Top 10 Real-Life Pregnancies That Were Written Into TV Shows
#10: Emily Deschanel “Bones” (2005-17)
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One of the main draws of “Bones” was the undeniable chemistry between Emily Dechanel’s Dr. Temperance Brennan and David Boreanaz’s FBI agent Seeley Booth. We always knew where their will-they-won’t-they dance was inevitably leading, but fate stepped in a little earlier than the writer’s may have intended. Rather than try to work around Deschanel’s real life pregnancy, the show incorporated it into the plot and used it as the impetus to finally make things official between Bones and Booth. In the seventh season the characters would work to adapt to couple life and parenting. Emily Deschanel said it was a pretty accurate reflection of her own adjustment to motherhood. The dynamic worked so well that her second pregnancy was written into the show as well.
#9: Gillian Anderson “The X-Files” (1993-2002; 2016-18)
Hollywood has not always been a friendly place for expectant mothers. When Gillian Anderson became pregnant at the end of The X-Files’ first season, studio executives pressured showrunner Chris Carter to recast her role. To his credit, Carter supported Anderson. Instead the show adopted a hybrid strategy for working with her condition. In the first half of the second season the classic costuming and camera tricks were used to hide Anderson’s pregnancy. In the course of all this, Scully, working separately from Mulder, becomes the victim of an abduction and experimentation. This bombshell reveal would both use and explain Anderson’s pregnancy in-universe. We have to love this creative, mythology building solution to the challenge.
#8: Alyson Hannigan “How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)
When Hannigan’s first pregnancy wasn’t a natural fit for her character, the show addressed the matter with the humor you might expect. Her second baby came around at the perfect time though. With Marshall and Lily also poised to start a family it was a no-brainer to write Hannigan’s real pregnancy into the series. Watching Lily and Marshall move, and move again, prepare for parenthood, and eventually welcome their son felt like the most organic progression in the world for the long-time couple. Of course, the show had no trouble bringing all kinds of goofy fun to these situations as well. It’s so nice when your personal and professional life can line up this neatly.
#7: Ginnifer Goodwin “Once Upon a Time” (2011-18)
Talk about life imitating art! Stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas met when they were cast opposite each other as Once Upon a Time’s paragons of true love, Snow White and Prince Charming. It wasn’t long before the actors had fallen for one another in real life. They became engaged in 2013 and the 2014 birth of their first child was written into the show as well. With Snow and Charming recently reunited after decades under an evil curse, Goodwin and Dallas’ real life start to their family was a natural fit for their onscreen characters. Luckily, the parallels did have a few limits. They avoided the part about having to put their firstborn into a magical wardrobe and send them to a different dimension.
#6: Cynthia Nixon “Sex and the City” (1998-2004)
When Sarah Jessica Parker became pregnant, the show fell back on old standbys to hide that fact. However, when it came to actress Cynthia Nixon her pregnancy was incorporated into her character Miranda’s storyline. Not exactly the maternal type, Miranda hadn’t been too deeply shaken by the news of her lazy ovary in Season 2. It was a big shock when she found herself pregnant several seasons later after having unprotected sex with Steve. The pregnancy and subsequent birth of her son Brady proved to be a huge character growth event for Miranda. As she adapted to the changes in her life, viewers got to enjoy the process of seeing Miranda discover new sides to the identity we already loved.
#5: Jennifer Garner “Alias” (2001-06)
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To be honest the life of super spy Sydney Bristow already sounds plenty challenging. However, when actress Jennifer Garner discovered she was expecting her first child in 2005, the series writers made the choice to throw the expectant mom curveball at her onscreen counterpart as well. For Sydney this meant taking a step back from the action to train newbie Rachel Gibson. Not that her life got any less dramatic of course. There was still plenty to keep her on her toes with the death and later resurrection of her lover Michael Vaughn. The final season included the birth of their daughter. Though we never got to see Sydney juggle domesticity with the spy life, these two parents seem like they could handle just about anything.
#4: Chelsea Peretti “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (2013-)
After deciding to hide star Melissa Fumero’s pregnancy, the cop comedy went a different route after Peretti announced her own expectant status following season three. Gina Linetti isn’t exactly a character who seems like the most traditional maternal figure. That’s where the fun comes in, naturally. In one of the most inspired choices of the plot line, the show initially left the identity of Gina’s baby daddy undisclosed. At the end of Season Four it was revealed to be one of Boyle’s cousins. Inspired though that choice was, it was nothing compared to the revelation of Ryan Phillippe in the role of Milton Boyle.
#3: Jenna Fischer “The Office” (2005-13)
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Though Pam Beesley’s first pregnancy was on screen only, her second was written into season eight to accommodate the birth of Fischer’s own first baby. Rather than just let it play out as a typical pregnancy plotline, The Office made this into an opportunity for some classic hijinks. The decision was made to make Angela Martin an expectant mom as well, and to kick off a rivalry between the two women. Their escalating feud was on par with the kinds of shenanigans we had come to know and love at Dunder Mifflin. It all culminated with both Angela and Pam even choosing the same name. It just goes to show that motherhood doesn’t make a lady go soft.
#2: Lisa Kudrow “Friends” (1994-2004)
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There are certainly benefits to playing quirky characters. Namely the amount of latitude they give writers when it comes to coming up with creative solutions. When Lisa Kudrow was pregnant, Friends brought in Phoebe’s brother Frank with an unusual request. Most people wouldn’t be up for the demands of surrogacy, but Phoebe is definitely not most people. She embraces the challenge and eventually learns that she is expecting triplets. Ironically, this forced the show to pad out Kudrow’s costumes to make it look like she was carrying more than one baby. Not only did the writers work smoothly around her off-screen life, but they also used the opportunity to give Kudrow one of her best scenes ever. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Charisma Carpenter, “Angel” (1999-2004) This Weird Plot Line Was Not Exactly the Best Example of How to Incorporate a Pregnancy Candice King, “The Vampire Diaries” (2009-17) To Be Honest, We’re Still Not Exactly Sure How This One Works... Bethany Joy Lenz, “One Tree Hill” (2003-12) It Just Happened to Line Up Perfectly With Haley Scott’s Arc Vanessa Morgan, “Riverdale” (2017-) This Development Promises More Intrigue in the Future America Ferrera, “Superstore” (2015-21) Well That’s One Way to Put an Obstacle Between a Couple
#1: Lucille Ball “I Love Lucy” (1951-57)
The birth of a child is a milestone for any couple, but in this case it was an event of actual historical significance. As ridiculous as it sounds, in the early days of television network executives considered the idea of a pregnant woman on screen to be vulgar; even the word “pregnant” was deemed too scandalous. Nevertheless, when sitcom legend Lucille Ball was expecting her first child, the revolutionary decision was made to write it into the show. And the plot line was a huge hit. Viewers, identified with Lucy’s journey to motherhood, on and off screen. It turns out the cultural ground was fertile for more realistic depictions of life, and Lucy was just the lady to break that barrier.
