The Real O'Neals


The Real O'Neals is an American single-camera sitcom that aired on ABC from March 2, 2016, to March 14, 2017. The series, based on an idea by Dan Savage, was picked up to series on May 7, 2015. The series was renewed for a second season on May 12, 2016, which premiered on October 11, 2016.
On May 11, 2017, ABC canceled the series after two seasons.
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Plot

This series follows the turbulent day-to-day life of a dysfunctional yet close Chicago Catholic family as their formerly exemplary reputation suffers in their community when it is learned that matriarch Eileen and her husband, Pat, are seeking a divorce. Their oldest son, Jimmy, is anorexic. Their middle child, Kenny, is gay. Their youngest, Shannon, is questioning her faith.

Cast and characters

Main

  • Martha Plimpton as Eileen O'Neal, the matriarch of the O'Neal family. She is a judgemental perfectionist and is obsessed with her family's image in their Irish Catholic community. She struggles to loosen her controlling nature over her family.
  • Jay R. Ferguson as Pat O'Neal, a Chicago Police Department officer. He is more laid-back than Eileen and often struggles with her obsessive need for control. He moves into the basement of their house during their separation.
  • Noah Galvin as Kenneth "Kenny" Christopher Sebastian O'Neal, the 16-year-old middle child who comes out to his family as gay. His voice-over to the series comes from his internal thoughts and often features surreal fantasies.
  • Matthew Shively as James "Jimmy" O'Neal, the eldest child of the three O'Neal siblings. He is a wrestler who struggles with anorexia. Jimmy is a simple-minded and positive person.
  • Bebe Wood as Shannon O'Neal, the 14-year-old youngest child and the only daughter who is questioning her faith. She admits to being a kleptomaniac in the pilot episode.
  • Mary Hollis Inboden as Jodi O'Neal, Pat's ex-sister-in-law and closest friend.

Recurring

Guest

Reception

Critical reception

The series received a generally favorable response from critics. On review aggregator site Metacritic, The Real O'Neals has a metascore of 62 out of 100 based on 22 critics signifying "generally favorable reviews". On another review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, the show has a 67% approval rating, based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The site's critical consensus: "Funny writing and a solid cast save The Real O'Neals from traditional sitcom perils."

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNomineeOutcome
2016Dorian AwardsLGBTQ Show of the YearThe Real O'NealsNomitated
2016Dorian AwardsUnsung TV Show of the YearThe Real O'NealsWon
2017Humanitas Prize30 Minute Network or Syndicated TelevisionEpisode: "The Real Grandma"Nomitated
2017Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding ChoreographyThe Real O'NealsNomitated

Controversies

News of the series' pickup

The news of the series' pick-up attracted attention and controversy before its debut. On May 12, 2015, the day it was announced that the series had been added to the ABC network schedule, Christian right groups such as the American Family Association and the Family Research Council called for a boycott and petitioned to prevent the series from airing. They also cited Savage's views on religion, sexuality, and same-sex marriage, which they believed had been infused into the series due to it being based on his life, but Savage claimed that the concept went in a different direction since he was not involved in the writing.

Bisexual joke

The second-season episode "The Real Acceptance" featured a joke regarding bisexuals, in which Kenny, who is openly gay, compared being bisexual to having "webbed toes" or "money problems". Bisexual actor Sara Ramirez, who played the bisexual character Callie Torres on Grey's Anatomy, criticized ABC and the series, finding the joke offensive.