Big Love is an American television drama series created by Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer and produced by Anima Sola Productions and Playtone Productions about a fundamentalist Mormon family in Utah that practices polygamy.
The series aired in the USA on HBO from 12 March, 2006 to 20 March, 2011. There are 53 hour-long episodes in five seasons.
The first season of Big Love first aired in South Africa on M-Net from 12 November, 2006 to 28 January, 2007, on Sundays after the 8pm movie (typically around 22h00).
It later aired on DStv's M-Net Series channel then moved from M-Net to M-Net Series from Season 2 onwards. It also aired on TopTV's Top One channel. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 4 premiered on Top One on Monday 26 March 2012, at 21h00. New episodes broadcast weekly. There are nine episodes in the fourth season.
Season 1
Big Love is an off beat comedy-drama about modern-day Utah Bill Henrickson who lives in suburban Salt Lake City with his three wives, seven children and a mounting avalanche of debt and demands.
The owner of a growing chain of home improvement stores, Bill struggles to balance the financial and emotional needs of Barb, Nicki and Margene who live in separate, adjacent houses and take turns sharing their husband each night.
While managing the household finances together and routinely sharing "family home nights," they try to keep simmering jealousies in check and their arrangement a secret - polygamy is illegal in Utah and banned by the mainstream Mormon Church.
Adding to Bill's woes are a series of crises affecting his parents who live on a fundamentalist compound in rural Utah. His ruthless father-in-law, Roman, the powerful head of the polygamist commune where his parents live is another constant trouble he needs to face.
Big Love explores the evolving institution of marriage through a typical atypical family. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have three wives - the series provides the answer.
Season 2
The offbeat comedy drama Big Love, about a polygamist with three wives, is back for its second season.
As the new season opens, Bill, who owns a pair of hardware superstores, is facing personal and professional crises brought on by the exposure of “first wife” Barb as a polygamist during a high-profile “Mother of the Year” ceremony at the governor's mansion.
A few weeks later, Bill's other wives Nicki and Margene pick up the slack as Barb languishes in a melancholy funk, leaving Bill to assess the damage the scandal caused his Home Plus stores, and to track down the villain responsible.
Not surprisingly, his search will lead him to the polygamist compound of Juniper Creek, where father-in-law Roman Grant aka the “Prophet”, has put the squeeze on Bill's ne'er-do-well brother Joey in the wake of Roman's son Alby's nearly fatal poisoning.
As Bill faces off with his nemesis, he contemplates changes to his personal and professional life that promise to impact every member of his family.
Season 3
As if juggling three wives weren't tricky enough, Season 3 of Big Love finds modern polygamist Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) tackling problems outside his three-house suburban home.
Bill attempts to create some much-needed financial security by expanding from Henrickson Home Plus into Weber Gaming.
And as he continues to try and extricate himself from family and business ties to the Juniper Creek compound, he discovers that the prophet Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton) is difficult to elude.
The power struggles between first wife Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn), second wife Nicki (Chloë Sevigny) and third wife Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) continue - especially regarding the possibility of adding a fourth.
And then there are the assorted family troubles he has to deal with including the growing pains of his two oldest, Sarah (Amanda Seyfried) and Ben (Douglas Smith), and the endless challenges brought on by his brother Joey (Shawn Doyle), their father Frank (Bruce Dern) and mother Lois (Grace Zabriskie) - not to mention three mothers-in-law.
Big Love continues to explore the evolving institution of marriage through this typically atypical family.
The executive producers of 'Big Love' are Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman and series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer (writer of HBO's In the Gloaming), who produced the independent feature film Easter.
Big Love stars Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny, Ginnifer Goodwin, Harry Dean Stanton, Bruce Dern and Grace Zabriskie.
Other regulars include Amanda Seyfried, Shawn Doyle, Daveigh Chase, Joel McKinnon Miller, Douglas Smith, Melora Walters and Jolean Wejbe.
Also featured are Mary Kay Place, Matt Ross and Tina Majorino.
Season 4
As if juggling three wives weren't tricky enough, Season 4 of Big Love finds modern polygamist Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) tackling problems outside his three-house suburban home.
Bill is building a new church for himself and his family, but some of his loyal followers are skeptical.
Meanwhile, the Henricksons face the pressure of opening their new Mormon-friendly casino with their Native-American partners, and Bill takes on a public campaign in hopes of one day creating more stability for his unconventional family.
It appears unlikely the family can extricate themselves from the politics at the Juniper Creek compound and with Roman Grant's (Harry Dean Stanton) legacy.
The power struggles between first wife Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn), second wife Nicki (Chloë Sevigny) and third wife Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) continue.
And then there are the assorted family dramas including the growing pains of Bill's two oldest, Sarah (Amanda Seyfried) and Ben (Douglas Smith), and the endless challenges brought on by his brother Joey (Shawn Doyle), their father Frank (Bruce Dern) and mother Lois (Grace Zabriskie).
Season 5
As if juggling three wives weren't tricky enough, Season 5 of Big Love finds modern polygamist Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) tackling problems outside his three-house suburban home and in public.
Bill has built a new church and got himself elected to the State Senate, but some of his loyal followers are skeptical, and the media's glare isn't helping things.
It appears unlikely the family will extricate themselves from the politics at the Juniper Creek compound now that Alby Grant (Matt Ross) is in charge.
The power struggles between first wife Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn), second wife Nicki (Chloë Sevigny) and third wife Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) continue.
And then there are the assorted family dramas involving the growing pains of Bill's eldest, Ben (Douglas Smith), Nicki's daughter, Cara Lynn (Cassi Thomson), their father Frank (Bruce Dern) and mother Lois (Grace Zabriskie).
Bold, funny and wholly original, Big Love continues to explore the evolving institution of marriage through this typically atypical family.
Big Love is produced by HBO Entertainment in association with Playtone and Anima Sola Productions; created by Mark V. Olsen & Will Scheffer; executive producers, Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, David Knoller, Bernadette Caulfield and Mark V.
Olsen & Will Scheffer; supervising producer, Patricia Breen; producers, Seth Greenland and Peter Friedlander; co-producers, Dauri Chase, Don Bensko, Melanie Marnich and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa; executive story editor, Julia Cho; story editor, Jami O'Brien; staff writer, Aaron Allen; casting, Junie Lowry Johnson, C.S.A., Libby Goldstein and Lisa Soltau.
Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny and Ginnifer Goodwin star in the series, now in its final season. Other cast regulars include Douglas Smith, Grace Zabriskie, Mary Kay Place, Matt Ross and Cassi Thomson.
Also returning are Joel McKinnon Miller, Bruce Dern, Anne Dudek, Cody Klop, Tina Majorino, Daveigh Chase, Branka Katic, Steve Bacic, Judith Hoag and Ellen Burstyn.
New guest stars this season include Robert Patrick, Judith Ivey and Grant Show.
Seasons
Season 1 (12 episodes)
Channel: M-Net | Premiere: 12 Nov 2006 | Finale: 28 Jan 2007 | Sundays, 22h00
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 19 Dec 2007 | Finale: 5 Mar 2008 | Wednesdays, 22h00
Channel: Top One | Premiere: 11 Oct 2010 | Finale: 27 Dec 2010 | Mondays, 21h00
Season 2 (12 episodes)
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 4 Jun 2008 | Finale: 20 Aug 2008 | Wednesdays, 22h00
Channel: Top One | Premiere: 3 Jan 2011 | Finale: 21 Mar 2011 | Mondays, 21h00
Season 3 (10 episodes)
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 29 Apr 2009 | Finale: 1 Jul 2009 | Wednesdays, 22h00
Channel: Top One | Premiere: 1 Aug 2011 | Finale: 3 Oct 2011 | Mondays, 21h00
Season 4 (9 episodes)
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 19 May 2010 | Finale: 14 Jul 2010 | Wednesdays, 21h30
Channel: Top One | Premiere: 26 Mar 2012 | Finale: 21 May 2012 | Mondays, 21h00
Season 5 (10 episodes)
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 1 Jul 2011 | Finale: 2 Sep 2011 | Fridays, 22h30