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2024 FANON WIKI AWARD NOMINEE! |
| Breakthrough | |
| Genre | Drama
Comedy |
| Created by | Ifan Barber |
| Starring | Austin Nichols
Sophia Myles Missi Pyle Myles Payne Andrea Martin Leslie Jordan Leah Remini |
| Opening Theme | Breaking Walls |
| Location | Los Angeles, CA |
| Country Of Origin | USA |
| Number Of Episodes | 16 |
| Running Time | 30 minutes |
| Original Channel: | HBO |
| Original Air Date | June 4th 2017 - present |
| Produced by | HBO Studios |
| Directed by | Various |
Breakthrough is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on HBO starting June 4th 2017. It stars Austin Nichols as Sam James, a television writer who struggles to get his passion project greenlit.
Cast[]
Austin Nichols as Sam James, a television writer struggling with alcoholism. Also a recovering drug addict, his struggle to get his passion project allows his depression to creep back into his persona.
Sophia Myles as Olivia Sims, Sam's longtime girlfriend. She's an actress and dedicates herself to Sam. She's sympathetic and supports him through even the worst of times.
Missi Pyle as Francesca James, Sam's sister and a successful therapist and author. Her relationship with her brother is strained and she tries to reconnect Sam with their father.
Andrea Martin as Maureen James, Sam's aunt. She is laid back and casual and more of a friend to Sam than an aunt, she is also his landlady. She tries to get him back on track after his overdose.
Leslie Jordan as Max Maxwell, Sam's boss at the network who is reluctant to read his script. He gave Sam his first break on a comedy show 15 years earlier, and has continued to give him writing work since, but he questions his commitment to the project after his overdose.
Leah Remini as Annabella Vance, a popular television actress who discovers Sam's script and wants to take him to cable, leaving Sam in a questionable state of limbo.
Episodes[]
Season 1[]
| Episode | Title | Synopsis | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot | Fresh out of Rehab and back in the writers' room of a hugely successful show he works for, Sam James tries to get his life back on track by building bridges with his girlfriend, reconciling with his Aunt and suppressing his sister's need for him to reunite with his estranged father. | June 4th 2017 |
| 2 | Help | Sam turns to his boss Max at the network for help with his script, but a soft yet abrupt rejection sends Sam into a spiral. Francesca arrives from Connecticut to connect with Sam, but he distances himself when she mentions their father. Olivia gets a job on Maureen's favourite show and brings her to set. | June 11th 2017 |
| 3 | The Pier at 3am | Sam rewrites his script for his passion project and accidentally sends it to acclaimed actress Annabella Vance, frustrated and anxious about the potential response, Sam spends a sleepless night at Santa Monica Pier with a homeless man who gives him some surprisingly good advice and Sam plans to reconcile with his father. | June 18th 2017 |
| 4 | The Green Light (An Awkward Conversation) | The day after the sleepless night, Annabella Vance replies and tells Sam she wants to produce Sam's script for HBO, but it means leaving his job with Max after 15 years. He ultimately quits, much to Max's relief. Sam celebrates with Maureen and Olivia, but the celebrations are thwarted when Francesca calls the devastating news that their father, and Maureen's brother, has passed away suddenly. | June 25th 2017 |
Season 2[]
| Episode | Title | Synopsis | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | Maureen, Sam and Olivia travel to Connecticut for Daniel's funeral and Sam is surprised when Annabella joins them for the journey. Francesca announces her intentions to move her practice to LA, to Maureen's delight and Sam's horror. | September 2nd 2017 |
| 2 | Mom | As Olivia begins work on a new movie, she gets an unexpected visitor in the form of her mother, who she believed long dead. Sam avoids Olivia's frantic calls as it's the first day of shooting his passion project. Maureen visits Max with a television show idea starring Francesca. | September 9th 2017 |
| 3 | Pilot 2.0 | Sam's pilot is viewed by executives and Annabella says its looking good. Sam and Olivia question their future together after Olivia's big revelation. Francesca is taken aback when Maureen reveals she's getting her own reality TV series, "LA Therapy". | September 16th 2017 |
| 4 | Shooting | HBO give Sam a straight to series order and after an argument with Olivia, he relapses and does cocaine and sleeps with Annabella. Max hires Maureen as a producer on Francesca's reality series after the pilot tests well with audiences. Francesca struggles to balance professionalism and fame as the series premiers. | September 24th 2017 |
| 5 | Painless Reawakenings | After weeks apart, Sam and Olivia reconcile, but he fails to reveal he's returned to drugs and has cheated on her. Annabella fears she may be pregnant. Maureen and Francesca are recognised on the street while at lunch. Olivia's mother threatens Sam. | October 1st 2017 |
| 6 | Closure (Requiem of the Truth) | In couple's therapy with Francesca, Olivia and Sam sort their issues out and Sam confesses all. Filming wraps on the first season of Sam's show, but celebrations are cut short when he checks in to rehab. Annabella contemplates an abortion. Maureen is offered a job in New York after the success of LA Therapy. | October 8th 2017 |
Season 3[]
| Episode | Title | Synopsis | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Second Season | Annabella learns that Sam isn't the father of her new born baby. HBO greenlight's a second season of her and Sam's show. Sam and Olivia are engaged and Francesca is adopting a Malawian child. Maureen reveals she turned down the New York job out of dedication to Max. | April 1st 2018 |
| 2 | Awards | Sam attends the Emmy awards and walks away with 3, Annabella wins one too and has an awkward encounter with the father of her baby. Francesca asks Olivia to be godmother to her baby daughter from Malawi, Maureen sells the building and puts Sam and Olivia's living situation at risk. | April 8th 2018 |
| 3 | Recast | One of Sam's major cast members dies unexpectedly of a heroin overdose, leaving a big role to be filled in the show's second season. Maureen and Francesca consider ending LA Therapy. Olivia is cast in an Oscar buzz movie. | April 15th 2018 |
| 4 | Cancellation | HBO cancels Sam's show ahead of production of a second season, leaving friction between Sam and Annabella. Maureen moves in with Sam and Olivia at their new house in Beverly Hills. Francesca goes on a road trip to San Francisco to see her ex-husband. | April 22nd 2018 |
| 5 | Old, New or Fake (An Ode to Friends) | Sam is surprised when Netflix contacts him with hopes of picking up the second season of his show, but Annabella is reluctant to make the move. Sam and Olivia set a date for their wedding, but Olivia is keeping a secret from Sam. Maureen discovers that she may have another brother. Francesca discovers her ex-husband his now gay, but an unexpected encounter with her former brother-in-law takes her trip in an unexpected direction. | April 29th 2018 |
| 6 | Therapeutic Aisle Walking | Sam and Annabella sign a deal with Netflix for two seasons of their show. Sam and Olivia wed, and Olivia reveals she's pregnant with twins. Francesca arrives at the wedding with Luke on her arm. Maureen builds a relationship with her brother but is knocked for six with a shock cancer diagnosis. | May 5th 2018 |