In the mid-70's, Aaron Spelling must've felt he didn't want to be pigeonholed as just a producer of crime dramas. At the time, he had Starsky & Hutch & S.W.A.T., the latter spun off from The Rookies.
In the spring of 1976, Spelling experimented with a different kind of dramatic show.
Family began as a 6-part miniseries, now considered season 1. James Broderick ("Dog Day Afternoon") and Sada Thompson were at the front of the cast, but the breakout star was Kristy McNichol, who was also part of the repertory company, if you will for the ABC Afterschool Specials.
Six months later, Family returned as a full series for its second season with one casting change. Meredith Baxter Birney (ex-Bridget Loves Bernie) took over as the older sister. Meanwhile, Kristy McNichol, either alone or with brother Jimmy, adorned the covers of teen magazines, competing for fan attention with network stablemates Donny & Marie Osmond.
In all, Family lasted 5 seasons (1976-80), ending when McNichol decided to leave the show and pursue a movie career. Meredith Baxter Birney moved on to another hit, Family Ties, two years later.
I never saw the show, so there's no rating. We'll leave you with a season 3 episode with guest stars Leif Garrett and Lisa Whelchel (pre-Facts of Life).
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