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 (who also served as an executive producer), 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.

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

* Matt Oberg as Vice Principal Clive Murray, Eileen's boyfriend and Pat's friend
* Ramona Young as Allison Adler-Wong, Kenny's lesbian friend and the other member of the school's LGBT club
* Hannah Marks as Mimi Waxberg, Kenny's ex-girlfriend
* Sean Grandillo as Brett Young, Kenny's first boyfriend
* Sarayu Blue as Marcia Worthman
* Brian Huskey as Father Phil
* Caleb Pierce as Stuart
* Madison Iseman as Madison
* Kaylee Bryant as Lacey
* Laura Napoli as Bebe Wood
* Jeremy Lawson as Jesus (Kenny's " shoulder angel")
* Angela Kinsey as Sheila DeMars, Eileen's rival
* Jessica-Snow Wilson as Gloria, Pat's colleague and love interest
* Christopher Avila as Ethan, Shannon's boyfriend
* Ray Ford as Steve the Colorist, Jodi's colleague
* Lizzie White as Claire, Shannon's friend

Guest

* Jimmy Kimmel as himself
* Garrett Clayton as Ricky
* Madison Pettis as Chloe Perrente
* Caroline Morahan as Maleficent (Kenny's "shoulder devil")
* Frances Conroy as Grandma Agnes
* Phil LaMarr as Archie, Pat's partner
* Ian Gomez as Michael-Gregory
* Noah Crawford as Drew
* Scott Menville as Gangbanger ("Pilot") and Tony ("The Real Halloween")
* Cheyenne Jackson as Mr. Peters
* Marija Omaljev-Grbić as Dream Woman
* Jordin Sparks as herself
* Tim Gunn as himself
* RuPaul as himself
* Tyler Oakley as himself
* Lance Bass as himself
* Jane Lynch as herself
* Gus Kenworthy as himself
* Robbie Rogers as himself
* Antonia Lofaso as herself
* Alex Guarnaschelli as herself
* Graham Elliot as himself

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2016)

Season 2 (2016–17)

Ratings

Season 1

Season 2

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Reception

Ratings

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

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.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Real O'Neals, The
2016 American television series debuts
2017 American television series endings
2010s American single-camera sitcoms
2010s American LGBTQ-related sitcoms
2010s American teen sitcoms
American English-language television shows
Religious comedy television series
Gay-related television shows
Irish-American mass media
Television series about dysfunctional families
American television series about teenagers
Television series by ABC Studios
Television shows set in Chicago
Television shows based on books
Fictional portrayals of the Chicago Police Department
American Broadcasting Company sitcoms