‘Arrested Development,’ ‘Bones’ & More Shows That Staged Family Reunions
From the obvious (Tia Mowry-Hardrict and Tamera Mowry-Housley in Sister, Sister), to the unknown (Crystal McKellar and Danica McKellar in The Wonder Years), there have been many actors who took to our television screens opposite their sibling, parent or spouse.
Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy of Schitt’s Creek, which stole the show at the 2020 Emmy Awards with nine wins, play a fictionalized version of their real-life father-son relationship. (Eugene’s daughter, Sarah, also starred in the comedy, as one of the town’s residents.)
Check out the gallery below to see some of our favorite instances where Hollywood families worked together on our television screens.
Schitt's Creek (2015-2020)
In the breakout hit Schitt’s Creek, real-life father and son Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy don’t have to act too far out of their comfort zone as they play father and son Johnny Rose and David Rose. After losing their wealth and having to rebuild their lives alongside one another, both as adults and in a small town, the duo use witty banter, outrageous (but still relatable) scenarios, and stellar acting to create these lively characters. Oh, and is it too late to mention that they worked together to create the show from the ground up?
So Little Time (2001-2002)
While Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are known for taking turns playing the role of Michelle on Full House, we only saw the sisters play opposite each other on the hit ABC show a handful of times (and usually part of dream sequences). In their own short-lived sitcom, though, So Little Time, the twins got to work together outside of their dual film career to play Riley and Chloe Carson. These normal high school girls had a lot of fun as the show explored friendships, relationships, pranks, fashion dilemmas, and school dances.
Bones (2005-2017)
They’re sisters with very separate acting careers in the real world, but in a 2009 episode of Bones, New Girl’s Zooey Deschanel stopped by to play the distant second cousin of Emily Deschanel. That’s right, in “The Goop on the Girl,” the Deschanel sisters played opposite each other for the very first time as Dr. Temperance Brennan and Margaret Whitesell.
The Partridge Family (1970-1974)
In the early 1970s, David Cassidy rose to teen idol stardom thanks to his role as Keith Partridge on the musical sitcom The Partridge Family. The show spawned hit records, tours, and careers for much of the sitcom’s talented cast. Not many know, though, that his onscreen mother, Shirley Partridge, was played by his real life stepmother, Shirley Jones. Although Jones wasn’t a singer in real life, she surely helped raise one on- and off-screen.
Neo Yokio (2017-2018)
Netflix’s Neo Yokio has an interesting history regardless of its ties to Hollywood families. The streamed anime series was started by Ezra Koenig of the band Vampire Weekend, of whom Jaden Smith is a fan. Koenig recruited Smith to voice the lead of the show, Kaz Kaan, and then reached out to his sister, Willow, to voice a Helenist, a recurring character. The Smith siblings doing voiceovers opposite each other in an anime is something nobody saw coming, but everyone loved.
Sister, Sister (1994-1999)
Identical twins Tia Mowry-Hardrict and Tamera Mowry-Housley have an inseparable bond in real life, but on the nineties sitcom Sister, Sister, the acting duo actually played twins who were separated at birth. With all six seasons streaming on Netflix, you can now reminisce over all the youthful, fashionable, and familial shenanigans that Tia and Tamera (accidentally) got into.
The Wonder Years (1988-1993)
Although hardcore fans of The Wonder Years know this, many don’t: Danica McKellar’s sister, Crystal, recurred on the hit sitcom. They didn’t play sisters, though, as Danica notably portrayed lovable Winnie Cooper, and Crystal played her cool girl classmate Becky Slater. That means that both of the McKellar girls played love interests to Fred Savage’s Kevin Arnold!
The Wonder Years (1993-2000)
The McKellar sisters weren’t the only siblings who took to the ABC sitcom. In fact, the talented Savage Family, while still successful, used to rule our television screens to the point where brothers Ben and Fred Savage actually had guest spots on both of each other’s hit shows of the 1980s and 1990s, The Wonder Years and Boy Meets World. On The Wonder Years, Ben played cupid in “The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre,” and in Boy Meets World, Fred played Stuart in “Everybody Loves Stuart.” Their chemistry and the timing the pair had (and still has!) together was what made each episode fan favorites.
Arrested Development (2003-2006) / (2013-2019)
In the aptly-titled “Family Ties,” Justine Bateman stopped by Arrested Development to share some scenes with her real life brother, Jason Bateman. His character, Michael, comes across her character, Nellie, in an online profile. Hilarity and dysfunctionality ensue as Michael begins to think that Nellie is his long-lost sister, making for a timeless and relevant episode.
Hannah Montana (2006-2011)
Not only did this real-life father-daughter duo play a father-daughter on screen, but they took some of their real-life names with them. Billy Ray Cyrus played Robby Ray Stewart, the part of Miley Stewart a.k.a. Miley Cyrus’ dad on Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana. The show, while fictional, mirrored the real lives of Billy Ray and Miley, as Robby Ray was a former country stay and Miley was a (secret) popstar. Hannah Montana even took it a step further, as Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus’ godmother, guest starred in “Good Golly Miss Dolly” as her character’s aunt.
