Tonight FOX kicks off the new drama Almost Family, the latest series from executive producer Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood) and writer Annie Weisman (About A Boy, Desperate Housewives). Julia Bechley (Brittany Snow, Pitch Perfect) has grown up as the only child of renowned fertility doctor Leon Benchley (Timothy Hutton, American Crime, Leverage)…at least that’s what she believed. Julia’s world is about to come crashing down when it’s discovered that her father used his own sperm to help over 100 women become pregnant. Being his partner in the the clinic, Julia now has to deal with the fallout, both emotionally and legally.
As Julia deals with her father’s betrayal, and starts to explore the breadth of the incident, she is upset to discover that one of her potential siblings is former best friend, now lawyer, Edie Palmer (Megalyn Echikunwoke, The Following, 90210)—the two had a falling out when Edie stole and married the guy Julia loved. Another one of the potential “Benchley Babies” is former Olympic athlete Roxy Doyle (Emily Osment, The Kominsky Method, Young & Hungry), who wouldn’t be that upset to discover that the parents who are still trying to make money off of her former glory might not be her real parents. For better or for worse, this unusual situation has brought these sisters together. They’ve started to form a bond, and will be the ones to help one another weather the storm of their forever-changed lives. And this non-traditional family will likely grow as additional siblings come out of the woodwork.
I quite enjoyed tonight’s premiere—this series has a really great cast. In addition to establishing the main premise of the series, the first episode also sets up some other interesting storylines and character dynamics to explore. It doesn’t make light of this serious situation—it seems like Leon isn’t going to just get a slap on the wrist—but the episode does has some really fun moments. I look forward to seeing more of the fallout of this scandal, and how the characters deal with it.
In tonight’s premiere, “Pilot”, only child Julia finds her life turned upside-down when her father makes a startling revelation.
Tonight, I’ll also be watching/recording The Goldbergs, Schooled, Modern Family, Single Parents, Stumptown, Survivor, The Masked Singer, and American Horror Story: 1984.
For additional suggestions on what to check out tonight, including new episodes of Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago PD, SEAL Team and SWAT/em>, check out the If We Controlled Your Remote… 10/2/19 post at TVisMyPacifier.com.
