Fox’s ‘Party Of Five’ Takes On Tough Issues Of Life

Wed., March 5, 1997

Jennifer Bowles Associated Press

“Do you think Charlie and Grace should stay together?” Christopher Keyser, executive producer of Fox’s “Party of Five,” asks slyly.

“Or are you rooting for Kirsten to come back?” interjects his partner, Amy Lippman, eyebrows scrunched together.

Wait a minute here! You guys are the masters of Charlie’s fate. Besides, what pressure!

But OK, if you must know: Frankly, Charlie needs to grow up and get his act together so he doesn’t leave another woman at the altar.

“Well, he is growing up a lot more with this relationship with Grace,” Keyser responds. “It’s a lot more mature and you’ll see that as he deals with her issues.”

It’s here at Sony studios that the partners conjure up the traumas and tribulations of five orphaned San Francisco siblings who have become one of TV’s favorite and, dare we say, best-looking families.

The Salinger family, seen Wednesdays at 9 p.m., consists of stubble-faced Charlie (Matthew Fox, 30), a reformed philanderer who runs the family restaurant and tries to act as a father; Bailey (Scott Wolf, 28), the anguished college freshman who’s wrestling with an addiction; Julia (Neve Campbell, 23), a bull-headed high school senior who’s already experienced several romantic entanglements; Claudia (Lacey Chabert, 14), a precocious eighth-grade violinist; and Owen (4-year-old twins Andrew and Steven Cavarno), who rarely has any camera time.

In its third season, the show’s ratings are nothing to boast about. But it draws the kind of demographic - young and mostly female - sought by advertisers.

Much of the show’s success comes from the chemistry of the dark-haired cast, who could pass as real-life siblings, and the gritty, emotional story lines.

Just in the past few months, the Salingers have dealt with racism, mental illness, suicide and flagrant affairs.

The season’s focal point, though, has been Bailey’s growing alcohol problem.

The siblings also were shocked to discover that their father was an alcoholic.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.