Freeform Greenlights Pilot For ‘Party of Five Reboot’ (With a Twist!)
After twenty-five years, Party of Five is coming back to the small screen as Freeform has just ordered a pilot from original creators Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman. While the premise will look familiar, the traumatic catalyst that forces five siblings to start fending for themselves will be different. The new iteration will find the Buendías children’s parents being deported as opposed to passing away, putting a timely twist on the beloved family drama.
[row]“Twenty-five years ago, we imagined a story about five kids navigating the world after the untimely death of their parents. Today, stories of families being separated, children having to raise themselves in the wake of their parents’ deportations, don’t require any imagination; they are everywhere. This new iteration of Party of Five isn’t a retread of the original; it’s a whole new look at kids trying to parent each other in the wake of circumstances beyond their control, yet learning a similar lesson: that families persist no matter how great the obstacles,” Lippman and Keyser said in a statement. [/row]
The pilot episode will be written by Keyser and Lippman in addition to Castle’s Michal Zebede. Rodgrio Garcia will direct.
The original Party of Five was the starting point for a lot of popular Hollywood actors today including Lost’s Matthew Fox, Scott Wolf, Neve Campbell, and Lacey Chabert. The series followed the Salinger siblings after their parents were killed in a drunk driving accident, leaving them to fend for themselves and figure out life together. It ran for ran for six seasons from 1994 to 2000 and won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series Drama in 1996. The series is currently streaming on Netflix!
In addition to Party of Five, Freeform has a couple of new shows on the horizon. Up next they have the spinoff for The Fosters, which follows Callie and Mariana in New York City. The network has also ordered a pilot from Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos titled How the Other Half Hamptons and a pilot order from Vampire Diaries alum Paul Wesley and PLL creator and showrunner I. Marlene King.
What do you think about the Party of Five revival? Are you interested in seeing the deportation storyline pan out? Let us know!
Having studied Media & Writing at James Madison University, I always knew that I wanted to do some type of creative writing, but being able to write about zombies, Starks, and superheroes on a daily basis for Fan Fest is my actual dream. While I probably shouldn’t be as proud as I am to be so similar to Nick Miller, I do hope to one day write my own “Pepperwood Chronicles’.