I really miss shows like this. Looking back at this, watching it on Netflix now is making me pretty depressed.
I was pretty young when this show was airing, but i realise now that the reason why i'm so depressed watching it is that it really captures the 90s so well. And it will never be like that again. #Ripthe90s
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caroline_chupaa11 June 2018
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gotha2643 July 2017I didn't watch much of Party of Five in its original run in the 90's as I just graduated College and wasn't into Teen Dramas. Yes I checked in on the show every once in a while because of Neve and Love Hewitt. I recently started watching it on Netflix from the 1st season on and I am surprised to say the show holds up pretty well. Yes, every drama in the Salingers life is on Steroids, but isn't that what a drama is supposed to be on TV? I think the writing in the show is very underrated and honestly it was ahead of its time compared to today's Cable Dramas. Every show in PO5 had a overall theme between the main characters dealing with different situation and tied them together at the end of the show. Nobody was doing that then as shows like Mad Men mastered this art during its heyday.
The biggest thing that sells this show is the characters as they are all have depth and very likable. This was the era before anti-heroes of Tony Soprano and Walter White, so you could relate to them cause it could be you or me? I sort of miss that in today's Cable Dramas is that there is too much gray in today's characters, where PO5 is a much simpler time.
The other thing I noticed is that there the Pre-Cable Dramas like PO5 were fun to watch. Don't get me wrong as I love today's Cable Dramas, but the material is very tough sometimes, very dark, and you can't just sit back and enjoy an episode like PO5. I have breezed through a 22 episode season of PO5 in a week or two, where I have to stagger my viewing habits for a show like Game of Thrones because it's a lot to take in.
I think PO5 will always be either regarded as a great drama to some people and a clichéd joked to others, but that was how most TV dramas were perceived in the 90's. I give a lot of respect to Pre-Cable Dramas because you couldn't rely on nudity and cursing so you had to really hook the viewer with the actors, dialogue and story. PO5 had that good mix. -
Party of Five is a nice walk down memory lane. It brings me back to the coolly grunge 90's, even if I was younger than Claudia when the show first came out. At least I was able to see some of the first episodes from reruns as I grew older. It seemed so original and somehow even after all this time still completely relevant. Now that I am older though I cannot believe how immature the five Salinger kids really were. I always used to think they were so grown up. It's a completely ridiculous notion now though.
This show has more drama than your average young adult show and I love it. It's got everything you want in one messy chaotic package. But more than that you can't help but feel emotionally invested in their lives. Overall it's a really good show. -
shadow-543 July 1999Ever since 1994, Party of Five stood out as the second best drama show about youngsters, beaten only by My So-Called Life. The Salingers have been facing tragedy after tragedy since the day they lost their parents. This is as realistic as it gets. While Dawson's Creek and Felicity tend to escape reality every now and then, Party of Five stands out faithful to the world's reality.
Scott Wolf did a fantastic job portraying Bailey, especially in 1996 and 1997, during the days of his alcoholism and the following tough sobriety and subsequent management of the restaurant. He also lived through hell as he sacrificed his personal life for the sake of his family and nearly lost all faith in perfect love and affection as he dated drug addict Jill Holbrook, who killed herself with an overdose. Matthew Fox gave life to Charlie. His character suffered greatly as he took the responsibility for his siblings. It got even more dramatic when he had Hodgkin's disease, which changed his life forever. He turned from an irresponsible 24 year old to a responsible and honest 28 year old as he took care of little Diana all by himself ever since Daphne left him and her. Neve Campbell brought depth and deep emotions to Julia as the teenager grew through huge and complicated steps in her life such as her long line of relationships with Justin, Sam, Ned, Griffin and several others. She also had to deal with her pregnancy and miscarriage. Then she lived a whole year married to Griffin, which changed her deeply. After that, she was hit by Ned episode after episode until she kissed Perry Marks, which made her realize the course of her whole life in the past 5 years. Lacey Chabert is the greatest young actress ever and she changed as much as her character Claudia. From a violinist to a normal teenager, Claudia was the most affected by everything that happened in the show. Even with the constant change of young actors, Jacob Smith seems like the best actor yet to portray 5 year old Owen Salinger. He never really got to know his late parents and has seen Bailey, Charlie and Kirsten as his parents ever since. Jennifer Love-Hewitt portrayed Sarah Reeves Merrin and saw her world change as the years passed and she faced tough experiences, such as being cheated by Bailey, having discovered her orphanage and adoption, being attacked by a burglar, among several other experiences. I can't believe she may leave Party of Five next season. Paula Devicq and her character Kirsten had terrible experiences ever since she was hired as Owen's nanny. She dated Charlie, was cheated by him, got back together, nearly got married (but Charlie was afraid of commitment) and lived through a disastrous depressive state. Jeremy London also did a great job portraying Griffin. At first he seemed to be just Julia's boyfriend, but he made a character out of himself as he faced tough situations such as leaving his father, losing his sister Jill, being arrested twice and breaking up with Julia.
There were great recurring players in the show as well. Michael Goorjian did a great job with Justin from 1995 to 1996. Tamara Taylor did a fantastic job, portraying Grace Wilcox in 1996 and 1997. Alexondra Lee's performance as Callie was magnific, which made her a regular for the whole season (1996-1997). Carrol O'Connor did a good job as Grandpa Jake, but his storyline was cut short. I don't understand why he left the show. His disease wasn't a good excuse at the 1996 christmas. Paige Turco was the best of them all when she portrayed Annie Mott along with young Allison Bertolino as little Natalie from 1997 to 1998. Paige brought Annie the full force she also brought to her NYPD Blue gay character Abby Sullivan. Jennifer Aspen did a great job portraying Daphne and her involvement with the show.
Great job to Columbia Pictures Television. Well done Christopher Keyser and you too Amy Lippman! -
SnoopyStyle9 September 2013Five siblings of the Salinger family are left on their own after their parents are killed by a drunk driver. Charlie (Matthew Fox), Bailey (Scott Wolf), Julia (Neve Campbell), Claudia (Lacey Chabert), and little baby Owen struggle both in their every day life and in their emotional life.
Never has the stages of grief been so compelling. This is a super angst teen soap that is super addictive. This family just don't have it easy. The cast became well known stars. Other stars include the lovely Jennifer Love Hewitt. It lasted 6 seasons. It's a tough grind to watch all 6 seasons. The depressing story lines grind you down. -
ofriki-2900819 September 2018I'm currently watching season 5, and ther'e is not one character who I didn't passionately hated at some point of the show. Exept of Justin and Daphnie. Yes, the show is pretty odd, but to me it's not much of a problem. Not like the unlikablity of the characters. Charlie- such an egoist. Thinks he always know better and barley listens to others and their needs. I still can't belive that he made Daphnie carry that child even though she didn't wanted him and suffered all the time. Baliey- cheated on his girlfriend twice. Ugh. Thinks he deserves everything and barley participate others. Jullia- don't actually know why I hated her, but there was a reason. She's just got that attitude that I can't explain. Claudia- went from the most unlikeable character to the least. And she has an excuse. She's a kid. When she grow up she becomes more mature. She makes mistakes but she is not as annoying at the others at this point.
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sandt2-14 May 2007I still love Party of Five after all these years.
I've just finished Season 2 on DVD - it's so authentic and brilliantly written. This series did when it aired and still makes my heart flutter.
Where is Season 3 and the rest? Hello Sony, release please!!! This is still as relevant in the 00's as it was in the 90's, brilliant casting and real story-lines.
Bailey Salinger is one of the greatest television characters ever written, he breaks your heart. The way they dealt with his alcoholism was brilliant and so real... genius.
I still miss the Salingers after all these years and I'm desperate for Seasons 3-6 on DVD so I can visit them again.
Well done cast and crew, television brilliance. -
malvaradovilchez7 November 2013I recently found on my VCR browser that they would re - run Party of Five on TV. Although the series had its heyday in the 90's, it arrived to my country (I'm from Peru) nine years later by a TV cable channel and since then I got hooked with the story.
This show, premiered in 1994, follows the story of five siblings of various ages who are orphaned after their parents die in a car accident. So, Charlie, Julia, Bailey, Claudia and Owen Sallinger have to fend for themselves, take care of each other and deal with the growing problems for their own.
And whilst there are several occasions in which tests the viewer's tolerance and sensitivity, since in the six seasons the main characters make the same mistakes more than twice, when it is supposed they should have learned of these the first time, or else the failure of a child, another brother or sister commits it time later . And most "unpleasant", so to say, is when the child has already lived, generally one of the oldest, first he or she preaches the youngest child and then he comprehends. Nevertheless, it is one of the shows I heart. -
Party of Five is absolutely the greatest teen drama ever on the small screen. This is a pretty big but accurate statement. Party of Five follows the Salinger siblings and their lives, relationships, and their troubles coping with the loss of their parents. It is so beautifully written, acted, and directed. They fee (and look)l like actual siblings. Coming from a big family with five kids I know what that relationship is like and Party of Five does it superb.
One of the many things that I absolutely love about this show is how realistic the show really is, sure some things may be stretched a little but overall I would say that almost everything that occurs on this show really could happen.
I can't get enough Party of Five.
I am very surprised that the show has a 6.7/10 because it definitely deserves a much higher score. -
RavenGlamDVDCollector20 May 2014What brought my score down to 6 is the fourth season, and onwards it will be the same, I suppose. I'm currently watching season 5 and the magic of the first three seasons is just not there anymore. First off, let me just say that the whole thing isn't my kind of thing at all, but this particular show came to my attention via photos in magazines, and those eyes, those eyes, those eyes...
It will come as no surprise to all of you out there that Jennifer Love Hewitt is one of my all-time favorites, and I've got a considerable lot of her movies and series. She is at her very best in PARTY OF FIVE season 2. Gee, Bailey doesn't deserve a girl like Sarah!
The story is totally warm-hearted. Of course, the original idea is centered in the first season. It stretched well into the second season, even the third. It began getting too morose for me with the story arc involving cancer, and at that time JLH was obviously off shooting one of her hit movies, as Sarah only had token appearances.
I do apologize for adding my bit that brings the overall view down a bit, I do realize this is a show much loved by its followers, and I have great respect for that. But I maintain that it all goes downhill from around midway.
By the way, my least favorite character is Julia Salinger. I well remember that Neve Campbell was a super-hot star at the onset, but she really, really fizzles out very, very soon. Whiny and a total drag. A total disappointment.
Lacey Chabert at her best during Claudia's violin-playing days. And I'm not at all a violin-lover. But that kid, wow, she was to get all fuzzy about. Now that she's growing up, the very likable Claudia is just not there anymore.
Sarah is a dream girl. Wow, she is everything nice. Lookswise, character-wise. She is just 'to put your arms around and hold her tight' and oh yeah, I'll pretty soon have to post one of my rantings against DVD-unavailability again for TIME OF YOUR LIFE, because however much PARTY OF FIVE sags on my personal rating, I'd want to continue with the sequel, and it will most likely never be released on DVD. -
dresmiles30 October 2019The Salingers are a poisonous family. Kinda remind me of the Kardashians. They are tight knit and eventually good to each other but any outsider will be used by them for own personal gain or issues. Some of the most privledged entitled characters on tv. The only one who seems to have any self realization and genuine empathy is Claudia. I realize the show would be boring if they were all put together and emotionally healthy but damn, it would be nice to actually root for the main characters at any point during the six seasons. I gave a 5/10 because I was actually able to finish the series. Although I did fast forward a lot lol
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mswanberg-7240526 March 2016I fell in love with Party of Five after I caught the last 10 minuets of the second episode when it first aired. I was an extremely awkward 12 year old and I had just started 7th grade. I was completely in love with Scott Wolf. I wrote him fan letters and bought every teen magazine with him in it, that I could get my hands on. I had falsely remembered that I had been obsessed with the first season but then quit watching it after. I was so jealous of Sara that I couldn't even watch. Oh my god! I was a weird child. I received the first season on DVD for my 23rd birthday. Because I thought that this was the only good season I was content only watching that one, over and over again every so often.
Then, earlier this year I bought the 3rd season on itunes. I was really just bored and thought it would be mildly entertaining. All of the sudden, I remembered that I did watch it when it first aired. By then I was a Freshman in high school. I remembered that I would pop in to watch it every now and then because the commercials kept making it seem like Bailey and Sara were going to break up. I remember being totally disgusted and almost heartbroken that Bailey had turned into an alcoholic. Now, I myself, am a recovering alcoholic. I have to say that the entire season is a very honest account of all the emotions, good, bad, and ugly, that go in to alcoholism. I commend the writers for letting a heartbreaking story happen to such a beloved character. That is exactly what alcoholism does. I think back to the horror, anger, and sadness that I felt towards Bailey back in the 9th grade and I am reminded of the way I felt about my self. It helps to bring everything full circle and to get an outside view, a glimpse at what it's like to watch someone hate themselves so much. For anyone struggling, there is hope. I have been sober for 3 years, but I have not only recovered from alcoholism but from a general frustration with yourself and life. That's what so honest about this show. Bailey's problems begin before he gets into too much trouble. This is because things aren't going his way. Alcohol at that point is his solution. That is why people feel so much guilt about their problems, even today when it is largely accepted as a disease. They feel like they have chosen the wrong solution, but it was the only one? Anyway. It is also super real how by the end of the season he is always drunk but you never see him drinking. Brill!!! -
m-4782630 January 2020It's one of the best teen/family dramas. One that addressed real issues. Not ones people create themselves. I love the dynamic between the siblings. Even though they can be rough to each other, you feel the love. And the fact that, no matter your age, it's a relatable story. Like other series of that time (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, comes to mind), the writing is very good. And let's not forget about the acting. Just watch « The Intervention ». Everything is so on point there, the actors throw the ball without dropping it, before they « leave the stage ». The show also has lots of today's big name actors, perfecting their craft. From TV actors to movie stars, they all made an appearance on the show. The music, which used to be a small 90s music time capsule. Is now different, thanks to Fox not anticipating the music rights for future releases... But still fit the mood of the show.
It's my third time rewatching the series. And even though the drama is heavy handed sometimes. You notice it is always done in a rewarding way. To me Party of Five, was at its best and most addicting, during the middle run. True it had characters acting foolish and unbelievable storylines (like Charlie's cancer), but it's the episodes that stuck with me the most. Season one was a decent start, and simplistic in a way it never was afterwards. But some characters ruined it for me. I think the show went downhill from season five onwards. Five had good storylines, but awful characterizations. And six was clearly begging for everything to end. And it shows every time I rewatch it. -
kessiebear-2493611 May 2018Is been at least a decade since I watched party of five and it just came up on Netflix so thought I'd give it a binge for old times sake.
Either I've grown up a hell of a lot since, or I never paid that much attention originally because this show is ridiculously immature; every one of the Salingers are entitled and self-righteous chronic cheaters and abusers.
Charlie can't keep it in his pants for even 5 minutes no matter how much it screws up his and everyone else's life and he's constantly yelling at a baby and 11 year old because he has no ability to control his emotions; both Julia and Bailey stole their friends' partners then screwed them over and/or cheated on them, and keep going back and forth with the same people, screwing then over all over again; and all three older kids have no capacity for being alone romantically for even one episode; Claudia's an entitled little whiner who tells everyone how to behave (which actually they should probably consider listening to) even though she over reacts to everything (though again, given everyone else in the family seems to, I'm not surprised she's learnt that trait).. and I have to wonder what the hell their parents were doing given how their kids turned out..
And don't even get me started on Kirtsen; she gets cheated on, and rejected at her own wedding in front of everyone, yet she still sleeps with Charlie again and eventually gets back together and marries him... she's got more problems than everyone else on the show..
My god!!
The only positive I can muster is that the show itself hasn't aged too badly all things considered. -
fessany22 November 2004This was a great series with many twist and turns along the way. Starting off, I believe it was 6 months or so after a couple is killed by a drunk driver they leave behind 5 children to care for themselves. The oldest in which was Charlie (Matt fox), was about 24yrs old or so. He had to take charge and keep his family together so they weren't split up in to foster homes. He was an average guy who liked girls and to drink and have fun. But was all of a sudden made a father of 4 kids in an instant. Next, was Bailey (Scott Wolf) about 16yrs old and throughout the series had many problems with things such as drinking, girls, and of course raising a family. In many ways Bailey was the adult. He was a take charge type person inwhich had to grow up very fast, like no sixteen year old should have to do. I could relate to Bailey's character in many ways in my own life, even though I don't drink and probably never will, I have more fun without. Now we come to Julia (Neve Campbell) she is about 15 yrs old and is going through a time in her life inwhich no girl shouldn't have a mother to talk to. Of course, she makes many mistakes such as having sex for the first time drunk at Charlie's wedding or at least we hoped would be his wedding. She also was abused by a boyfriend later on inwhich she defended his action's, but deep down knew that she needed out of that situation. She went through a lot during the 6 yrs it was on, but was a absolute wonderful character and I don't believe anyone else could of done it as well as Neve did. And now we come to child number four Claudia (Lacey Chabert) which I believe had it the hardest in many ways she is about 12yrs old and her life has changed for ever in an instant. She is such a sweet and curious girl. Lacey is so natural as an actress and I believe she will be around for as long as she likes. In her own life i'm sure being in the spotlight of millions of viewers while growing up literally in front of us had to be a difficult thing. Now the youngest of the five is Owen (Jacob Smith) inwhich was played by more then one actor when younger, but I remember him best because he had more story line during the last season or two. He was about 6 months old when the show started so he wouldn't have any memories of his parents just what his siblings tell him and from photo's. This was a great series and I would like to see a reunion movie in the future, but know that that cast will not be doing that anytime soon. I just hope that we will see all the characters in new and upcoming projects for many years to come.
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Svenstadt10 December 2018I just started getting into this series, and am pleasantly surprised. For the most part, this is a '90's nostalgia trip for someone who missed it in original broadcast. Unlike other teen dramas, like Dawson's Creek and others, the scripting and the dialogue aren't distracting or overdone. It proceeds from a perspective of normal people, living their lives, attempting to piece together their lives. Two criticisms are the cinematography and the audio, which are dark and gloomy, and low and whispery at times. Another is that, in the first few episodes, the plot points are simple, episodic, and disposable at the end of the credits. You have several main characters, all different in their own ways: * Scott Wolf (Bailey) - easily the stand-out star performer; hormonal * (Charlie) - Oldest son, and moral center. Not quite a great performance here. * (Julia) Neve Campbell - oldest daughter; pouty, homewrecking, whiny in the first few episodes I've seen * (Claudia) Lacey Chabert - youngest daughter; annoying at times, precocious * (Jill) Megan Ward - love interest of Bailey. Basically trouble.
The first few episodes that I've seen deal with issues such as: drug use, relationships, more young-adult themes. These kids live in what looks like San Francisco. Among teenage dramas, this would be the most balanced as a whole that I have seen. -
katielynnpemberton25 September 2019I only saw a handful of episodes, but from what I saw it seemed really good. Now with the new one coming out I really want to go back and watch this.
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AdrienneGrayceMusic19 November 2018I loved this drama. I was about 14 when it came out so I could definitely relate. They couldn't have casted a better cast than they had. The uncanny resemblance Lacey and Neve had to each other is just crazy. It was a drama that not only adults could watch, but young adults and teens too. The storylines were very relatable. The show got a little better as it progressed, and Jennifer Love Hewitt coming to the show definitely helped. There was nothing like it on tv at the time. We need more shows like this back on tv and less of the other garbage thats out now. It was a great show with a great run.
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moov_e_c_er21 March 2021I watched this show while growing up. Now went back and watched it from start to end. I found season 6 I was leaving the room and flat out bored for several episodes - some characters were not interesting or needed (especially when Julia was in college as that boyfriend was horrendously boring and was supposed to be bucking the system and "not settling to become a drone"). I would recommend watch the end of season 5 and then make up what you would like for each character and never watch season 6. Such a let down to good to great characters.
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ComedyFan201015 April 2018I haven't watched it then but am very happy that I discovered it on Netflix. The show starts with a bit of an unusual premise where 5 siblings, ranging from a baby to a 24 years old, are left alone when their parents die in a car accident and need to live their life taking care of each other.
The show has kind of soapy themes but they still manage to show them in a pretty realistic way. This is thanks to amazing writing and acting. Not one episode felt to be below average to me, only very few were average and the majority were outstanding. I am glad it didn't get cancelled after the first season. Even though it didn't have a high rating at first the fans managed to keep it on air and I am thankful to them for that pleasure. It is also good that it ended after 6 seasons as it would probably go down in quality after that. But we got to enjoy a lot of stories on their relationships., Charlie's cancer and Bailey's alcoholism.
The characters are well done and developed. I loved Matthew Fox as Charlie. He shows so well his development from being a regular 24 year old who wants to have fun and is stuck with his siblings to a guy who made all the sacrifices to his family, loved them and managed to put his life on the path he wanted to. All his struggles and mistakes are shown in a very humane way. I don't get how people can not connect to Charlie. And he is my favorite of Matthew Fox's roles now, I like him better than on Lost where I first got to know him.
Scott Wolf also makes a great job as Bailey. Sometimes he is annoying because he acts way older than his age but we remember that this is also because he had to grow up so fast. And he manages to make the character sympathetic even when he does bad things. His struggle with alcohol was also very realistic.
Neve Campbell as Julia was actually my least favorite character of them. But she was still wonderful and did great acting. I just couldn't connect to most of her stories. But this is how it is, one can't always love every single character. The good thing is that I also never really disliked her.
Lacey Chabert as Claudia was my favorite in the beginning. She didn't become worse later but her as a very witty, sensible and courageous child was a great period. She always went on missions such as finding their grandpa or meet the man who killed their parents in the accident. Loved her family and dealt with her growing up as well as she could having only her siblings to help her. As well as Ross who sure was a great role model to her.
Besides the main characters we have some outstanding support characters that help us to enjoy the show. Sarah, Will, Justin, Griffin, Kirsten, Ross. I could say a lot about all of them but I will just stick to the fact that they were all well developed, portrayed and played a huge support to the Salingers when they needed them. -
mnjonman24 January 2020Great family show. The political agenda pushing is getting a little old. Good acting, though. Enjoyable, but loses stars because of lack of originality with the agenda thing. Anyone can make a show about bigotry.
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eastwest-257-81188724 March 2018For starters I think this show is overrated. It is just good enough to keep you watching, but at times I think it is a tad slow.
The characters especially Charley especially Charley are all kind of worthless, Charley the older brother and the one "in charge" gets worse and worse every season. He constantly makes stupid mistakes and he's always crying and whining about everything, the younger siblings are better then he is, yeah Claudia and Owen are annoying and Julia is pretty worthless too, but Charley takes the cake by the time 1998-1999 came around Charley should have been able to show more leadership and better leadership he would have been in his late 20's, but no I don't know why, but you can bet that if Charley made the decision it would be the wrong decision. What ticks me off so much about Charley is he never bothered to listen to the other characters. Bailey while a little bit of a dope, is much more competent and more prone to listening to things then Charley.
I just can't stand the character Charley he's just the worse at first I felt bad for him, but the deeper you get into the series you can tell he's just a fool.
The only two characters who are worth there salt are Griffin and Sarah. I didn't like Griffin at first, but he's a harder and better worker and more reasonable and makes more sense then Charley.
The show over all I think is kind of slow at times and certainly bottoms out a little here and there. However they do keep it going just enough to keep interest. However there have been times where I wonder how this show made it, because frankly the characters are not all that likeable, and after a while there hard to care for. -
Angelus222 October 2009I've been watching this on 'Zone Romantica', and I have to say I am hooked.
The show revolves around the Salinger kids, whose parents died in a tragically. So, it's up to the Charlie the oldest to look after his younger siblings, but half the time; they are the ones looking after him.
This show has some of the finest acting I've seen in any other show, some of the scenes are heart-breaking, Bailey becoming an alcoholic, Charlie's cancer to name a few. Here, there isn't a happy ending...it's about getting through together and thats what the Salinger kids do....What is more interesting is seeing the younger selves of Matthew Fox, Lacey Chabert, Neve Campbell and Jennifer Love Hewitt giving some amazing performances, especially Matthew who isn't the 'hero' like in Lost, here he doesn't have the answers while Lacey is just dazzling; she is an amazing actress, unfortunately we haven't seen any of it since she left the show...But what's more annoying is that Scott Wolf, who plays Bailey has been undermined ever since...
A brilliant show that should have stayed longer than six seasons. -
Jemae7 March 2018So I have been watching it on Netflix and I hate Matthew Fox's character of charlie as he is a jerk! The family has to do everything he says! He blew of his friend when he had cancer because....well....he's an idiot. It's his idea to sell the family home! Because he doesn't wan to live there anymore, but the rest of the kids do! He treats his family like crap! Anyway if you want to watch it, go for it but don't go into it thinking it will be a great show