Sometimes there is a story inside of you that needs to be let out. For Deborah Adair, creator of the new series SET THE TABLE, that story is about the unifying power of cooking. The show follows the strained relationship of a middle aged couple coping with the sudden death of her father, uncertainties in the workplace and an unexpected empty nest. Can a table full of food bring back together a family that has slowly drifted apart?

The series, which began its six episode first season last April on Blip.tv and Youtube, was directed by Ryan McKinney (who also directed the 2010 horror film THE INVITED), and stars Deborah Adair (who co-wrote, produced and directed the series) as Becca Peterson, wife of husband Mark Peterson (John Alston), and mother to daughter Maddie (played by Adair’s real life daughter, Samantha). Toni Corbett, Julia Smyth (best supporting actress winner at the recent LAWebFest), and newcomers Charlie Merlo and Dylan Nelson round out the ensemble cast.

The series originally began as a one-act play (the first two episodes represent that play), but Adair decided to expand the storyline, and her characters, resulting in an entertaining and dramatic series about life, love, and food, a series inspired by a memorable, and touching, past incident. “My house was full of neighbor(s)’ kids running around. I was handing out homemade cookies, and one little boy held his cookie in his hand with wonder and awe. He looked up at me and said that he’d never had a homemade cookie before. And I was thinking that for me, it was such a simple thing to bake cookies and make that little bit of difference in someone’s life.”

Food, and its ability to bring people together, plays a prominent role in the series, and Adair hopes that viewers will not only be entertained, but also be inspired to cook. “We feature food in our show, and we try to make the idea of cooking appealing. It shouldn’t be intimidating to cook for your family.” To that end, the series’ official web site includes Adair’s video demonstrations of various dishes, along with their recipes, all part of the show’s social media outreach, which not only encourages people to try cooking, but to interact with the show itself. Music also features prominently in the show, with a great soundtrack from singer/songwriter/composer Paul Mars Black (from bands such as Sonic Boom, and LA Guns, predecessor to ‘80s rock superstars Guns ‘N’ Roses).

Like many other shows, the production process for SET THE TABLE had its own set of challenges, especially in the casting phase, and while it didn’t take a long time to cast the other roles, looking for the perfect actor to portray Adair’s on-screen husband proved to be a lot tougher than expected. John Alston brought an air of professionalism to scenes that could have proven rather awkward.

Adair also made sure to do everything the right way, with a SAG/AFTRA agreement, in addition to obtaining permits to film scenes at a community center (which also doubled as a school), and at a park, for the show’s sixth episode. The first four episodes were all shot over a course of four nights, but the show’s dedicated cast and crew made the production process easier. “We even had someone sleeping on our couch because she’d come from out of town to work on our production. I am very grateful to our team. Every one of them put in a tremendous effort,” says Adair.

While the show itself focuses on young – and old – love, Deborah feels that SET THE TABLE will appeal to a wide variety of audiences, young and old, from various walks of life. “Our show can appeal to anyone who has a family, anyone who likes to cook (or maybe is afraid to cook), and anyone who loves music. The younger set should be able to relate to our show also. Becca’s nephew, Aaron, has parents who aren’t very together. It’s amazing how similar we are in concept to ‘Pairings’. And, as for movies, if you like BABETTE’S FEAST, or RATATOUILLE, check us out. You’ll like SET THE TABLE.”

ON THE WEB: http://www.watchsetthetable.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/watchsetthetable

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/WatchSTT

YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watchsetthetable

BLIP.tv: http://blip.tv/setthetable

PINTEREST (for the show’s songs and recipes): http://pinterest.com/watchstt/