TV used to feature solely traditional families. While the mom and dad, picket fence, 2.5 kids thing was reality for a moment in time, it's safe to say that those aren't the only families out there anymore.
Today, television showrunners have been working hard on creating series that center families that look more like real American families. Sometimes that means tackling big subjects, but a lot of the time it's about reminding Americans of all kinds that families may all look different, but the love at the heart of them is very much the same.
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These TV shows are some of the many that are celebrating all the different ways families can look.
'Modern Family'
Modern Family was arguably the beginning of mainstream television's big pivot away from the nuclear family. It follows the family of Jay Pritchett and his children and puts comparing nuclear families, blended families, and a family led by a same-sex couple at the forefront in a way that's hilarious and focuses more on what bonds us than what separates us.
'One Day at a Time'
One Day at a Time takes place in a multigenerational household with a single parent, an LGBTQ teen, and a lot of cultural and generational learning to go around. It's a rare show that centers on a Hispanic family, let alone one with complex themes like PTSD, grieving, and navigating queer relationships.
'Fuller House'
Fuller House brings us back to the house that was home to one of TV's least conventional families. This time, DJ Tanner-Fuller is the matriarch single mom to three kids. BFF Kimmy Gibler and her daughter, as well as sister Stephanie, come together to make their own quirky family.
'The Fosters'
The Fosters follows the life of the Adams-Foster family, comprising moms Stef and Lena foster, their biological son, and four adopted teenage kids. The show explores a lot of LGBTQ themes, as well as different blended families. It recently concluded and produced the spinoff Good Trouble.
'This Is Us'
This Is Us shows off a lot of different families that are composed of different people with different identities, but all are part of the larger family built by Jack and Rebecca Pearson. The evolution of this family over the years and the issues they face say a lot about how a family lives and learns and grows together.
'Raven's Home'
Raven Baxter of That's So Raven is back. This time, she's the divorced mom of preteen twins Booker and Nia. Raven lives with childhood bestie Chelsea, also a divorced mom to a preteen son.
'The Baby-Sitters Club'
The Baby-Sitters Club features a lot of different families as they celebrate additions and cope with losses. It also celebrates that first time in life when kids get the feeling of a found family, the one they build for themselves with the friends they meet along the way.
'The Conners'
The Conners picks up where Roseanne left off, and it's no less revolutionary than its predecessor. The show picks up with a grieving family as they navigate all the big issues in life and try to find the balance while learning some dark truths about their once-beloved matriarch. And while things get heavy, it never loses the signature humor that endeared Roseanne to viewers all those years ago.
'Heartland'
Heartland is a long-running Canadian comedic drama that follows the Fleming family, a multigenerational family with a heavy past and more complicated present. It deals with adoption, addiction, and other subjects that can alter a family's dynamic but are nonetheless real.
'Andi Mack'
Andi Mack was pretty major for the Disney channel. The series follows a multigenerational Asian family. The night before her 13th birthday, Andi finds out a shocking secret about her mom that changes everything. The show also features Andi's friend Cyrus, the first character to come out in a Disney show.
