Synopsis
Set in the city of San Francisco, the show centered on the five siblings of the Salinger family (the "party of five" referenced in the show's title), who become orphans after their parents were hit and killed by a drunk driver. Charlie (Matthew Fox) is the eldest, a 24-year-old, womanizing, immature manual laborer who struggles with the responsibility of being the new head of the family; 16-year-old Bailey (Scott Wolf) is the rebellious teen later-turned-substance abuser; 15-year-old Julia (Neve Campbell) is a sensitive teen facing adolescent issues of her own; 11-year-old Claudia (Lacey Chabert) is a precocious child prodigy, and Owen is the baby, barely one year old.
The siblings take over the running of their family's restaurant, Salingers, with Charlie initially serving as bartender and manager and later with Bailey taking over. The struggles faced by the Salingers over the years included Charlie's battle with cancer, Bailey's battle with alcoholism, Julia dealing with domestic violence in a relationship, and the long term effects of parental loss.
As the series progressed, romantic relationships became plot points and new cast members joined the show, including Hewitt as Bailey's girlfriend Sarah, Jeremy London as Julia's bad-boy boyfriend and later husband Griffin, and Paula Devicq as Owen's nanny Kirsten, who developed an on-again-off-again relationship with Charlie through most of the series.
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