Any Day Now (TV series)

Any Day Now is an American drama television series that aired on the Lifetime network from 1998 to 2002. Set in Birmingham, Alabama, Any Day Now explored issues around race and friendship and how they affect the lives of two devoted lifelong friends over the years—from the 1960s to the current day. The show stars Annie Potts and Lorraine Toussaint, portraying best friends since childhood, as they openly and honestly address events in their interracial community.

The show's title is taken from the 1962 song "Any Day Now", written by Burt Bacharach and Bob Hilliard. A version performed by Lori Perry served as the show's theme song.

Setting

Any Day Now focuses on the lives and interactions of two female protagonists: Mary Elizabeth "M.E." O'Brien Sims (Potts) and Rene Jackson (Toussaint). The two had grown up as close friends in Birmingham, Alabama, in the 1960s during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement. However, their friendship ended when M.E. became pregnant and chose, despite Rene's disapproval, to keep the child, drop out of college, and marry her boyfriend, Colliar Sims.

More than twenty years later, M.E. and her husband still live in Birmingham, where they struggle to make ends meet. Their oldest son, Bobby, died as a child; but they have two more children, daughter Kelly (Olivia Friedman) and son Davis. Rene moved to Washington, D.C., where she was a successful attorney for many years; but, after the death of her father, Rene decides to move back to Birmingham and establish a law practice there. She reunites with M.E., and the two quickly resume their close friendship. In every episode, contemporary storylines are interwoven with a storyline from their shared past.

Format

Each hour-long episode explores a theme contained alternating scenes from two different timelines. The 1960s timeline followed the young version of the girls, who were best friends in Birmingham in the 1960s. Characters from the 1960s timeline appeared in the contemporary timeline as well, such as Rene's widowed mother, her brother Elston (openly gay, who has a son by a surrogate), who his partner adopts, M.E.'s oft-divorced sister Teresa (Delta Burke), and M.E.'s aging parents, whose views on race had mellowed somewhat over the years, quite in contrast to unrepentantly racist Uncle Jimmy, who still antagonized Rene if given the chance.

The show dealt with issues like modern-day racism, homosexuality, religion, women's rights, rape, natural disaster, alcohol, suicide, and death. During Season 3, M.E.'s daughter Kelly dated an African-American boy, Ajoni (Derrex Brady), and became pregnant by him at age 17, much to Colliar's dismay;

Cast

Main

Annie Potts as Mary Elizabeth "M.E." Sims
Lorraine Toussaint as Rene Jackson
Shari Dyon Perry as Young Rene Jackson (seasons 1–3)
Mae Middleton as Young M.E. O'Brien (seasons 1–3)
Chris Mulkey as Colliar Sims
Derrex Brady as Ajoni Williams
Olivia Friedman as Kelly (Sims) Williams
John Lafayette as James Jackson/Uncle Jimmy
Donzaleigh Abernathy as Sara Jackson
Maya Goodwin as Young Rene Jackson (season 4)
Olivia Hack as Young M.E. O'Brien (season 4)

Supporting

Julie St. Claire as Joy (season 1)
Richard Biggs as Detective Bill Moody
Christopher Winsor as Davis Sims (season 1)
Christopher Babers as Young Elston Jackson
William Converse-Roberts as Matthew O'Brien
Nancy Mcloughlin as Catherine O'Brien
Ian Bohen as Johnny O'Brien
Elise Shirley as Young Theresa O'Brien
Delta Burke as Theresa O'Brien
Michael Pavone as Jimmy O'Brien
Dan Byrd as Young Colliar Sims
Millie Perkins as Grandma Irene Otis
Richard Biggs as Bill Moody
Bronson Picket as Joe Lozano
Tony Barriere as Young Tully
Mary-Pat Green as Odessa
Taneka Johnson as Lakeisha Reynolds
Don McManus as Graham Pearce
Alyssa Nichols as April
Alexandra Hedison as Rhonda
Monique Edwards as Cynthia
Calvin Devault as Davis Sims (seasons 2–4)

Production

Nancy Miller, co-creator, executive producer and showrunner had spent summers during her childhood in Birmingham at a time when there were still segregated fountains. Miller used those past histories in creating the show. Valerie Woods, who started as first executive story editor and later became co-executive producer, was equally committed to creating a show that would examine difficult topics in a useful way. — All nominees won their own awards

Dan Byrd — Supporting Young Actor
Shari Dyon Perry — Supporting Young Actress
Mae Middleton — Young Actress Age Ten and Under
Tony C. Barriere — Guest Starring Young Actor

;1999–2000 — Neither won an award

Supporting Young Actor
Dan Byrd
Tony C. Barriere
Supporting Young Actress
Shari Dyon Perry
Mae Middleton
Olivia Friedman

2000–2001 — (Nominated) Best Family TV Drama Series

Screen Actors Guild Awards

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! Year

! Association

! Category

! Work

! Result

| 1998/99

| Screen Actors Guild

| Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

| Any Day Now

NAACP Image Awards

upright|thumb|Toussaint in 2012

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|- style="background:#b0c4de;"

! Year

! Association

! Category

! Work

! Result

| 1999

| NAACP Image Award