The TV drama “Light Years on the CW network will star Shiri Appleby, who has mostly played ingénues or vixens, in her first mother role.

The story line centers on a 16-year-old foster child (Brittany Robertson) who looks for her biological father (Kristoffer Polaha) and mother (Appleby), who haven't spoken to each other since their one-night stand in high school resulted in pregnancy.

Appleby turned 30 last month, is just 11 years than Robertson. Polaha is 31.

CW like its predecessor network the WB tends to use young actresses for the motherly role. In Gilmore Girls the mother of a teenage daughter Lauren Graham was just 33 when the series began, 14.5 years older than screen daughter Alexis Bledel.