“Baby Daddy”: ABC Family picks up comedy for 3rd season

March 22, 2013 Channel Guide Staff Comedy 1

Baby Daddy returns for its second season Wednesday, May 29, at 8:30pm ET/PT.

Well well, Melissa Peterman sure wasn’t kidding. I interviewed the actress this week about her upcoming gig as host of ABC Family’s Dancing Fools, and we talked a little bit about her day job on another ABC Family show, Baby Daddy. She was just finishing up the likable comedy’s second season and mentioned how “things are looking good” for a possible third-season pickup. Seemed a bit premature maybe, but lo and behold, the network announced today it had green-lit Season 3 of Baby Daddy — not a bad display of confidence seeing as Season 2 is still more than two months away.

Peterman plays Bonnie Wheeler, who is helping her twentysomething son Ben (Jean-Luc Bilodeau) raise his baby daughter who was unexpectedly left on his doorstep. The series also features Chelsea Kane, Derek Theler and Tahj Mowry.

Peterman, who spent six seasons on Reba, says she’s ecstatic to keep her new gig going.

“I’m really proud of it,” she says. “The first season we had so much fun. There was a good cast connection, and we gelled right away. But then you get a chance to come back, which is so wonderful. These days it’s really hard to get shows to keep going, so when we got that second season we were just so excited because we have so much fun.”

Beyond the fun they have on set, Peterman says Season 2 will up the quality of what’s onscreen as well. “I feel like the writers get to know you as an actor and what your rhythms are and your comedy, so by the second season, you feel like they’re writing for you and they hear your voice when they’re writing it. The bar just got even higher. … Every Friday night when we finish taping an episode, everyone’s like, ‘Oh, that was my favorite one yet.’ And then the next week, we’re like, ‘Oh, that was my favorite one.’ That’s a good place to be, so we’re very excited for everyone to see it.”

She also says Season 2 will feature new and returning guest stars like Greg Grunberg (Heroes), Wayne Brady, Caroline Rhea, Lacey Chabert and Leslie Jordan.

But what about that hot, young cast she is surrounded by every day? Sure, they’re probably fun to look at, but you can also imagine how it could make a 41-year-old feel a little out of step.

“It’s a little bit of both, I won’t lie,” she says, laughing. “But they’re really nice. I keep thinking, ‘If I were that gorgeous and young in Hollywood, would I be that nice?’ I think I would, because I’m from Minnesota and my mom would kill me, but they’re all just very nice people, and that’s what’s lovely. It’s kind of nice to be the older one, because if I tell them to go get me stuff, they have to, right? I’m the elder. ‘Go get me some coffee.’ They have to.”