''Switched at Birth'' is an American teen and family drama television series that premiered on ABC Family on June 6, 2011. The one-hour scripted drama is set in the Kansas City metropolitan area, and revolves around two teenagers who were switched at birth and grew up in very different environments: one in an affluent suburb, and the other in a working-class neighborhood. According to ABC Family, it is "the first mainstream television series to have multiple deaf and hard-of-hearing series regulars and scenes shot entirely in American Sign Language (ASL)". The show's debut was ABC Family's highest-rated series debut to date. The series won an honorary Peabody Award in 2013, and on July 30, ABC Family ordered a third season which premiered on January 13, 2014. On August 13, 2014, ABC Family renewed the series for a fourth season, which premiered on January 6, 2015. On October 21, 2015, ABC Family (later rebranded as Freeform) confirmed the series had been renewed for its fifth season, which was later confirmed to be the final season. On March 19, 2016, it was announced that the fifth season was bumped from a March 2016 to a January 2017 premiere date. In October 2016, the network announced that the final season would premiere on January 31, 2017.

Plot

Bay Kennish, a teenage girl living in the Kansas City suburb of

Mission Hills, Kansas Mission Hills is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,594. The east city limits is the Kansas-Missouri state line at State Line ...

, discovers from a school lab assignment that her blood type is incompatible with that of her parents. Genetic testing confirms Bay is not the Kennishes' biological daughter. It is revealed that the hospital mistakenly switched Bay at birth with Daphne, who has been raised by her single mother Regina and grandmother Adriana in the low-income neighborhood of East Riverside, Missouri. Daphne is

deaf Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...

, having lost her hearing as a result of contracting meningitis at age three. The Kennishes invite Daphne and Regina to their home, and after learning that Regina is struggling financially, propose that they move into their guest house with Adriana, an offer that Regina accepts. This arrangement forces the girls, along with both families, to understand their differences and embrace their similarities. The girls sometimes struggle with their identities. Bay discovers that she has inherited her artistic talent from Regina, and Daphne discovers she has inherited John's athletic skill and Kathryn's love of cooking. Both mothers learn to bond with their biological daughters, while often unintentionally angering the ones they raised. John learns to relate to his new-found daughter by coaching her

deaf school Deaf School is an English art rock/ new wave band, formed in Liverpool, England, in January 1974. Overview Between 1976 and 1978, the year in which they split up, Deaf School recorded three albums for the Warner Brothers label. The first a ...

's basketball team and employing her in the office of one of the local chain of car washes that he owns. Bay is driven by a need to find her biological father, Angelo Sorrento, who left Regina shortly after Daphne went deaf.

Cast

Main characters

Sean Berdy Sean Lance Berdy (born June 3, 1993) is an American actor, filmmaker and entrepreneur. He began his career as a child in the film sequel ''The Sandlot 2'' and starred in '' Switched at Birth'' for five seasons. Berdy starred in Netflix's '' The ...

as Emmett Bledsoe (regular season 1–4, recurring season 5), Daphne's best friend who is also deaf. He later dates Bay. *

Lucas Grabeel Lucas Stephen Grabeel ( ; born November 23, 1984) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his role as Ryan Evans in the ''High School Musical'' film series (2006–2008). His other film appearances include ''Halloweent ...

as Toby Kennish: Bay and Daphne's older brother. *

Katie Leclerc Katie Lynn Leclerc is an American actress and producer. She has appeared on several television series, including ''Veronica Mars'', ''Fashion House, Community'' and ''The Big Bang Theory''. In 2011, she was cast in the television show '' Switche ...

as Daphne Paloma Vasquez: the biological daughter of John and Kathryn Kennish. Hard of hearing rather than deaf, Leclerc learned ASL at age 17, before she was diagnosed at age 20 with

Ménière's disease Ménière's disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear that is characterized by potentially severe and incapacitating episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Typically, only one ear is affected initi ...

which runs in her family. She developed a deaf accent for her role as Daphne, but speaks without it briefly in a scene in season 1, episode 9 where Daphne dreams the switch never occurred, and she was raised as Bay Kennish and retains her hearing. She also speaks without the accent through almost the entire episode 15 of season 2, "Ecce Mono", which is an alternative reality in which Daphne was raised by the Kennishes from age three and got a

cochlear implant A cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted neuroprosthesis that provides a person who has moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss with sound perception. With the help of therapy, cochlear implants may allow for improved speech unde ...

. *

Vanessa Marano Vanessa Nicole Marano (born October 31, 1992) is an American actress. She has starred in television movies and had recurring roles in such series as ''Without a Trace'', ''Gilmore Girls'', ''Ghost Whisperer'', '' Scoundrels'', ''Grey's Anatomy'' ...

as Bay Madeline Kennish: the biological daughter of Regina Vasquez and Angelo Sorrento. She was raised in the wealthy neighborhood of Mission Hills by John and Kathryn Kennish. Bay is a very talented artist who has a particular love for Frida Kahlo. Bay can be very impulsive at times, and, at first, does not take the news of the switch well. However, she gradually gets better in accepting that Regina and the Kennishes are both her family. *

Constance Marie Constance Marie Lopez (born September 9, 1965) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Angie Lopez in ''George Lopez'' (2002–2007), and Marcela Quintanilla (mother of Selena) in the film ''Selena'' (1997). She portrayed Reg ...

as Regina Vasquez: Bay's biological mother and Daphne's legal mother. * D. W. Moffett as John Kennish: Bay's legal father and Daphne's biological father. *

Lea Thompson Lea Katherine Thompson (born May 31, 1961) is an American actress and director. She is best known for her role as Lorraine Baines-McFly in the ''Back to the Future'' film trilogy (1985–1990) and Beverly Switzler in '' Howard the Duck'' (1 ...

as Kathryn Kennish: Bay's legal mother and Daphne's biological mother. *

Gilles Marini Gilles Marini (; born 26 January 1976) is a French actor known for his roles in the film ''Sex and the City'', and in the American television shows '' Brothers & Sisters'', '' Switched at Birth'' and ''Devious Maids''. He was also the runner-up i ...

as Angelo Sorrento (recurring season 1, regular season 2–3): Bay's biological father and Daphne's legal father.

Recurring characters

Marlee Matlin Marlee Beth Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress, author, and activist. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for a ...

as Melody Bledsoe, Emmett's mother and Regina's friend who is also deaf. *

Ivonne Coll Ivonne Coll Mendoza (born June 18, 1947) is a Puerto Rican actress. She was Miss Puerto Rico in 1967 and competed in the Miss Universe pageant the same year. She later became an actress, appearing in films such as ''The Godfather Part II'' and ...

as Adriana Vasquez, Regina's mother. It is a running gag on the show that Adriana likes to watch telenovelas, and she quips that they cannot compete with the real-life drama caused by Angelo. *

Austin Butler Austin Robert Butler (born August 17, 1991) is an American actor. He began his career on television, first in roles on the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon and later on teen dramas, including recurring parts on The CW's ''Life Unexpected'' (2010� ...

as Wilke, Toby's best friend who also dates Daphne briefly. *

Maiara Walsh Maiara Kylior Walsh (born February 18, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She played Ana Solis on the sixth season of the American Broadcasting Company, ABC show ''Desperate Housewives'', Cory in the House#Cast and characters, Meena Paroom o ...

as Simone Sinclair, Bay's nemesis and Toby's ex-girlfriend, as well as Wilkie's ex-girlfriend *

Blair Redford David Blair Redford (born July 27, 1983) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles such as Scotty Grainger on ''The Young and the Restless'', Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald on '' Passions'', Ethan Whitehorse on '' The Lying Game'', Tyl ...

as Ty Mendoza, Bay's ex-boyfriend and Regina and Daphne's friend from their old neighborhood *

Charles Michael Davis Charles Michael Davis (born December 1, 1984) is an American actor, model, producer, and director. He is best known for his roles as Marcel Gerard on The CW television drama '' The Originals'' (2013–2018) and Zane Anders on the TV Land original ...

as Liam Lupo, Bay and Daphne's ex-boyfriend * B. K. Cannon as Mary Beth, Bay's and Ty's friend and Travis' ex-girlfriend *

Anthony Natale Anthony Natale is a deaf Canadian-born American actor who has performed in many movies such as ''Jerry Maguire'' and '' Mr. Holland's Opus'' and TV shows like '' Curb Your Enthusiasm'', '' Ellen,'' and as Captain Thom in ''Nancy Drew''. He also port ...

as Cameron Bledsoe, Emmett's father * TL Forsberg as Olivia, Cameron Bledsoe's stoner ex-girlfriend *

Christopher Wiehl Christopher Wiehl (born ) is an American actor. Life and career Wiehl was born in Yakima, Washington and is of Danish and German descent. His father, Dick Wiehl, was an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He graduated from t ...

as Patrick, Regina's ex-boyfriend *

Tania Raymonde Tania Raymonde Helen Katz, is an American actress and artist. Her career first caught traction when she played the recurring character of Cynthia Sanders on the Fox sitcom '' Malcolm in the Middle'' between 2000 and 2002, followed by the role o ...

as Zarra, Bay's rebellious friend *

Justin Bruening Justin Bruening (born September 24, 1979) is an American actor and former fashion model. He was originally discovered at McDonald's in Escondido, California, by Sue Nessel, a scout for Scott Copeland. Within a week, he was shooting photos with Br ...

as Chef Jeff Reycraft, Daphne's boss and short-term boyfriend * Ryan Lane as Travis Barnes, Daphne's deaf friend. Lane's role as Travis earned him the

RJ Mitte Roy Frank "RJ" Mitte III (; born August 21, 1992) is an American actor, best known for playing Walter "Flynn" White Jr. on the AMC series '' Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013). Like his character on the show, he has cerebral palsy. After moving to ...

Diversity Award at the 2013 Media Access Awards. He is Bay's boyfriend in the final season. * Max Lloyd-Jones as Noah, Bay's hard-of-hearing friend (and short-term boyfriend). The character parallels the real-life situation of Katie Leclerc, with hearing loss due to inherited Ménière's disease. *

Annie Ilonzeh Annette Ngozi Ilonzeh (born August 23, 1983) is a Nigerian-American actress. From 2010 to 2011, she played Maya Ward on the ABC daytime soap opera '' General Hospital'', and later starred as Kate Prince in the short-lived ABC reboot of '' Charl ...

as Lana, the mother of Angelo's second child *

Cassi Thomson Cassi Nicole Thomson (born 14 August 1993) is an Australian-born American actress and singer. She is known for her recurring role as Cara Lynn Walker in the television series ''Big Love'' and for her role as Nikki Papagus on the series '' Switc ...

as Nikki Papagus (Kennish), Toby's ex-wife *

Stephanie Nogueras Stephanie Nogueras (born November 18, 1989) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the television series ''Switched at Birth (TV series), Switched at Birth'', ''Grimm (TV series), Grimm'', and ''Killing It'', as well as the 2018 fi ...

as Natalie Pierce, a Carlton student who becomes Bay's friend * Max Adler as Miles "Tank" Conroy, Bay's ex-boyfriend and Toby's former roommate *

Alec Mapa Alejandro "Alec" Mapa (; born July 10, 1965) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He got his first professional break when he was cast to replace B. D. Wong for the role of Song Liling in the Broadway production of '' M. Butterfly''. He ga ...

as Renzo, Kathryn's friend who she meets while taking tap-dancing classes *

as Campbell Bingman, a pre-med student, wheelchair user and volunteer at the free clinic where Daphne is serving her hours of community service. He briefly dates Daphne. * David Castaneda as Jorge, Daphne's ex-boyfriend *Bianca Bethune as Sharee, Daphne's friend and field hockey teammate from Carlton * Sharon Pierre-Louis as Iris, Daphne's hearing and signing college roommate and cousin of her pre-med interpreter *Adam Hagenbuch as Greg "Mingo" Shimingo, Daphne's college boyfriend and son of John's former business manager *

Nyle DiMarco Nyle DiMarco (born May 8, 1989) is an American model, actor, and deaf activist. In 2015, DiMarco was the winner of The CW's reality television series ''America's Next Top Model'' in season 22, becoming the second male winner and the first deaf w ...

as Garrett Banducci, a Carlton student and co-worker of Travis' who takes a romantic interest in Bay. He is also deaf. * Daniel Durant as Matthew, a deaf boy who tries to frame hearing students at school. He is also revealed as gay and has a romantic interest in Emmett. *

Rachel Shenton Rachel Joy Shenton (born 21 December 1987) is an English actress, screenwriter, and activist. She is known for her roles as Mitzeee Minniver in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' (2010–2013), Lily Summers in the ABC Family drama '' Swit ...

as Lily Summers, a neighbour who becomes pregnant with Toby's baby. * Alice Lee as Skye. * Kenneth Mitchell as Wes, Regina's boss.

Guest stars

Meredith Baxter Meredith Ann Baxter (born June 21, 1947) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles on the CBS sitcom '' Bridget Loves Bernie'' (1972–73), ABC drama series ''Family'' (1976–80) and the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1982 ...

appears in season 1 and 4 as Kathryn's mother Bonnie, a co-investor in John's car wash business, whose favor shifts from Bay to Daphne upon learning of the switch. *

Corbin Bernsen Corbin Dean Bernsen (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor and film director. He appeared as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series '' L.A. Law'',

appears in season 1 as Wilkie's father, James Wilkes Jr., who has the unpleasant task of telling Daphne he is sending his troubled son to boarding school. *

Shelley Long Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. Long portrayed Diane Chambers on the hit sitcom '' Cheers'' and received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Se ...

appears in season 1 as Rya Bellows, a publisher who encourages Kathryn to write her own memoir of the switch. *

Terrell Tilford Terrell Tilford (born July 22, 1969) is an American film, stage, and television actor best known for roles as Eric Bishop on '' Switched at Birth'' (2015–2017), David Grant on '' Guiding Light'' (1998–2001), as Greg Evans on '' One Life to ...

as Eric, opened the coffee shop and Regina is now a partner of. The two of them are also in a relationship. Eric has a young son and mysterious past. * Sandra Bernhard as Teresa Ledarsky, Bay's art teacher in Season 3. * Davi Santos appears in Season 3, Episode 12: Love Among the Ruins as Martin, Nacho's friend. *

Sam Adegoke Samuel Oluwaseyi Adegoke is a Nigerian-American actor known for playing Jeff Colby in the ''Dynasty'' reboot series. Personal life Adegoke was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota and St. Paul, Minnesota. His parents we ...

appears in Season 5, as Chris Walker.

Production

On August 1, 2011, ABC Family announced that they were ordering more episodes for the first season of ''Switched at Birth'', bringing the first season to a total of 30 episodes. After the airing of the series' initial 10 episodes ended on August 8, 2011, the series continued with a winter premiere on January 3, 2012, airing an additional 12 episodes through March 20, 2012. The series began airing the remaining 8 episodes of its first season on September 3, 2012. On , ABC Family renewed ''Switched at Birth'' for a second season; it premiered on . After the spring finale on , the second season resumed on . On July 30, 2013, ABC Family renewed the show for a third season to premiere on January 13, 2014. The show has an American Sign Language expert who helps make sure that the sign language used by the four fluent regulars (Katie Leclerc, Sean Berdy, Constance Marie, and Marlee Matlin) all employ a similar dialect. Airing on March 4, 2013, to mark the 25th anniversary of the "

Deaf President Now Deaf President Now (DPN) was a student protest in March 1988 at Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C. The protest began on March 6, 1988 when the Board of Trustees announced its decision to appoint a hearing candidate, Elizabeth Zinser, over t ...

" protests at Gallaudet University, the season 2 episode "Uprising"—which featured a similar student-led protest surrounding the closure of Carlton School for the Deaf, was produced almost entirely in sign language.

Filming locations

The show was filmed in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. Establishing shots used in several episodes feature video of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, including: a shot of the

Liberty Memorial The National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri was opened in 1926 as the Liberty Memorial. In 2004, it was designated by the United States Congress as the country's official war memorial and museum dedicated to World War ...

in the first episode; the

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art opened in 1994 in Kansas City, Missouri. With a $5 million annual budget and approximately 75,000 visitors each year, it is Missouri's first and largest contemporary museum. Founders The core of the museum's perm ...

; and

Loose Park Loose Park is the third largest park in Kansas City, Missouri, located at 51st Street and Wornall Road. It has a lake, a shelter house, Civil War markers, tennis courts, a water park, picnic areas, and a Rose Garden. The Rose Garden hosts all ...

. Scenes were filmed in Santa Clarita, Valencia, Beverly Hills, and Pasadena.

Broadcast

Reception

The show's premiere on the ABC Family network was the highest-rated ever, with 3.3million viewers. The total, including the first episode's repeat later that evening, was an estimated 4.9million.

Ratings

Awards and nominations

Media information

ABC Family promoted the series by launching an online game, ''Switched at Birth: Hunt for the Code'' one week before the premiere. Bay, a graffiti artist, left her signature stencil image on ten different websites, and players searched for the picture and accompanying code to redeem sneak peeks and enter a drawing to win $4,000. Each weekday, ABCFamily.com posted two clues hinting at a site featuring the image, and instructed users to scan the code with a Microsoft Tag Reader for exclusive content. Additionally, each code had two letters for fans to collect and enter to win upon completion of the ten-digit code.

References

External links

* *
ABC Spark website
{{TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming 2011 American television series debuts 2017 American television series endings 2010s American college television series 2010s American high school television series 2010s American teen drama television series ABC Family original programming Freeform (TV channel) original programming English-language television shows Sign language television shows Television series about families Television series about teenagers Television shows filmed in Los Angeles Television shows set in Kansas Television shows set in Missouri Television series by Disney–ABC Domestic Television Discrimination in fiction