When “Party of Five” debuted on Fox three years ago, its plot was depressing: Five orphaned children deal with the loss of their parents, who were killed in an automobile accident by a drunken driver. It was that premise that initially kept viewers away, leaving the show with low ratings and pending cancellation.
But those who did tune in saw an engrossing family drama and rallied to keep the “Party” going. As a result of thousands of letters from avid fans to the network, a 1995 Golden Globe Award for best dramatic series and a timely TV Guide cover story, “Party” not only managed to stay alive but became a hit.
Consider this, then, your invitation to “Party of Five’s” third season ( 8 p.m. Wednesday, WFLD-Ch. 32).
Like an annual family reunion where one measures the maturation of various family members, we’ve seen the five Salinger kids, ranging in age from 3 to 26, grow up without parents. Television has, in the past, put parents on a pedestal, portraying them as people who can provide their kids with all the answers. When “Leave It to Beaver’s” Wally or Beaver had a problem, their father, Ward, saved the day. And Jim Anderson from “Father Knows Best” could always calm the family waters with his warm smile and sensible advice.
There are no safe arms for the Salinger kids to run to except each others’, and for the show’s producer, Christopher Keyser, that is what makes “Party” worth sticking around for.
“Because it is a show about kids without parents, we don’t have to pretend like there is somebody with the answers all the time at the end of the episode,” says Keyser. “Not that parents always have the answers, and because they don’t the show is a much more realistic representation of how life works.
“TV used to have a tendency for somebody to give a speech and explain right from wrong and the kids would relent and do the right thing. We say that our characters can make mistakes just like kids and parents together can make mistakes.”
Mistakes and problems are what family dramas are made of. They are the essential ingredients that keep people tuned in week after week. “Party’s” unique aspect is its realistic portrayal of on-going issues that kids face every day, instead of melodramatic sagas that replay old themes.
“Family dramas are very difficult to do for many years because eventually you run out of things that can happen to people,” says Keyser, who also co-produced the first three years of “Sisters.”
“Everyone has gotten divorced or had some kind of disease and what do you do to build on what you did in the previous year? I think we have an easier chance of avoiding it because our characters are actually aging and the problems they face will change year after year.”
Keyser insists “Party’s” story lines are not charted out with an end to a problem in each episode nor do they necessarily end happily. The drama creates long-term character arcs where problems arise and disappear and characters move through them.
When Julia Salinger, 17, became sexually active with her boyfriend, Justin, Keyser had to decide if their sexual relationship would be without consequence or take a risk and talk about what would happen if something unexpected occurred. Keyser decided and Julia got pregnant.
“We posed the question for our viewers,” says Keyser. “How do you feel about abstinence or sex between people who are not married? How do you feel about having an abortion or having a child when you are young?”
Although the program responsibly tackled these issues in high human drama, Julia ended up having a miscarriage and she and Justin broke up.
Some may feel this a bit too heavy for family viewing, but for those kids who already know about sex and drugs, it is more of a springboard for discussion than an adventure in illicit activity.
“What we have found out from people’s letters is that `Party’ is a show that parents tend to watch with their children,” Keyser says. “They use it to talk about things.”
As “Party” moves into its third season, Bailey will be the focus as he goes off to state college. Having always been the most responsible one in the family, Bailey decides to go a little crazy and let loose. Keyser says Bailey may have to deal with some drinking issues later in the year. He also says Charlie, the oldest Salinger, and his girlfriend, Kirsten, will face a big obstacle in their relationship, and Claudia, 13, will announce she has fallen in love at summer camp.
Best picks:
– “ABC Afterschool Special: Fast Forward” (3 p.m. Thursday, WLS-Ch. 7).
– “Galapagos: Beyond Darwin” (8 p.m. Sunday, Discovery Channel).
