An Evening with Melissa & Joey: Cast & Creators Live at the Paley Center

Starring and produced by family sitcom vets Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence, “Melissa & Joey” finds Hart portraying the grown-up former wild child of a political family who must now raise her niece and nephew. Help comes in the unlikely form of Joe (Lawrence) who, desperate for a job, moves in and becomes the family’s “manny.”This Paley Center for Media live event honors “Melissa & Joey,” the comedy series about a Toledo councilwoman raising her niece and nephew with the help of their live-in “manny,” a former commodities trader.Monica Rizzo (senior writer, People magazine) moderates the following panelists: series creators/ executive producers/writers Bob Young and David Kendall; executive producer Paula Hart; executive producer/cast member Joey Lawrence (Joe Longo) and executive producer/cast member Melissa Joan Hart (Mel Burke); and cast members Taylor Spreitler (Lennox Scanlon), and Nick Robinson (Ryder Scanlon).The panelists touch on such topics as: the show’s inspiration from the 2009 TV movie “My Fake Fiance,” which starred Lawrence and Hart; how Lawrence and Hart share a strong work ethic, based on their experience as child actors; and why the show’s humor is rooted in the frequent bickering of the characters.Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics among others: the challenge of teen actors aging beyond their roles; Hart and Lawrence’s experiences with “Dancing with the Stars”; and Lawrence’s infamous hair and lack thereof on the show.