For starters I think this show is overrated. It is just good enough to keep you watching, but at times I think it is a tad slow. The characters especially Charley especially Charley are all kind of worthless, Charley the older brother and the one "in charge" gets worse and worse every season. He constantly makes stupid mistakes and he's always crying and whining about everything, the younger siblings are better then he is, yeah Claudia and Owen are annoying and Julia is pretty worthless too, but Charley takes the cake by the time 1998-1999 came around Charley should have been able to show more leadership and better leadership he would have been in his late 20's, but no I don't know why, but you can bet that if Charley made the decision it would be the wrong decision. What ticks me off so much about Charley is he never bothered to listen to the other characters. Bailey while a little bit of a dope, is much more competent and more prone to listening to things then Charley. I just can't stand the character Charley he's just the worse at first I felt bad for him, but the deeper you get into the series you can tell he's just a fool. The only two characters who are worth there salt are Griffin and Sarah. I didn't like Griffin at first, but he's a harder and better worker and more reasonable and makes more sense then Charley. The show over all I think is kind of slow at times and certainly bottoms out a little here and there. However they do keep it going just enough to keep interest. However there have been times where I wonder how this show made it, because frankly the characters are not all that likeable, and after a while there hard to care for.

I didn't watch much of Party of Five in its original run in the 90's as I just graduated College and wasn't into Teen Dramas. Yes I checked in on the show every once in a while because of Neve and Love Hewitt. I recently started watching it on Netflix from the 1st season on and I am surprised to say the show holds up pretty well. Yes, every drama in the Salingers life is on Steroids, but isn't that what a drama is supposed to be on TV? I think the writing in the show is very underrated and honestly it was ahead of its time compared to today's Cable Dramas. Every show in PO5 had a overall theme between the main characters dealing with different situation and tied them together at the end of the show. Nobody was doing that then as shows like Mad Men mastered this art during its heyday.The biggest thing that sells this show is the characters as they are all have depth and very likable. This was the era before anti-heroes of Tony Soprano and Walter White, so you could relate to them cause it could be you or me? I sort of miss that in today's Cable Dramas is that there is too much gray in today's characters, where PO5 is a much simpler time.The other thing I noticed is that there the Pre-Cable Dramas like PO5 were fun to watch. Don't get me wrong as I love today's Cable Dramas, but the material is very tough sometimes, very dark, and you can't just sit back and enjoy an episode like PO5. I have breezed through a 22 episode season of PO5 in a week or two, where I have to stagger my viewing habits for a show like Game of Thrones because it's a lot to take in.I think PO5 will always be either regarded as a great drama to some people and a clichéd joked to others, but that was how most TV dramas were perceived in the 90's. I give a lot of respect to Pre-Cable Dramas because you couldn't rely on nudity and cursing so you had to really hook the viewer with the actors, dialogue and story. PO5 had that good mix.

I still love Party of Five after all these years.I've just finished Season 2 on DVD - it's so authentic and brilliantly written. This series did when it aired and still makes my heart flutter.Where is Season 3 and the rest? Hello Sony, release please!!! This is still as relevant in the 00's as it was in the 90's, brilliant casting and real story-lines.Bailey Salinger is one of the greatest television characters ever written, he breaks your heart. The way they dealt with his alcoholism was brilliant and so real... genius.I still miss the Salingers after all these years and I'm desperate for Seasons 3-6 on DVD so I can visit them again.Well done cast and crew, television brilliance.

i loved this show and i never missed an episode. i think everybody had at least one character they didn't really like, but thats how it is in real life too-lol. i was so happy to find out they were bringing it to DVD. i have watched season one many times and i cant wait for the release of season 2 :). this still is one of my favorite shows of all time. my idol is jennifer love hewitt so of course she is one of my favorite characters (sarah). i also liked julia as far as the salinger family goes, and i liked griffin as well. i think they did an excellent job at casting :). it wasn't like other teen dramas that were on back then (melrose place, 90210, etc). there is nothing like it, and that is why it is so great.