Man With a Plan Producers Address Recasting the Show's Female Lead

Man With a Plan stars Matt LeBlanc as Adam, a contractor who starts spending more time with his kids when his wife Andi (Liza Snyder) goes back to work.Episodes of the sitcom aren't yet available, due to significant reshoots on the pilot; but the biggest buzz surrounding the show so far is the re-casting of the female lead: The Office star Jenna Fischerwas originally slated to play the role of LeBlanc's wife, but backed out for "chemistry issues" according to CBS network president Glenn Geller. Producers got asked about the change right out of the gate at the Television Critics Association summer tour on Wednesday.Catch up on all the latest news from TCA"I think it was just about finding the person who should be married to [Matt]," said executive producer Jeff Filgo. "These guys together don't seem like anything other that two people who are best friends who love each other."Jeff and his wife Jackie, also and executive producer, acknowledged that they did a "pretty major rewrite in terms of how they get along," which was helpful. "There's so many factors that go into it," Jackie said. "When she walked in we were so happy to see her."Adam, having spent time with his kids in limited runs, is now with them 24/7 -- the difference between "greatest hits" and "album cuts" Jeff Filgo said. Their preteen daughter, Kate (Grace Kaufman) is a master manipulator and initially happy that "Daddy Fun Times" is taking over. Their middle child Teddy (Matthew McCann) can't seem to keep his hands out of his pants, while the youngest, Emme (Hala Finley) is nervous about starting kindergarten.Meanwhile, Adam's older brother and business partner Don (Kevin Nealon), enjoys giving him terrible advice about how to run his family. With Andi's encouragement and input from some equally stressed parents, Marie (Jessica Chaffin) and Lowell (Matt Cook), Adam learns how to do the toughest job he ever had.LeBlanc, most recently on TV on Showtime's Episodes, said he's happy to be back on a big network. "I wanted to do something bigger," he said. "I wanted to get in the multi-cam format...I have a family now, the hours are shorter. I'm not getting any younger. I'm a parent, and I wanted to explore what that would be like as a character."Man With a Plan premieres Monday, Oct. 24 at 8:30/7:30c on CBS.