Meet The Fosters

Mama sandwich!

As much as you can give a film a chance, and even if it's bad, you watch the whole thing; a television series is different. You're not going to invest your time week after week into something that doesn't capture you within the first or second episodes. ABC Family's new drama/sitcom The Fosters certainly did just that.

After seeing it's growing praising fan-base appearing on my Tumblr more and more each day, I decided to try out the programme for myself and certainly by the fourth episode I was invested. The show depicts Stef and Lena, a lesbian couple bringing up their adopted twins, biological son and two temporary foster children.

The only actors I knew in the cast were Teri Polo (Meet The Parents) and Wizards Of Waverly Place's  Jake T. Austin so I wasn't expecting to be as involved and convinced by the actors by that stage, but the talent of other cast members really does show from the word go.

Almost like a serious take on Modern Family, The Fosters depicts not your "stereotypical" family and it's entertaining to see the normal ups and downs of any kind of family unit. In my opinion, the show is actually very similar to Modern Family in that it has a lot of heart and sentiment. Another similarity is the involvement of extended family and how it's not only your immediate flesh-and-blood that can be considered your family. It's tame, cutesy and lovey-dovey, but it makes for a good hour every week to make my heart feel warm and fuzzy again. 

We're over halfway through the first season now and it feels like we're really getting a feel for the characters. The mixture of the differing personalities of the kids is something that works really well within the programme and really makes it grounded and real. 

You can definitely tell that this is an ensemble cast that gets on well off-screen too and you really can feel that comfortability and respect within their acting.

On a serious note, what this programme is saying about realistic modern life is an extremely poignant point. 'Love is love' (as their hashtag during broadcasting promotes) and without making it all about that, as I agree when the cast say, first off, it's about family, the homosexuality comes secondary, it's nice to see something so evolved on our television screens, and it be so well-received. Well done, ABC! Hopefully it will be renewed for a new season due to it's success.

The Fosters airs at 8/9 c on ABC Family, Monday nights.