Almost Family

Finally a great show Nothing to do with singing or taking off a mask Thank you Fox

Good opening episode and great music!! I've been watching the female leads for years. I think it'll be great for my Wednesday night lineup.

In New York City, Julia Bechley (Brittany Snow) hates her job working for her fertility doctor dad Leon Bechley (Timothy Hutton). Suddenly, he's accused of fathering many children without consent. Edie Palmer (Megalyn Echikunwoke) and Roxy Doyle (Emily Osment) are two of those children. Edie's mom is a family friend but the girls are rivals. Edie and her husband Tim are criminal defence attorneys working at the same firm. Tim is also Julia's ex-boyfriend. Roxy is a retired gymnast angry at her parents and her fading fame at the age of 30. Edie reluctantly takes Leon's case and faces off against prosecutor Amanda Doherty.

I like the women and the female relationships but there is something wrong with the show. It's Leon. It is interesting to try to give him depth but he needs to be an uncomplicated villain. It might be even better if he escaped to another country. Leon needs to be a creepy idea rather than a real character. It really pops up during the trial when his victims start testifying. The show can never get to that point. He can't have real contact with the girls. He can't do his delusional rantings. He needs to be out of the picture.

Yes, yes, this is an American remake of the Australian show "Sisters"...just like Showtime remade the UK's "Shameless".

That aside, although it's a bit corny in parts, I think the main 3 sisters have pretty good chemistry. I'm done for already, hooked. The show isn't entirely a comedy but it's not quite a full drama. I would classify this as a contemporary dramedy; made especially interesting because of the alternative pregnancy clinic angle. "Almost Family" raises questions surrounding IVF in a natural and entertaining way, (no pun intended) and although it's not perfect, it's not too preachy or too predictable, thanks to the 3 talented leading ladies. (Brittany Snow, Megan Echinowoke and Emily Osment)

My only quibble is Roxy, at this point (played by Emily Osment) is given the majority of the clever lines. Without her the show is definitely more dramatic. Here's to hoping though, that the show becomes a bit more balanced in the future, if they're going for a dramedy vibe.

I'm on the fence with this new series. It has an interesting premise but I can't figure out if it wants to be a drama or a broad comedy (and if it is a broad comedy, I'm out of here). The actors are certainly able to produce dramatic characters, and there are moments in this pilot that prove that, but both the Julia and the Roxy characters veer towards caricature rather than full bodied people. (Emily Osment has some pretty serious singing talent, though, as does Brittany Snow.) I hope the series self corrects, but, at this point, I give the series a 5 (on the fence) out of 10. {Comedy? Drama?}