'Party of Five', the much-loved family drama that aired on the Fox network between 1994-2000 is getting a Reboot. Nineties T.V. show reboots have become quite the fad, think 'Roseanne', 'X-Files', and 'Twin Peaks'. Those shows have been continuations of the same characters and stories but now we’re getting something a bit different. A reboot with a big timely twist. The original show was about five siblings, one adult, four children - who were orphaned when their parents are killed by a drunk driver. The children were left to parent themselves with the guidance of their adult eldest brother.

As reported in Deadline, the new show will be about five Latino siblings who were born in the U.S., and whose parents are deported to Mexico.

Reboot will deal with immigration issues

Here’s what is known about the new series so far:

  • It will be airing on the Freeform Network
  • It’s being made by the original creators of 'Party of Five'; Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman along with Michal Zebede who wrote on 'Castle' and like the characters in the new show is a first generation Latin American.
  • According to Deadline, a put pilot has been ordered, which means there is a chance that if the Freeform executives don’t like the pilot it might not ever air on the network.
  • Rodrigo Garcia will direct the pilot. His directing work includes a slew of HBO series, and the feature film 'Albert Nobbs'.

Deeply connected to the times we live in, this immigration twist on the original material is a great idea.

The original series had plenty of drama with storylines involving alcoholism, abortion, and cancer. The reboot will have to deal with the new issue of having your parents gone, not dead, that will make for a lot of interesting storylines if the pilot gets picked up. In addition to the practical day to day issues, the ongoing legal issues to get the parents back, the money involved in keeping the household running, along with all of the everyday challenges of being a kid or a teenager.

Like the original series, it's likely that they'll explore the problems faced by the oldest sibling who has now become an instant parent to four children. There's a lot of great dramatic material to be mined here.

A 'Party of Five' for the times we live in

The original series was critically acclaimed and won a Golden Globe for best drama in the second season.

It would be a tough act to follow but the deportation angle guarantees that if the series is picked up it’s going to have some storylines that haven't been dealt with yet on an American TV Series. Will we see the parents side of the story; the struggle of being plucked out of their lives and separated from their children? It’s another layer of heartache that is becoming a sad reality for many families today.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED