A new series, Switched at Birth, premieres tonight on ABC Family. The one hour scripted drama focuses on two families who meet under very unusual circumstances because their daughters were mistakenly switched in the hospital after they were born.
The Kennish Family: John and Kathryn are wealthy parents with a beautiful estate who send their children to private school. John’s a former professional athlete who now owns a chain of businesses, while Kathryn is a stay-at-home mom. The couple has two children: Bay and Toby. After Bay discovers that her blood type doesn’t match her parents, she asks them to get tested and they learn that she is not their biological daughter.
The Vasquez Family: Regina is a working, single mother who is raising her daughter, Daphne, in a poor neighbourhood (Regina’s mother also lives with the girls). Daphne caught meningitis when she was three years old and, as a result, became deaf. Regina has worked hard her whole life to take care of Daphne and support her. Daphne attends a special school for the deaf, is best friends with a deaf boy named Emmett, and is a member of her school’s basketball team. In other words, Daphne is a well-adjusted, normal girl but for her disability. The Vasquez family is approached by the Kennish family after they discover that their daughters were mixed up in the hospital.
The Families Collide: Bay does not react well to the news, even though she’s the one who pushed for the truth. The Kennish family is anxious to get Daphne out of the rather poor neighborhood she lives in and into private school, as well as wanting to provide her with every medical chance of improving her hearing. Regina, meanwhile, is not happy that her life and parenting methods are being judged by the wealthy Kennishes. But Daphne seems to take things in stride and wants to develop a relationship with John and Kathryn, while still insisting that Regina is her mother.
Switched at Birth is an interesting concept for a new show and would fit well on ABC Family’s summer schedule. Bay’s character struck me as rather annoying after she learned the truth, although I suppose allowances could be made (but you’ll have to compare her reaction to Daphne’s and judge for yourself). The Kennishes are rather pushy and sometimes off-putting, but they really do seem to want to do right by Daphne. My favorite character was Daphne, who was played by a great young actress who is actually losing her hearing.
The pilot episode ends with the Vasquez family moving into the Kennish guest house when Regina is faced with some serious financial difficulties, so it will be interesting to see where this series leads and whether the two families can find some common ground.
Academy Award®-winner Marlee Matlin will guest star in several episodes this season as Melody, a school counselor who is Regina's best friend and mother to Emmett.
Below are sneak peeks and promo photos for tonight’s premiere episode. Switched at Birth airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC Family.