ABC Seeks 'Help' from Kaczmarek

Zap2It.com | May 12, 2006

Jane Kaczmarek

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'Malcolm' mom has part in pilot, could recur

LOS ANGELES -- While she was shooting the series finale of "Malcolm in the Middle" in March, Jane Kaczmarek said she was looking forward to some down time.

"I'm going to take a nap, then take another nap -- and then I'm going to take a nap," she said at the time. "I'm going to take the kids to school and just really enjoy it."

It now appears, though, that Kaczmarek's nap and carpool time may be cut back some. The six-time Emmy nominee played a guest role in ABC's comedy pilot "Help Me Help You," and with the show likely to land a spot on the fall schedule, its producers want her to stick around.

"Help Me Help You" stars Ted Danson as a therapist whose group sessions sometimes become a vehicle for working out his own problems. Kaczmarek guest-starred in the pilot as his estranged wife, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Her initial deal was to appear only in the pilot, which was produced by Regency TV, the studio behind "Malcolm." Now that "Help Me Help You" has been picked up, though, the show's producers may make the role a recurring one and ask Kaczmarek to appear in future episodes.

A recurring part would presumably mean that Kaczmarek wouldn't have to be on set as much as she was with "Malcolm," allowing her to keep really enjoying her off time at least some of the time.