The highly anticipated Party of Five reboot is finally happening, as Freeform, Disney’s young adult cable network, officially gave the greenlight for the series pilot.
The new iteration of Party of Five is a modern twist on the original series, following the five Buendías children as they struggle to survive together as a family after their parents are deported to Mexico.
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Original series creators Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman wrote the pilot with Rodrigo Garcia (The Affair) set to direct. Keyser and Lippman will also serve as executive producers. Michael Zebede serves as co-executive producer and writer.
“Twenty-five years ago, we imagined a story about five kids navigating the world after the untimely death of their parents,” said executive producers Amy Lippman and Christopher Keyser. “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.”
“From the moment we heard that Amy and Chris were updating their iconic series with this timely and powerful twist, we knew we had to have this pilot. We’re honored to be the home for the next, brilliant iteration of their vision,” said Karey Burke, Freeform’s executive vice president of Programming and Development.
The original Party of Five aired on FOX for six seasons from September 12, 1994 to May 3, 2000. The series starred Scott Wolf as Bailey, Matthew Fox as Charlie, Neve Campbell as Julia, and Lacey Chabert as Claudia Salinger.
