It's the oldest, or rather the most represented, story in the world — the family with two-point-five kids, a mother, and a father pictured in a house with a white picket fence. The label for this sort of family is "traditional", but in reality, the traditional family is anything but the norm.
While non-traditional family units have had some depiction in media over time, it's only in recent years that the demand for representation has increased. Viewers long to see their own lives onscreen, and frankly, the portrayal of LGBTQ+ families, diverse communities, and single parent homes is absolutely necessary. Popular are the atypical families in shows like Full House, Gilmore Girls, and The Fosters, but a lot of the lesser-acknowledged dynamics are just as significant.
Joyce, Hopper, and Eleven – 'Stranger Things'
Even though Netflix’s Stranger Things is packed full of the strange and unusual, there’s nothing more heartfelt than its unusual take on co-parenting between Winona Ryder’s Joyce and David Harbour’s Hopper through their relationship with Hopper’s adopted — and telekinetic — daughter.
Used as an MK-Ultra-like test subject, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) first appears in Hawkins alongside the disappearance of Joyce Byers’ twelve-year-old son. She is only twelve herself, and her search for sanctuary leaves the series’ parental figures feeling protective — a feeling that later leads Hopper to adopt her. But their stability is short-lived after Hopper is presumed dead, and Joyce’s role grows from guide to guardian when she inevitably chooses to raise his daughter alongside her sons, Will (Noah Schnapp) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton).
The Macks – 'Andi Mack'
Throughout its three season run, Andi Mack gave a voice to diversity and representation by tackling many issues that Disney Channel had been — and still is — reluctant to touch upon. From teen pregnancy to the first spoken "I'm gay" on the network, the show's broken barriers managed to find solace in the atypical approach to one all-too familiar theme: family.
Andi Mack's mature concept centers around the reveal that title character, Andi's (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) older sister is actually her birth mother, while examining the sacrifice that then-teenaged Bex (Lilan Bowden) made for her daughter. The truth comes with the introduction of Bex's first love and Andi's father, Bowie (Trent Garrett), and the remainder of the series not only builds a foundation between the three, but manages to repair Bex's dysfunctional relationship with her mother, Celia (Lauren Tom).
The Acosta Family – 'Party of Five' (2020)
While Freeform’s Party of Five reboot only lasted a mere ten episodes, the show itself succeeded at being a heartbreaking look at the United States’ unjust treatment of undocumented immigrants and their families.
When their parents face deportation, it’s up to twenty-four-year-old Emilio Acosta (Brandon Larracuente) to make sure that his four adolescent siblings are not separated by the foster system. The situation is increasingly difficult given that Emilio is a DACA recipient, but he, Lucia (Emily Tosta), Beto (Niko Guardado), and Valentina (Elle Paris Lagaspi) work together to uphold their family unit and family business, all while trying to parent the youngest of the five — their infant brother, Rafa.
The Wandell-Walker Family – 'Brothers & Sisters'
Interwoven through the show’s traditional family, Brothers & Sisters spent five seasons exploring numerous family structures, from divorced parents to adopted children. Of those dynamics, one of the most prominent was the representation of an LGBTQIA+ family found in the life built by the middle Walker son, Kevin (Matthew Rhys) and his husband, Scotty (Luke Macfarlane).
From the second episode onward, Kevin and Scotty faced the usual trials and tribulations of television relationships, alongside the effects of both outward and internalized homophobia. But even in spite of their struggles, Scotty and Kevin married in 2008 — just days before California’s real-life declaration that marriage is a fundamental right, regardless of sexual orientation. Their next goal was to start a family, and by the end of the series, the Wandell-Walker family became four with the adoption of their daughter, Olivia (Isabella Rae Thomas), and the birth of their son via surrogate.
Daisy, Coulson, and May – 'Agents of SHIELD'
The Marvel universe is no stranger to found and dysfunctional families. From the Avengers to the Guardians, lost and lonely people forming unlikely bonds is about as common as superheroes roaming the streets. But Agents of SHIELD’s Daisy (Chloe Bennet) finding pseudo-parental connections in Clark Gregg’s Coulson and Ming-Na Wen’s May feels set apart from the majority, like the beating heart at the center of the show’s larger found family.
When Daisy’s search for her birth parents leads her to SHIELD, she quickly finds a sense of belonging among the team, realizing that biological families are not the only type of family. Among the team is Coulson, the leader, and May, his right hand, whose roles morph from mentor to parental figure for Daisy overtime. And while the series ends on a note that is seemingly dishonest to the show’s found family theme, Daisy’s relationships with Coulson and May remain arguably the most timeless piece of the Marvel story.
The Graham Family – 'Parenthood'
Like Brothers & Sisters, Parenthood is a family drama primarily focused on the lives of the adult children from a single, traditional family. Each of the Bravermans’ separate families defy their own set of stereotypes, but Julia (Erika Christensen) and Joel’s (Sam Jaeger) obstacles are possibly the most important, albeit not as obvious.
Julia and Joel begin the series resisting gender stereotypes. She’s the bread-winner, while he’s the stay-at-home parent, and neither of their struggles are overlooked. Those struggles become even more apparent with the adoption of their son, Victor (Xolo Maridueña), his needs, and the disruption that their daughter, Sydney (Savannah Paige Rae) faces; all of which cause their dynamics to change, leading to the couple’s separation. But overtime, their near-divorce grounds both their marriage and family, and the Graham family ends the series with – spoiler alert – the adoption of Victor’s biological baby sister and the birth of their fourth child.
Ruzek, Burgess, and Makayla – 'Chicago PD'
Chicago PD may be a procedural based drama, but that hasn’t stopped the Dick Wolf series from showcasing its own unconventional family dynamic — a dynamic consisting of two exes, one adopted child, and their strive to give her the best life possible.
When the murder of her mother leaves seven-year-old Makayla (Ramona Edith Wilson) orphaned, Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) decides to adopt her. But as the adoption is finalized, Kim is faced with the decision to choose a guardian in the event that something happens to her, and who better than her partner, Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger)? Ruzek happens to be Burgess’ ex-fiancé, and after a life-or-death situation leaves Makayla in Adam’s care, the three begin to form a complicated yet loving family.
The Grant-Nash Family, '9-1-1'
Rare in mainstream media is the blended family that gets along, even in spite of breakups, divorce, or the introduction of a stepparent. But in the case of 9-1-1, writers chose heart over hate with the creation of Athena (Angela Bassett), Bobby (Peter Krause), and Michael’s (Rockmond Dunbar) mixed family unit.
Although Athena and Michael split during 9-1-1’s first season, they remain close friends and co-parents to their children, May (Corinne Massiah) and Harry (Marcanthonee Jon Reis) — even when Athena marries firefighter Bobby Nash. But unlike the typical rivalry between ex-spouses, new spouses, and step-children, Athena and Michael’s children quickly see Bobby as one of their fathers — alongside Michael’s fiancé, David (La Monde Byrd) — and he and Michael become close friends as well.
The Wheeler Family - 'Baby Daddy'
Combining tropes popularized by comedies like Full House and Three Men and a Baby, Baby Daddy explores the idea that it takes a village to raise a child – all through Ben’s (Jean-Luc Bilodeau) journey as the sole parent of his daughter, Emma.
After a baby is left on his doorstep, Ben is at a loss as to what to do. But when his friends and family step in, he decides to step up and care for the daughter that he didn’t know he had. Baby Daddy’s one hundred episode run follows Emma from infancy to toddlerhood while her dad, Grandma Bonnie (Melissa Peterman), Uncle Danny (Derek Theler), and their friends, Riley (Chelsea Kane) and Tucker (Tahj Mowry) give her the family and stability that she needs.
Cam and Michelle – 'Bones'
Though single parent adoption is not a foreign concept among procedural dramas (take Law & Order: SVU and Chicago PD for example), Bones’ take on the trope is unique in its own right.
When Cam Saroyan’s (Tamara Taylor) ex-fiancé is found dead, her priority quickly becomes the well-being of his sixteen-year-old daughter, Michelle (Dana Davis/Tiffany Hines), who Cam had been a mother-figure to ten years prior. Michelle initially pretends not to remember Cam, and it’s only later that Cam realizes she believes that she abandoned her — which wasn’t the case. The air is eventually cleared between the two, and Cam decides to legally adopt Michelle rather than allow her to end up in foster care.