Geena Davis TV Premiere

Oct. 6 -- Does the sitcom make the star or does the star make the sitcom?

Bill Cosby and Mary Tyler Moore have some classic shows that bear their name, but if you think hard enough you’ll recall they also have some bombs attached to their names.

Geena Davis is the latest household name to try her luck with a star driven series, The Geena Davis Show, which debuts on ABC.

This is one series that takes its celebrities seriously. The cast includes Mimi Rogers and Peter Horton, with Oscar winner Davis playing a New York hot shot who makes a career out of matching up big names with causes.

Davis admits she didn’t expect her own name to get matched up with a TV series, as this is her first sitcom role since Sara 15 years ago.

“I had not been actively seeking out television, I’ve been really enjoying my film career, although I’ve never been a snob about television,” said Davis. She returned to films in the mid-1980s after appearing on the short-lived Sara. The comedy was set in a legal office and also starred Alfre Woodard and Bronson Pinchot.

Davis decided to give TV another chance after reading the script for what has become her self-titled series. She describes it as love at first sight. “It first made me think, ‘ya know, this is really good, I should consider some day going back to TV,’ and by the next morning I was thinking, ‘oh, I wonder if I should do this actual one,’” said Davis.

Goodbye Manhattan, Hello SUV The plot revolves around Davis’ hectic Manhattan job, and her fiancé’s suburban lifestyle. She quickly takes the plunge, ditching the city for life on the outskirts.

As a fish-out-of-water, Davis’ character wishes playing the tooth fairy was as simple as the glamourous world of PR. When her younger daughter loses a tooth, she crams a $100 bill under her pillow.

“I really can identify with it because I wouldn’t have the first idea how to handle any of that, either” said Davis.