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Christina Applegate: 5 best TV roles of all time

By Reed Gaudens

Photo Credit: Dead To Me/Netflix/Saeed Adyani, Acquired From Netflix Media Center
Photo Credit: Dead To Me/Netflix/Saeed Adyani, Acquired From Netflix Media Center /
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BEVERLY HILLS, CA – AUGUST 01: (L-R) Actors Maya Rudolph and Will Arnett and Producer Christina Applegate speak during the ‘Up All Night’ panel during the NBC Universal portion of the 2011 Summer TCA Tour held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 1, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – AUGUST 01: (L-R) Actors Maya Rudolph and Will Arnett and Producer Christina Applegate speak during the ‘Up All Night’ panel during the NBC Universal portion of the 2011 Summer TCA Tour held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 1, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) /

5. Up All Night (2011-2012)

What it’s about: Up All Night centers on new parents, Reagan and Chris Brinkley, who attempt to adjust to the balance of raising their newborn daughter, Amy, and maintaining some semblance of a normal life. While Chris stays home with Amy, Reagan works as a producer on her best friend Ava’s eponymous talk show. In the second season, Reagan and Chris’ roles reverse as Chris starts a business with Reagan’s brother, resulting in just as much of a paradigm shift.

Who else co-stars: Applegate stars as Reagan, and Arrested Development vet Will Arnett stars as her husband Chris. Saturday Night Live and Bridesmaids favorite Maya Rudolph steals all of the scenes as the over-the-top Ava, while Jennifer Hall and Luka Jones each star in the first and second season respectively. Up All Night also featured recurring turns from Jason Lee, Molly Shannon, Will Forte, Megan Mullally, Nick Cannon, and Sean Hayes.

Why it’s one of her best: Despite its star power in front of and behind the scenes (Emily Spivey created, Lorne Michaels executive produced), Up All Night struggled in both vision and ratings thanks to airing during a rough patch for NBC. The series ultimately folded during its second season, but you could never say that the writing wasn’t sharp and the cast didn’t show up to play for those laughs. Reagan was Applegate’s bread and butter, as she layered depth into a character that could have otherwise been written off as unlikable.

Where to watch: While Up All Night isn’t available to stream on a major platform like Hulu or Netflix, the complete series — the 24-episode first season and 11-episode second season — is currently streaming on NBC.com and the NBC app for free without a cable subscription.

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