'Almost Family' must retain the warmth of sisterhood from its Australian inspiration 'Sisters'
When the Australian series 'Sisters' first came to Netflix as an original in September 2018, it brought to life the peculiar story of three sisters who came to share the bond of sisterhood following a very unusual situation.
Created by Jonathan Gavin and Imogen Banks, 'Sisters' followed the story of Julia Bechly, played by Maria Angelico in the Australian version, whose life is suddenly turned upside down by her father's confession.
On his deathbed, Julius Bechly (Barry Otto) reveals that during the span of his award-winning career as a pioneering fertility specialist, he used his own sperm to fertilize the eggs of several women — making him the father of perhaps hundreds of children.
Julius' revelation comes as a rude shock to Julia. And when it gets all over the news, she watches heartbroken and appalled as the reality of her life and existence comes crashing down around her.
This is pretty much what Fox's upcoming drama 'Almost Family' is about. Based on the Australian television series, Fox's 'Almost Family' follows Brittany Snow as Julia Bechley and Timothy Hutton as Dr. Leon Bechley, the pioneering fertility specialist.
Snow's Julia is only just reeling from the explosive revelation when she discovers she actually has two new sisters — her former best friend Edie Palmer (Megalyn Echikunwoke) and ex-Olympic athlete Roxy Doyle (Emily Osment).
What set 'Sisters' apart is the simplicity and earnestness of Maria Angelico's Julia. Carrying the watchful yet warm presence of an elder sister, Angelico's portrayal of such a complicated character brought an element of relatability — one that will come with great difficulty owing to what looks like a hoity-toity portrayal by Snow.
At the same time, Antonia Prebble's Edie Flanagan sets off as a character that is completely hostile to the situation she is placed in — quite the contrary to Angelico's Julia, who throws a get-together to know more about all the siblings Julius fathered in the name of IVF.
Lucy Durack's Roxy Karibas is delighted to have found a brand new, not to mention, large family.
With 'Almost Family', which is developed by Annie Weisman, the makers push the three young women to embrace their new reality.
"Julia must figure out what life is like without Leon by her side. Edie comes to grips with her burgeoning sexuality, as her marriage falters. And Roxy faces adulthood out of the spotlight."
"Against all odds, the three women will attempt to form a bond as sisters, even as they must welcome a tidal wave of new siblings into their rapidly expanding family."
As a drama, 'Sisters' drove home the point that the true definition of 'family' is subjective — that you could be strangers with someone one day and the next, when they are suddenly your family, things aren't all that bad.
Angelico, Prebble and Durack set out on a journey to not only discover that their existence has vague beginnings but also that these ambiguous beginnings got them closer to each other and found them sisters.
'Almost Family' premieres on Fox on October 2 at 9 PM ET/PT.