Side Order of Life

Side Order of Life is an American drama television series broadcast by Lifetime on Sunday night. It premiered on Lifetime on July 15, 2007. In its first five weeks it aired at 8:00pm ET/PT, then switched to the 9:00pm time slot. Lifetime broadcast Side Order of Life with State of Mind and Army Wives in an effort to offer a night of new original programming aimed primarily at female viewers during the summer hiatus. Initial reviews were positive.

Lifetime declined to renew Side Order of Life for a second season.

Premise
Marisa Coughlan plays Jenny McIntyre, a photographer who reconsiders her life and is reawakened to her options after her best friend, Vivy Porter (Diana-Maria Riva), is diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer. Jason Priestley returns to regular series television as Ian Denison, Jenny's fiancé. Christopher Gartin rounds out the main cast as Jenny's boss Rick Purdy at the fictional In Person magazine; he is in love with Vivy, who has rejected him.

Main

 * Marisa Coughlan as Jenny McIntyre, a photojournalist at In Person magazine.
 * Diana-Maria Riva as Vivy Porter, Jenny's best friend, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer.
 * Christopher Gartin as Rick Purdy, editor of In Person magazine, and secretly in love with Vivy
 * Jason Priestley as Ian Denison, Jenny's ex-fiancé, engaged to Becca despite warnings from friends about rebound relationships
 * Ashley Williams as Becca, Vivy's 'other best friend', who dated Ian in college, engaged to Ian currently.

In a moment of candor, when discussing his role on a female-oriented show on a female-oriented network, Jason Priestley referred to himself as "the man-meat," but stated, "I'm ok with that."

Recurring

 * Steven Weber (uncredited in episodes 1–12) as Cell Phone Man, whom Jenny called by accident when trying to reach Ian, and who she continued to call for reassurance and support.
 * Joe Regalbuto as Mr. McIntyre, Jenny's father, and a good friend of Ian's, even after the breakup.
 * Susan Blakely as Margot, Jenny's mother, a self-described trophy wife.
 * Lisa Waltz as Dr. Misty Raines, Vivy's Oncologist, who also has cancer.
 * Paula Jai Parker as Stargell Grant
 * Ron Fassler as Teddy Smalls
 * Ian Ziering as Brian Fowler

Reception
Initial reviews were positive, with Variety's Brian Lowry saying, "writer-producer Margaret Nagle brings a level of wit to the proceedings superior to most chick-lit-inspired TV drama." The Seattle Times, after describing the premise, said, "If this all sounds kind of corny, well, it kind of is until you realize the story line hits its mark, making you recall your own missteps and regrets for not having taken better charge."

The Boston Herald stated that "Lifetime's new dramedy Side Order of Life wants to be the next Grey's Anatomy so badly, it even borrows Meredith's TV dad for the debut," but despite the content of the review, rated it a 'B' and said it was "almost satisfying."