathy is a woman living with and fighting cancer. The best demonstration of her greatness in Season 2 came at the end, when she insisted on running the marathon Lee planned to run before he died. Much in the way she wasn’t prepared for her disease, Cathy wasn't exactly prepared to run the marathon, but she did it anyway, forcing her body to get her to the finish line no matter what. And she did it. The run was a mark of her strength as a woman and as a human being who has only just begun to fight. It’s impossible not to feel hopeful for and inspired by her.

Margaret Schroeder - Boardwalk Empire

On a show that often likes its women to be half-naked sex demons or complete monsters, Margaret Schroeder is constantly full of surprises, helping Nucky run his criminal empire while remaining pious and religious, having an affair with her employee while still making sure Nucky walks her down the aisle. Played by Kelly MacDonald, who's incredibly gifted at saying one thing when you know she means something else, Margaret is the most constantly evolving but also steadfast character on the show, someone whose moves you can't predict but who you'd still want on your side in any fight.

Sabrina - Raising Hope

Sabrina may be the love of Jimmy Chance’s life, but she’s more than the average love interest, able to stimulate a plot or swiftly throw in a raucous joke. She’s also the only chick I’ve ever seen to loudly explain why using multiple question marks at the end of sentences comes across as yelling. She might be a smart girl with a little nerd at her core, but she’s also grown up in Season 2, reconciling with the difficulties of dealing with her family and growing a little softer as an individual, rather than fighting at every opportunity to turn lines into jokes. This balance has made her a better person, but also a more fun character to watch on already likable show.

Olivia Dunham - Fringe

Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) is one of the strongest and perhaps most overlooked female characters on television. An incredible investigator, she's always the pillar of moral and emotional strength, whether facing her past filled with experiments or soldiering on in Season 4 without her main man (and squeeze) Peter Bishop. The 2011 year found our heroine in more than her fare share of unfavorable positions - across different universes, and yet, stoically, sternly and not without sentiment, handling every situation you could possible imagine (including being possessed by and having to deliver a Leonard Nemoy impression). Olivia continues the fight to save the universe(s) from impending Fringe events as well as keeping hope alive that her migraines might signal something more, some kind of communication with Peter trying to make his way home.

Kristina Braverman - Parenthood

In three seasons of Parenthood, Kristina Braverman has been a good mother, a good companion to her children, and a good wife to her husband. It wasn’t until her husband lost his job coupled with bringing an unexpected baby into the world that we saw the depths of Kristina’s capabilities and emotions as an individual. With her husband working out of town, she’s having a tough time managing her own ambitions, her challenged son, and two daughters in very different places in life. Within this world, her claws have come out and we have seen her fight to make the best of her life. I always thought of Kristina as fragile and beautiful, but as it turns out, she’s more like steel than glass.

The Hollywood Reporter, if they do anything right (this is not to say that they do so much wrong...), it's these really interesting roundtable videos that feature actors, writers and directors at the top of their game sitting down to shoot this shit about their craft. This latest installment, in anticipation of the Emmys, features the top comedy showrunners working today.

I was fascinated watching the pre-Oscar roundtables with the various nominees in their respective categories (directors, actors, writers, etc.) talking candidly about the trials and tribulations of being an artist in an industry primarily concerned with making money.

This newest roundtable features various comedy showrunners from all over the tv spectrum (Steve Levitan of Modern Family, Jenny Bicks of The Big C, Bill Prady of The Big Bang Theory, Liz Brizius of Nurse Jackie, Mike Schur of Parks and Recreation and Dan Harmon of Community). It's not only an interesting video to watch, but these people craft comedy for a living, so there are definitely more than a few laughs to be had while watching (especially from Dan Harmon).

Here's a taste of the discussion (where they focus on the Charlie Sheen drama for a few minutes) but you can find the full video on THR as well as the first looks at the drama showrunners and actress roundtable videos.

If our list of our favorite female TV characters from 2010 tells us anything, it’s that there are some truly fantastic women on TV these days! Random words to describe each of them might include: strong, funny, opinionated, vulnerable, fanged, beautiful, resourceful and intelligent. These are the female characters we couldn’t get enough of this year.

In no particular order…

Virginia Chance - Raising Hope - (Martha Plimpton)

Virginia Chance is a lot of things. She’s a mother, a grandmother, a granddaughter and in some ways, the glue keeping the Chance household together. Whether she’s offering her son Jimmy parenting advice or chasing after Maw Maw, she’s always on hand to help out. At the same time, being there for other people doesn’t define her character entirely. Her resilience is one of her finest traits. Others include the pride she feels for her (somewhat dysfunctional) family, her good intentions (despite occasionally offbeat methods) in the way she approaches the people she loves, and her desire to make things be the best they can be. And, she’s really funny. In a show that delivers plenty of humor and heart, Martha Plimpton adds ample quantities of both in this role.

Gloria Delgado-Pritchett - Modern Family (Sofia Vergara)

Gloria Delgado-Pritchett is a beautiful and strong woman. After all, she puts up with the oftentimes gruff Jay, patriarch of the family on ABC’s Modern Family. While most of the time the trophy wife character would play up her sexuality, while downplaying the intelligence and strength, Gloria defies the odds. She’s beautiful, knows it, but never flaunts. No, she just exists as this vibrant character. I have to believe Jay first took notice of her looks, but became enthralled with the woman. There’s also the simple fact that her accent is adorable, and she is not only unable to speak English well she also has a hard time understanding our idioms. You can’t argue with her that a doggy dog world would be more wonderful, and that it would be filled with adorable poh-pees.

Jessica Hamby - True Blood (Deborah Ann Woll)

Bill Compton apparently has no time to help raise his babyvamp Jessica as she tries to survive. He made her, told her about how she had to learn some things, sort of helped her, and has all but abandoned the redheaded troubled vampire. Not sure if she can make things work with Hoyt because they can’t be normal, but she still loves him with that relentless vigor of a teenager in love, Jessica is unable to stop seeing the world through the eyes of a naïve young woman. This year we watched as Jessica killed a man, and unsure of what the hell to do simply stuffed him childishly away under the floorboards. As much as she flitted in and out of the narrative this season it was always doubly compelling to watch Jessica’s struggles to be both a responsible vampire and a functioning member of human society. She’s the vampire version of the audience, coming into a whole new world with nary a clue as to what’s happening. I dare say she’s doing a fine job of adjusting, considering she almost never has anyone to turn to.

Annie, Britta and Shirley - Community (Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Yvette Nicole Brown)

A lot of attention on Community goes to the boys, particularly the brilliance that is Troy and Abed (in the morning!), the sarcasm of Jeff Winger, and the interminable hilariousness that is Pierce, but nobody should ever discount the awesomeness that is Annie, Britta and Shirley. The ladies work perfectly as individual characters, but what’s amazing about them is how they operate as a group and bounce off each other. Shirley and Britta are insecure about Annie’s age; Annie and Shirley are both freaked out by Britta’s liberalness and sexual freedom; and Annie and Britta both take offense to Shirley’s conservatism and close-mindedness – yet they’re all the best of friends. When you put together amazing performances and terrific writing like Community always does, then you’re never going to lose.

Peggy Olsen - Mad Men (Elizabeth Moss)

As far as I’m concerned, 2010 was the year of Peggy Olsen. Or, I guess it’s slightly more apt to say that 1965 was the year of Peggy Olsen. Regardless of decade, the fantastic fourth season of Mad Men saw Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce’s favorite copywriter at her best and most dynamic yet. She bonded with her mentor in “The Suitcase,” brushed elbows with free spirit Lois and beatnik Abe, told pretty-faced copywriter Joey to shove it, and --most noticeably-- shed her little girl appearance and appeared dressed and ready for her new role as SCDP power woman.

Sue Heck – The Middle - (Eden Sher)

I think I love Sue because I was my own version of Sue in my earlier teen years, braces and all. She’s socially awkward, unrealistically optimistic and a modern-day Jan Brady, sandwiched between two siblings and struggling to find her identity within her family and in the world. She’s also relatively clueless in the ways of fitting in among her peers. There’s sincerity to her character as much as there is humor, which is what makes her relatable as well as hilarious. Eden Sher approaches the role fearlessly and it’s easy to see this part becoming the big jumping off point for her career.

Brittany S. Pearce - Glee (Heather Morris)

The resident Glee scene-stealer, has had a memorable 2010. She took on the music, popped Artie’s cherry and got Santa Beiste to give Artie the ability to “walk”. Brittany’s 2010 one-liners were like Funfetti sprinkled throughout Glee: deliciously funny and well-timed. And how hot were her dance moves this season? From her Sectionals dance number with Mike Chang to her choreography in “Britney/Brittany”, Brittany was clearly a maniac, maniac on the floor. Brittany’s endearing naiveté, blossoming relationship with Artie and hilarious air-headedness has made her one of our favorite TV characters of 2010.

Cathy Jamison - The Big C - (Laura Linney)

Would we describe Cathy Jamison as the female equivalent to Breaking Bad’s Walter White? On the surface, maybe. She is a high school teacher who finds her life (and her perspective) turned upside down when she learns she has cancer. Only, Cathy doesn’t turn to a life of crime in response to her disease. Instead, she tosses her husband out, cashes in her 401k and begins to see life with fresh eyes. While Cathy’s behavior might be perceived as reckless, there’s something really real about her reactions to what she’s going through and the choices she makes following her diagnosis. Like any real woman, there’s more than one dimension to Cathy and that’s what I love most about her. Well, that and I often find myself torn between laughing and crying during some of her best and worst moments.

Ilithyia - Spartacus: Blood and Sand (Viva Bianca)

I absolutely loathe Ilithyia and that’s precisely why she made this list. She’s spoiled, self-absorbed and relatively clueless about what really matters in life. The daughter of a senator and wife to Glaber, she’s lived a charmed life and sees slaves as things, rather than people. This excludes Spartacus, whom she hates too much to dehumanize completely. I don’t know if she was more entertaining when things were going her way or when they weren’t but the more I grew to despise her, the more I looked forward to seeing what would happen next with her character. Love to hate her or hate to love her, you have to admit, she’s a scene-stealer if ever there was one.

Debra Morgan - Dexter (Jennifer Carpenter)

While we were watching Dexter and Lumen chase down Jordan and his cronies, Deb was along for the ride giving viewers the best police drama on television. Crime scene study, quips with the underlings, power struggles with her lieutenant, the only thing missing was a Captain who yelled until his blood pressure threatened to end his life. Jennifer Carpenter’s portrayal of Deb Morgan has always, in my opinion, been the most underrated thing about Dexter. You could never quite pin down where she stood. Not anymore as Carpenter took Deb through betrayal – both professional and personal – and an ultimate examination on what this woman can accept as justice. Maybe even Deb didn’t know what she’d do if she came across the vigilantes whom she sympathized with, but when it came time she couldn’t quite let them go free. So she gave them a shot at freedom by walking away and calling the cops in. It was a moment of tremendous strength and vulnerability. As Deb would likely say, “Fuck me running, I can’t believe that just happened.”

Contributing writers: Melissa Duko, Eric Eisenberg, Mikela Floyd, Kelly West, Steve West.

CLICK HERE to view our list of Favorite Male TV Characters

The nominations are in and after looking over the list of TV contenders for the 2011 Golden Globe Awards, there’s cause to celebrate and as always, cause to complain. Were your favorites nominated?

If you haven’t had a chance to look at this year’s TV nominations, you can view the list here. In the meantime, after viewing the list, here are a few things that stood out most based on this year’s crop of nominees.

Cable vs. Network

While network TV took the majority of the nominations in the Comedy or Musical Television Series category (Showtime being the only cable network to score two of the six comedy series noms), four of the five drama series nominated were cable shows, including AMC’s The Walking Dead and Mad Men as well as HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and Showtime’s Dexter. While cable channels do have the added advantage of being able to cross content lines that network TV can’t, I like to think that channels like AMC, HBO and Showtime are earning the recognition they deserve because of the risks they take with their programming and not so much on the easy sell of violence, sex and swear words.

The Women of Showtime

There are five women nominated for Best Actress, Comedy. Showtime has three of them (Toni Collette, Edie Falco, Laura Linney). A fluke? Hardly. Showtime’s doing a stellar job in building their original programming with series that center on complex and oftentimes dark characters. The line that separates drama from comedy is grayer on Showtime’s series and that certainly applies to the roles played by Collette, Falco and Linney. Showtime’s comedies and the women who star in them are proving that comedy doesn’t always have to be goofy or self-deprecating to get a laugh. The humor, like the characters, can be dark, messy, and especially in the case of The Big C it can also be kind of sad; while at the same time, it doesn't make a joke out of the characters themselves.

My Starz

Perhaps it was too much to hope that Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Party Down might get some recognition for the talent demonstrated on both sides of the camera for both series but it's still great to see Starz getting some love in the Miniseries category. Pillars of the Earth was as entertaining to watch play out over the course of the summer as the book on which it was adapted was to read. Pillars’ nomination as well as the noms to Ian MacShane and Hayley Atwell are well deserved, as is the overdue recognition the underrated pay-cable channel will receive for playing host to the miniseries.

Where’s Community?

Seriously, I know not all of my favorite shows are beloved by the masses (RIP Terriers), however I’m baffled by the lack of love for Community. This applies as much to the ratings as it does to the award recognition. This comedy series about a bunch of mismatched college study-buddies (who spend more time observing and meddling in each others’ issues than they do actually studying) is easily one of the best shows on television right now. Great acting, clever writing and what appears to be no shortage of comedic ground to cover as the show only seems to be getting better, and yet, no nomination? I think if we were to ask the characters how they feel about the snub Jeff might make a sarcastic comment about the voters’ taste, Abed might have a rational reason to explain it, Shirley might try to come up with something positive to say (while still sounding sad) and Pierce might grunt something about not knowing what the Golden Globes were.

Toughest Category To Call

I don’t have a problem choosing a favorite in most of the categories this year, however Best Supporting Actress (Series, Mini-Series, Made for TV movie) is by far the toughest to call. Putting aside the fact that this is a mashed-together category that forces us to compare apples to oranges (How can we possibly rate Julia Stiles in Dexter against Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara?), this category is bursting with talent, which makes choosing a favorite fairly impossible. The only woman among the nominees that I’m unfamiliar with is Hope Davis but given the company she’s in, I’d say she’s probably just as deserving of the award as the other nominees are.

The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards will air on Sunday, January 16, 2011 from 5:00-8:00 (PST)/8:00-11:00 (EST) on NBC.

Laura Linney is a fantastic actress. Nominated for three Oscars in the last nine years and the winner of three Emmys, she’s never put on a bad performance and regularly draws attention away from the other performances. That said, she rarely gets the chance to showcase her talent without sharing the screen. The Big C finally gives her a proper platform and, if the first episode is any indication, she is going to use it brilliantly.

Like every series premiere, The Big C does its best to establish its characters upfront. At the head is Cathy Jamison (Linney), a suburban mother who has just been diagnosed with cancer. But rather than suffering a breakdown, she instead treats it as a license to live. Formally uptight and worrisome, she decides that she wants a pool in her front yard, her husband (Oliver Platt) to stop acting like a petulant man-child and her neighbor across the street to stop being such an incredible bitch.

But a show can’t just stand on one character; there has to be something engaging about the other people in the in the protagonists life. Fortunately, there’s no shortage here. Cathy’s son, Adam (Gabriel Basso), is a rebellious teenager with a perversely fucked up sense of humor. Andrea (Gabourey Sidibe), is a student of Cathy’s at summer school with an incredibly bad attitude. Her brother, Sean (John Benjamin Hickey), is an insane environmentalist who eats discarded food to prevent waste and pretends to hang himself with plastic bags in the parking lot of the local mall. Lastly, there is Dr. Todd (Reid Scott), Cathy’s nascent doctor who is the one to break the bad news.

As alluded to in the opening paragraph, what is going to make the series work is Linney and with this episode she has a running start. It’s not easy to believe that a person can take news of cancer in stride as well as Cathy does, but her character type is enough to convince you that it’s real. What’s going to keep people watching is the balance struck between Cathy’s acceptance and rejection of her disease and the first episode tells us that creators of the show know this.

One gripe that that the episode leaves you with is the subject of money. Obviously it’s something that can be cleared up in future episodes, but Cathy can’t possibly have a high enough salary as a teacher to support her newly acquired purchasing habits. If that’s the case, the show is going to suffer with an unsympathetic character as it comes across as selfish when you think about the fact that she has a son and a husband. Everything could be cleared up in the next episode by mentioning that Platt’s character is an executive pulling down a seven-figure salary, but it’s up in the air right now.

From the outset there is a lot to like about The Big C. The show fits perfectly into Showtime’s line-up of damaged protagonists, including the pot-dealing mom, the serial-killing cop, the pill-popping nurse and the drug/sex addicted novelist. Sure, Cathy seems pretty normal compared to the rest but who knows? We’ve only seen the first episode.

You can watch the full episode below, but know that it is edited for language. The Big C premieres Monday, August 16th at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.

Liam Neeson’s played a lot of interesting roles. From Schindler to Qui-Gon Jinn to a vigilant father, the man’s range is endless and it seems that thanks to Showtime, he’ll be adding the role of “Bee Man” to his ever-growing resume.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Neeson has been cast to play the part of “Bee Man” on the upcoming new comedy series The Big C. Cathy (Laura Linney’s character) will consult with him for a possible treatment for her cancer. The Reporter describes Neeson’s role as a “eccentric,” and given the character’s name, I’m guessing he’s some kind of bee expert or charmer or maybe he uses honey to cure cancer.

Neeson’s appearance in the series will reunite him with Linney as the two starred in the popular romantic comedy Love Actually.

The Big C premieres on Showtime on August 16, 2010.

Idris Elba is used to playing the tough businessman. On The Wire he played Stringer Bell, an intelligent and ruthless drug lord who ran the business end of the heroin game. As Charles Miner in The Office he didn’t put up with Jim Halpert hijinks or Michael Scott ineptitude. Now Elba will take his television acting in a little different direction. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Elba will join Showtime’s new series The Big C as, of all things, an artist.

The Big C tells the story of Cathy (Laura Linney), a suburban mother and high school teacher who finds out she has cancer. Elba will play a painter who befriends and connects with Linney’s character in a four episode arc. Oliver Platt (2012) will play her ex-husband and Gabourey Sidibe is a struggling high school student in Cathy’s class.

Elba is a large screen presence and has the ability to steal scenes just with his physical nature and deep voice (oh and the ladies love him). I’m looking forward to seeing Elba outside of the traditional, finger-wagging, and domineering guy he played on The Office.

Watch the trailer for The Big C below.