State of Grace (TV series)

"State of Grace" is an American sitcom that ran for two seasons on the Fox Network's Fox Family channel during 2001 and 2002.

It is centered on two 12-year-old girls from very different backgrounds, Hannah and Grace, who were best friends. Hannah was from a middle class Jewish family and lived with her parents, her grandmother, and her uncle. Her parents were the owners of a furniture factory in the fictitious town of Ashmore, North Carolina. Typically, they are depicted as more intelligent, thoughtful, funny, and rebellious than other children of their age. Hannah's family had recently moved to North Carolina from Chicago. Grace was from a wealthy Catholic family and lived with her mother, a socialite. Set in 1965, the show was compared by some to another look-back-through-the-years show, "The Wonder Years". Fred Savage, the star of that hit ABC series, even appeared in the series' final episode. The theme song was the original version of: "Do You Believe In Magic" by the Lovin' Spoonful.

The two main actresses, Alia Shawkat and Mae Whitman, went on to co-star on FOX's "Arrested Development". Shawkat was in the main cast and Whitman was a recurring guest star in season two and the beginning of season three (2004-2005). Shawkat played Maeby Funke on the show, while Whitman played Ann Veal, the girlfriend of Maeby's cousin George Michael Bluth (Michael Cera).

The series was created by Brenda Lilly and Hollis Rich and was recipient of many awards including The Parents Television Council, the Humanitas Award, and a Jewish Image Award.

Cast

*Alia Shawkat: (12 year old Jewish-American girl Hannah Rayburn)
*Mae Whitman: (12 year old Emma 'Grace' McKee. Hannah is her best friend)
*Dinah Manoff: (Evelyn Rayburn, Hannah's mother)
*Michael Mantell: (David Rayburn, Hannah's father)
*Faye Grant: (Tattie McKee, Grace's mother)
*Jason Blicker: (Uncle Heschie, Hannah's uncle)
*Erica Yohn: (Grandma Ida, Hannah's grandmother)
*Frances McDormand: (Narrator, voice of Adult Hannah)

Guest Stars

*Bryan Neal: (Walker Adams, Grace's older half brother)
*Bonnie Bailey-Reed (Shirley, Rayburns' receptionist at work)
*Carl M. Craig (Greer, the McKees' chauffer)
*Patricia Forte (Cookie, the McKees' maid)
*Tom Verica (Tommy Austin, Tatties' fiancee)
*Adrian Neil (Nigel Grenville III, Tatties' friend)