Party of Five (2020 TV series)


Party of Five is an American teen and family drama television series created for Freeform by Amy Lippman and Christopher Keyser, based on the 1994 Fox series of the same name. The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television, with Lippman, Keyser, and Rodrigo García serving as executive producers.
The series stars Brandon Larracuente, Emily Tosta, Niko Guardado, and Elle Paris Legaspi as four of the five Acosta children who must navigate daily struggles after their parents are deported back to Mexico. By September 2017, Lippman and Keyser were developing a reboot of their television series Party of Five. The series received a put pilot commitment at Freeform in January 2018, with a pilot ordered in January 2018. Larracuente, Tosta, Guardado, and Legaspi were cast in October 2018, and the series was officially ordered by Freeform in February 2019.
Party of Five premiered on January 8, 2020, and its first season consists of 10 episodes. In April 2020, the series was canceled after one season.

Premise

The series follows the five Acosta children as they navigate daily struggles after their parents are deported back to Mexico. Until they find a way to get their parents back in the country, these five kids will have to find a way to make it on their own.

Cast and characters

Main

Production

Development

In September 2017, it was reported that Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman were developing a reboot of their 1994 Fox series Party of Five for Sony Pictures Television. In January 2018, Freeform landed the reboot with a put pilot commitment, to be written by original series creators Keyser and Lippman, alongside Michal Zebede with Rodrigo García signed on to direct and executive produce the pilot. The series follows siblings who must take care of themselves after their parents are deported back to Mexico. Freeform officially ordered the series to pilot in September 2018, and the show was officially picked up to series on February 4, 2019. On April 17, 2020, Freeform canceled the series after one season.

Casting

In October 2018, Brandon Larracuente was cast as Emilio Buendía, Emily Tosta as Lucia Buendía, Niko Guardado as Beto Buendía, and Elle Paris Legaspi as Valentina Buendía The family name was later changed from Buendía to Acosta.

Filming

Filming took place in Santa Clarita, California. Production was briefly halted in October 2019 due to the California wildfires.

Release

The series premiered on January 8, 2020, and its first season will consist of 10 episodes.

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 96% based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 7.46/10. The website's critical consensus states, "With a strong cast and empathetic storytelling, Party of Five timely reinvention adds a new layer of urgency while still honoring the original series." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 77 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Ratings