Like One Day at a Time before it, Party of Five is getting a new life through a Latino family. Freeform (previously ABC Family) committed to a put pilot (which Variety defines as “a deal to produce a pilot that includes substantial penalties if the pilot is not aired”) on a reboot of the ’90s show, which originally followed siblings Bailey, Charlie, Julia, Claudia, and Owen Salinger adjusting to life after their parents were killed by a drunk driver. The new version will similarly feature five siblings who lose their parents, but this time it’s because of deportation.
At a time when our current administration is attempting to deport a larger number of undocumented immigrants, this story will shine a light on how our immigration laws harm the children of undocumented immigrants. If the network does indeed order the series, then Freeform will become the latest to broadcast an immigration-related show. According to Deadline, the show was originally taken to Fox, but was turned down because of the network’s commitment to In the Country We Love, a show based on Diane Guerrero’s book, which chronicles her life after her parents were deported during her childhood.
Chris Keyer and Amy Lippman – who created the original series – will write the pilot along with Costa Rican-Panamanian-American writer Michal Zebede. Rodrigo García is set to direct.