Party of Five
| Party of Five | |
|---|---|
Intertitle
|
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| Created by |
Christopher Keyser Amy Lippman |
| Starring |
Scott Wolf Matthew Fox Neve Campbell Lacey Chabert Scott Grimes Paula Devicq Jennifer Love Hewitt Michael Goorjian Alexondra Lee Jeremy London Jennifer Aspen |
| Opening theme | "Closer to Free" by BoDeans |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 142 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 43–45 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Keyser/Lippman Productions Columbia Pictures Television (1994–98) (seasons 1-4) Columbia TriStar Television (1998–2000) (seasons 5-6) |
| Distributor |
Columbia TriStar Television (1999–2002) Sony Pictures Television (2002–present) |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox |
| Original release | September 12, 1994 – May 3, 2000 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Time of Your Life |
Party of Five is an American television teen drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox for six seasons from September 12, 1994 to May 3, 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, 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.
The show, set in San Francisco, centered on the five Salinger siblings (the "party of five" referenced in the show's title), who become orphans after their parents are killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. The family is composed of 24-year-old Charlie (Matthew Fox), the eldest, a womanizing, immature manual laborer who struggles with the responsibility of being the new head of the family; 16-year-old Bailey (Scott Wolf), the once-rebellious teen turned responsible caretaker—and later-turned-substance abuser; 15-year-old Julia (Neve Campbell), a sensitive teen; 11-year-old Claudia (Lacey Chabert), a precocious child prodigy; and baby Owen, who is barely one year old.
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