- Sons & Daughters (U.S. TV series)
Infobox Television
show_name = Sons & Daughters
caption = The "Sons & Daughters" logo.
format =Improvisational comedy
camera = Multiple cameras
runtime = 20 minutes approx.
creator =Fred Goss Lorne Michaels Nick Holly
starring =Fred Goss Gillian Vigman
Jerry LambertAlison Quinn Max Gail Dee Wallace-Stone Amanda Walsh Desmond Harrington
country = USA
network = ABC
first_aired =March 7 ,2006
last_aired =April 4 ,2006
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 11 (1 unaired)
website =
imdb_id = 0460676
tv_com_id = 34323"Sons & Daughters" is a American
situation comedy , which had a short-lived run, about an extendedblended family living close together in a neighborhood (somewhat inspired by the series "Arrested Development" [http://www.tv.com/sons-and-daughters/show/34323/summary.html&full_summary=1] ). The producers, "Significant Others " creatorFred Goss (who also is the star of the show),Lorne Michaels (who was a co-creator of "Saturday Night Live "), andNick Holly , flavored the show with a mixed atmosphere ofimprovisational and scripted humor. The show premiered onMarch 7 ,2006 on ABC. The show is produced byBroadway Video (which also produces "Saturday Night Live") andNBC Universal Television . It was cancelled in late April2006 after 10 episodes aired, leaving one unaired episode.The whole series was aired on the
Seven Network in Australia, including the final previously unaired episode, ending onAugust 6 ,2007 .Improvisational aspect
"Sons & Daughters" has been dubbed a "unique hybrid comedy"; the show followed the format used in "
Curb Your Enthusiasm ", using a partly-scripted, partly-improvisational comedy dialogue. In an interview with co-creatorNick Holly from the Associated Press, he explained that the actors were presented not with a traditional script, but with a "short story" that "occasionally includes a line or two of dialogue, but is normally just this novelization."Unlike the traditional
sitcom , "Sons & Daughters" was not filmed with a live studio audience and did not use alaugh track for the show.Plot synopsis
Cameron Walker's (Goss) world revolves around him and his extended family living in Hamilton, Ohio, which includes wife Liz (Vigman), his son Ezra (Matthews), his daughter Marni (Jourdain) and his son Henry (Einhorn) who Cameron didn't know existed, his mother and stepfather, Colleen and Wendal Halbert (Wallace-Stone, Gail), and his other plethora of brothers and sisters. He is considered the only sane person in his family and tries to fix any problem that arises within the family.
Cameron's sister and brother-in-law Sharon (Quinn) and Don Fenton (Lambert) seem to create more problems for him rather than themselves. The couple are almost always in deep denial about their personal issues, such as not having sex for several years.
Jenna (Walsh), Sharon and Cameron's half-sister, is a single mother of one who is continuously attracted to the "bad boy" personality, such as "Whitey" (Pitts), and steers away from the "nice guy" types, like Wylie (Harrington).
Their parents, Colleen and Wendal, love their family but have profound complications within their own relationship. Cameron constantly tries to help them solve their issues, but it doesn't always work out the way he expects.
Cameron's great-aunt Rae (Hall) appeared intermittently, mostly in runaway gags and one-liners. A decrepit old woman, Rae was also a vocal
anti-Semite who disliked Liz simply because she was Jewish. Throughout the series, Rae is the frequent butt of practical jokes and derisive comments. (This character is supposedly based on Goss' grandmother.)Episodes
Below is the entire list of episodes from the series including a brief description. [ [http://www.tv.com/sons-and-daughters/show/34323/episode.html Sons & Daughters Episode Guide - Sons & Daughters Season Episodes - TV.com ] ]
Quotes
*Don "(after Sharon criticizes him for a bad performance in bed)": "Well, what about you? It's like throwing a wrench into a closet."
*Carrie (On her mother and father sleeping in separate beds) : "When you guys do it, does he come to your bed, or do you go to his? Does he 'stay the night', like a little 'sleepover'?"
*Don "(Mixing up his big line in his theater production)": "I'm sorry to inform you sir. But it appears... the murder has been coloneled."
*Cameron "(After watching his nephew's girlfriend walk away)": "Did you see that skirt? She defies gravity! She must've stood on her head 'til she was 15!"
*Liz Walker "(After taking Henry to the doctor)": "It's called wishful flushing."
Cancellation
There was some question as to whether this show would have been picked up by ABC after the first season. Running against FOX's
American Idol timeslot it did not receive the ratings that would merit an automatic pickup, however it has been rumored that ABC executives liked the show. It also had a strong fanbase, and onApril 17 ,2006 a fan started an online petition to bring the show back, whichFred Goss mentioned on his blog. It failed, and it was cancelled late April, 2006. The shows cancellation was again confirmed by the creator Fred Goss on May 15, 2006.DVD
The first season was scheduled to be available on DVD in late 2006. However, these plans have been cancelled due to issues with licensing the music used in the series, according to [http://www.myspace.com/fredgoss Fred Goss's Blog]
Cast
*
Fred Goss - Cameron Walker
*Gillian Vigman - Liz Walker
*Jerry Lambert - Don Fenton
*Alison Quinn - Sharon Fenton
*Max Gail - Wendal Halbert
*Dee Wallace-Stone - Colleen Halbert
*Amanda Walsh - Jenna Halbert
*Desmond Harrington - Wylie Blake
*Greg Pitts - Tommy White "Whitey"
*Eden Sher - Carrie Fenton
*Randy Wayne - Jeff Fenton
*Trevor Einhorn - Henry Walker
*Noah Matthews - Ezra Walker
*Lexi Jourden - Marni Walker
*Lois Hall - Aunt RaeExternal links
* [http://blogs.abc.com/outonalimb Fred Goss' "Sons & Daughters" Blog]
* [http://www.deewallacestone.com/ Dee Wallace-Stone official fansite]
*imdb title|id=0460676|title=Sons & Daughters
*tv.com show|id=34323|title=Sons & DaughtersReferences
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