'Mistresses' Producers Address Changes From British Series

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Executive producers K.J. Steinberg and Rina Mimoun

ABC's summer soap Mistresses, adapted from the U.K. series, will start in familiar territory but will veer off in its own direction sooner rather than later.

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"We deviate pretty early on," executive producer Rina Mimoun told reporters during the Television Critics Association's winter press tour session Thursday. "We took a lot of what they had and front-loaded it" for familiarity.

Executive producer K.J. Steinberg added that they do it pretty "immediately," noting that the British series' first season only had six episodes, while their show will have 13, allowing them to delve deeper into the women's friendships. Another difference between the two series, noted producer Bob Sertner, is the shows' differing looks (U.K. seemed darker, while the U.S. seemed brighter, observed a reporter), which he hinted might have something to do with their respective production budgets.

Actor Jason George, who appears on Grey's Anatomy, said that beyond Thursday's episode, his return is left up in the air. "Beyond [tonight's episode], I don't know," he replied when asked by a reporter. "When is the Grey's panel?"

"I'm an actor who wants to work with the best people I can get my hands on," he said. "I'm a part of the furniture, and they can rearrange it however they want."

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