Freeform Makes Room for 'Party of Five'

02.05.2019

Party of Five is making its official return to television with Freeform picking up a new version of the series from original creators Amy Lippman and Chris Keyser.

The show comes from Sony Pictures Television and follows the Acosta kids after their parents are suddenly deported to Mexico. It stars Brandon Larracuente as Emilio, Emily Tosta as Lucia, Niko Guardado as Beto and Elle Paris Legaspi as Valentina. The pilot was co-written by Lippman, Keyser and newcomer Michal Zebede.

"Party of Five embodies the heart and soul of what it means to be a family in the most trying of times. We're so lucky that Freeform gets to be the home for this reimagined story, as we continue to represent the resilience of young adults and the importance of fighting for your voice in times of doubt," said Freeform President Tom Ascheim in a statement. "We are thrilled to be able to share the groundbreaking storytelling from Amy and Chris with a new audience, and are excited for our viewers to discover the beauty of this series."

Party of Five - which starred Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell, Scott Wolf and Lacey Chabert - originally aired on Fox from 1994 to 2000.

In other pick-up news, American Idol Jordin Sparks and Matt Shively (The Real O'Neals) will star in Kenya Barris' half-hour comedy, Besties. Barris last year signed a new deal with Netflix, but still had several shows in the works at ABC, including Besties. Another series Barris is working on, a remake of Bewitched in co-production with Sony Pictures Television, was pushed by ABC, with Entertainment President Karey Burke saying that both the network and Barris wanted more time to develop the show.

Freeform also airs a spin-off of Barris' Black-ish, Grown-ish, which the network renewed for a third season on Tuesday. The network also renewed The Fosters' spin-off Good Trouble for a second season, and surprised the cast with the announcement at Winter TCA in Pasadena, Calif., on Tuesday.Â

On March 20, Freeform will premiere yet another spin-off, Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists (trailer above), starring Janel Parrish and Sasha Pieterse.

Also prepping to return to Freeform are Marvel's Cloak and Dagger in a two-hour premiere on Thursday, April 4, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, and The Bold Type on Tuesday, April 9, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Meanwhile, it's farewell to Shadowhunters, which debuts its third and final season on Monday, Feb. 25.

[Images courtesy of Freeform]