Actress shows her adult side on ‘Melissa & Joey’ series

By RICK BENTLEY

McClatchy Newspapers

LOS ANGELES

Maturity. That’s the story behind the new ABC Family comedy “Melissa & Joey.”

The series gives star Melissa Joan Hart the role she needs to show she’s grown up. And it gives ABC Family — popular with young adults — a show that will appeal to an older audience.

Hart, 34, has never really been able to leave behind “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” a show she starred on for seven seasons. People still think she’s a kid. She’s taken steps to show her maturity, including competing on “Dancing With the Stars.”

“Before ‘Dancing with the Stars’ I would get ‘Sabrina, Sabrina, Sabrina,’” Hart says. “After it, I got ‘Melissa Joan Hart.’ Dancing let me be a little bit sexy, a little bit sassy and let people know a little bit about me.”

She continues to show her adult side in “Melissa & Joey.” She plays Mel, a councilwoman with a wild past who’s named the guardian to her sister’s teenager. Sis is in jail.

“It’s been hard to find the right roles because I do look young,” Hart says. “This is a nice way to glide into older roles because I get to play the aunt.”

Joey Lawrence plays Joe, a financial whiz left penniless by the bad financial dealings of Mel’s brother-in-law. He moves in with Mel because he’s broke and she needs a nanny.

ABC Family executives pitched the show to Hart and Lawrence because of the chemistry they showed in the cable movie “My Fake Fiance.” Agreeing to do the series was a no-brainer.

“Joey and I had wanted to work together again,” Hart says. “We have known each other since we were kids showing up at the same auditions.”

The series is also a way for the cable channel to attract some older viewers. Shows like “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” “Pretty Little Liars” and “Huge” have made ABC Family the choice for young women.

“Melissa & Joey” features teen characters, but it revolves around the thirtysomething adults. That kind of plot should draw a slightly older audience.

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