Party Of Five is an American television teen and family drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox for six seasons from 12 September 1994 to 3 May 2000. The series featured an ensemble cast led by Scott Wolf as Bailey, Matthew Fox as Charlie, Neve Campbell as Julia, and Lacey Chabert as Claudia Salinger, who with their baby brother Owen (played by several actors) constitute five siblings whom the series follows after the loss of their parents in a car accident. Notable co-stars included Scott Grimes, Paula Devicq, Michael Goorjian, Jeremy London, and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
While categorized as a series aimed at teenagers and young adults, Party of Five explored several mature themes, including substance and domestic abuse, cancer, and the long-term effects of parental loss. Despite receiving positive reviews from television critics after its debut, including TV Guide naming it “The Best Show You’re Not Watching” in 1995, the series suffered from low ratings during its first and second seasons, during which speculation arose that it would soon be cancelled. However, in 1996, Party of Five won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama, after which ratings and popularity grew for the majority of the remainder of the series. A spin-off starring Hewitt debuted on the network in 1999, ‘Time of Your Life’, which was cancelled after one season.
In 1997, This Woman’s Work was featured in season 3, episode 21 of the series (“Hitting Bottom”) when Bailey asks Sarah for help after crashing his jeep and injuring her.
References
- Party Of Five. Wikipedia, retrieved 2 August 2019.
