LIFE IN PIECES: Betsy Brandt and Angelique Cabral Preview the New CBS Comedy

CBS is introducing a new family comedy series, but it has a twist: LIFE IN PIECES tells four separate stories in each episode…but they all are centered around one extended family, and the very separate relationship stages its members are in.

John and Joan are the long-married parents of three adult children: Heather, the eldest, is married to Tim, and they have three kids of their own; Matt is the middle child, and he’s in a new relationship with Colleen (who still shares a home with her ex-fiance);  and the youngest is Greg, who just had his first child with his wife, Jen.

In addition to the show’s unique storytelling format, the series is also getting a plum launching pad — it’s airing after THE BIG BANG THEORY.

“I’ve been a part of other shows that were not so widely beloved or supported by the network, so I’m blown away, to be totally honest with you; I think CBS is doing all they can to make the show a hit,” LIFE IN PIECES star Angelique Cabral (Colleen) shared. “It’s a sweet family show that everyone will be able to relate to. I think there’s a little bit for everyone: it catches…all of the stages of life. I think it’s very palatable for Americans, with the short format, with the four stories; I think it’s going to be good for short attention spans. I actually think people are going to love that. I hope it changes the tide of TV. It feels amazing. I’m pinching myself every day.”

Cabral’s co-star, Betsy Brandt (Heather), echoed that it was the show’s unique angle that helped draw her to it.

“It was totally different than anything I’ve done,” Brandt gushed. “I wanted to do a comedy. I loved the script…I knew [producer] Aaron [Kaplan], but I never met [LIFE IN PIECES creator] Justin [Adler] before, and we had a meeting, and I professionally fell in love with him.  I just wanted to tell his story. And for me, that’s exactly how I felt when I met [Brandt’s BREAKING BAD boss] Vince Gilligan; it was like, ‘I want to tell your story. Whatever crew you’ve got going, I want to be on the boat; I’m on board.'”

“I have to tell you, this cast is so great to work with,”  Brandt continued. (Her LIFE IN PIECES co-stars include Dianne Wiest, James Brolin, Zoe Lister-Jones, Colin Hanks, Thomas Sadoski, Dan Bakkedahl, Niall Cunningham, Holly J. Barrett, and Giselle Eisenberg.) “The scripts are really funny. That’s a good place to be. There’s so many things that I don’t know how they came up with it, but it’s hilarious. It’s also touching, but not too touching — it’s not too sweet; it’s just enough. I feel you care about this family, but it’s fun to roll around and laugh with them. A lot of times we shoot these big family scenes. It’s a lot of people to cover, but I gotta tell you, it’s a hoot. It’s a hoot for us to do.”

Though Cabral’s Colleen is the only character who is neither biologically related or married to the core family, she expressed her delight in having a different dynamic to play with.

“We’re all on the show, we’re all series regulars, and I think that’s the fun part of it — we’re the only ones not married,” Cabral said. “I leave that up to them, but I think it’s fun to navigate dating, and the ups and downs of it. Do we break up, do we get back together, does the family ultimately bring us back together? I think there’s so much we could explore there. Just like with [Cabral’s last series,] ENLISTED, and bringing them together too soon, I think that takes the fun out of it. I think we should date, explore that, and hopefully in season 2 we get married or engaged…I think it’s really fun to explore my family and his family, and how I fit in.”

And if Colleen and Matt’s relationship works out, nothing quite delights and challenges a family like a wedding…

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LIFE IN PIECES premieres Monday, September 21st at 8:30 PM on CBS.

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