ABC will be heading to the 70’s with their new family comedy, The Kids Are Alright.
Set in the 1970s, this ensemble comedy follows a traditional Irish-Catholic family, the Clearys, as they navigate big and small changes during one of America’s most turbulent decades. In a working-class neighborhood outside Los Angeles, Mike and Peggy raise eight boisterous boys who live out their days with little supervision. The household is turned upside down when oldest son Lawrence returns home and announces he’s quitting the seminary to go off and “save the world.” Times are changing and this family will never be the same. There are 10 people, three bedrooms, one bathroom and everyone in it for themselves. The series is inspired by the childhood of writer/executive producer Tim Doyle.
At the Television Critics Association, reporters asked why Doyle didn’t include more females as characters since the family has eight sons, to which he responded with, “This wasn’t something I was approached by market research with in regards to trying to hit every constituency. I had been working with ABC for a while and they knew some of these funny stories I told them from my childhood. I was specifically asked to write a story about my childhood. It’s my story and I wanted to tell it.”
The series stars Michael Cudlitz (The Walking Dead) as Mike Cleary, Mary McCormack (In Plain Sight) as Peggy Cleary, Sam Straley as Lawrence, Caleb Martin Foote (American Horror Story) as Eddie, Sawyer Barth as Frank, Christopher Paul Richards (Billions) as Joey, Jack Gore (Billions) as Timmy, Andy Walken as William, and Santino Barnard as Pat.
The Kids Are Alright premieres October 16th on ABC at 8:30PM ET/PT.
