"Sons & Daughters" (2006) TV series

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Creators:

Fred Goss
Nick Holly

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

7 March 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

The zany and slightly troubled members of a family try to make it through life as comedy ensues. In the center of the mess is Cameron...

Plot Keywords:

Cult TV

Cast

Fred Goss	...	Cameron Walker (11 episodes, 2006-2007)
Gillian Vigman	...	Liz Walker (11 episodes, 2006-2007)
Jerry Lambert	...	Don Fenton (11 episodes, 2006-2007)
Alison Quinn	...	Sharon Fenton (11 episodes, 2006-2007)
Dee Wallace	...	Colleen Halbert (11 episodes, 2006-2007)
Amanda Walsh	...	Jenna Halbert (11 episodes, 2006-2007)
Eden Sher	...	Carrie Fenton (11 episodes, 2006-2007)
Randy Wayne	...	Jeff Fenton (11 episodes, 2006-2007)
Max Gail	...	Wendal Halbert (10 episodes, 2006-2007)
Greg Pitts	...	Tommy 'Whitey' White (10 episodes, 2006-2007)
Trevor Einhorn	...	Henry Walker (10 episodes, 2006-2007)
Desmond Harrington	...	Wylie Blake (9 episodes, 2006-2007)
Noah Matthews	...	Ezra Walker (9 episodes, 2006-2007)
Nick Shafer	...	Danny Halbert (9 episodes, 2006-2007)

Runtime:

30 min | 30 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Altadena, California, USA

Company:

Broadway Video

Trivia:

13 Episodes were made but only 12 aired.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Kerry: So, when you guys wanna... do it... does dad come to your bed, or do you go to his? And if you do it, do one of you spend the night at the other's one bed? Like a little sleepover..?

A brilliant show that wont last

When this show first started it had the rather lofty legacy left by Arrested Development to live up to, due to various comparisons made by TV critics. This proved fairly unfortunate considering the die hard fan base that surrounds Arrested Development, but at the same time it is not altogether unexpected.

Certainly the two shows bare many similarities. Both are about comical situations that arise from immediate and extended family relationships, and both have a large ensemble cast. Character roles are also very similar between the two shows, Don the struggling actor uncle is much like Tobius the struggling actor uncle, Carrie the sarcastic teen far more mature than her two parents is much like Maeby Funke, Henry the awkward teenager resembles George Michael, and in the center Cameron is relied upon to hold his family together much the same as Micheal Bluth did.

However, that being said co creators Fred Goss and Nick Holly still manage to create a show where every character feels original, realistic and sympathetic. The absurdity of the situation never outshines the emotions of the people within that situation, the humour of an episode never eclipses importance of the relationships between the members of the Walker and Fenton family.

The partially improvised scripting helps this show break away from the normal verbal patterns witnessed in other sit coms, where its generally just examples of feed line, punch line, pause for laughter, feed line, punch line pause for laughter, repeat ad nausea. instead their dialog flows more naturally, overlapping, stuttering and fumbling. Somehow it's truthful, relatable and still very funny.

As the first season nears its end it saddens me to think these characters probably wont be returning to TV screens, due to fairly poor ratings. 11 episodes is barely a blip on the radar for most shows, and its not nearly sufficient in the case of these characters who have so many more stories to tell and so much more history to reveal. If there's any justice in the world we will be seeing much more of Sons & Daughters, but unfortunately we live in a world where American Idol is the most watched show on TV, so justice clearly went out the window.