Watch The Kids Are Alright

TV-PG
2018
1 Season
7.9 (3,764)

The Kids Are Alright is a modern family sitcom set in the 1970s that premiered on ABC in 2018. The show is loosely based on the creator Tim Doyle's own childhood experiences growing up in an Irish-Catholic family with eight siblings. The show follows the Cleary family, an Irish-Catholic family living in a suburb of Los Angeles, California. Mike and Peggy Cleary (played by Michael Cudlitz and Mary McCormack) are the parents of eight sons ranging from toddlers to teenagers. The kids are often trying to find their place in the world while living under the roof of a tight-knit and traditional family.

The showâs opening theme is a cover of The Whoâs âBaba OâRileyâ by a young band from Los Angeles called The Score. The theme sets the tone for the show with its nostalgic energy that's both rebellious and classic.

The oldest Cleary son, Lawrence (played by Sam Straley), is a devout Catholic attending a seminary school to become a priest, yet not necessarily because he feels called to service. William (played by Andy Walken) is the third son and the middle of the five boys who occupy a room together. He's a sensitive and artistic spirit in a family that doesn't necessarily understand his dreams.

The series features the lives of the family members as they navigate through their day-to-day experiences with school, religion, work, and their relationships with one another. The Clearys often find themselves in situations that challenge their traditional Irish-Catholic upbringing, such as when their eldest son expresses his political beliefs or their son Eddie (played by Caleb Martin Foote) decides to quit the church choir.

The showâs writing is sharp and funny, and it rings true to the 1970s era. The set design and costumes are also a highlight of the show, transporting viewers back to the time period with bold colors, patterns, and hairstyles.

Mary McCormack shines as the family matriarch, Peggy, who balances her devotion to her family while also finding fulfillment in her work outside of the home. Michael Cudlitz brings a sense of warmth to the role of Mike Cleary, a man married to his wife for eighteen years who loves his family but isn't afraid to call them out on their mistakes.

The Kids Are Alright is a charming and heartwarming show that celebrates the resilience and love of a big, Irish-Catholic family. It's a great watch for anyone who enjoys classic family sitcoms and stories set in a bygone era. The show only aired for one season, but it left its mark on audiences and critics alike.

The Kids Are Alright is a series that ran for 1 seasons (23 episodes) between October 16, 2018 and on ABC (US)

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Seasons

23. Irish Goodbye

May 21, 2019

Peggy struggles with Lawrence's decision to move out of the house, especially after she discovers that he is secretly moving in with a girlfriend she's never met. Lawrence's determination to keep Peggy out of his personal life only causes her to investigate further, while Mike welcomes his departure. Meanwhile, Timmy can't find his ventriloquist dummy, Knuckles, and learns that Joey took him without asking.

22. Whales

May 14, 2019

After learning that donations are down at their church, Peggy grows concerned that the cutbacks will affect the nursing home where she is secretly housing a close relative. Mike and Peggy blame the low donations on Father Abdi and disagree with him about how to raise funds. Meanwhile, Joey pet-sits his friend's snake and, in true Joey fashion, uses the snake to his advantage.

21. Mike's Award

May 7, 2019

Peggy's competitive side kicks in when she learns that Helen's husband's professional accomplishments are getting high recognition, so she decides to get Mike into the limelight. Elsewhere, always seeking glory, Joey acts as Timmy's manager to make sure he performs his magic act at the Pioneer Day Carnival, while Eddie is determined to prove to Frank that the carnival games aren't all rigged.

20. Timmy's New Hobby

April 30, 2019

Peggy discovers that Timmy has a newfound and inappropriate hobby and urges Mike to talk to him about it even though he is reluctant to do so. Despite being uncomfortable, Mike attempts to have a conversation with Timmy about the topic and enlists Lawrence's help in the matter. Elsewhere, Frank is determined to finally catch Joey in a lie.

19. Mass For Shut-ins

April 16, 2019

A concerned Peggy manipulates William into joining the church choir to keep him engaged in Catholicism after learning he's questioning his beliefs. Meanwhile, Timmy learns that the choir will be appearing on television and once again sees his opportunity to make his way into the spotlight. Elsewhere, Eddie and Joey are determined to get a hold of Led Zeppelin tickets but keep missing their chance.

18. Peggy Drives Away

April 9, 2019

After a mishap at the grocery store, Peggy storms out of the house without explanation, leaving Mike and the boys wondering which one of them set her off. Meanwhile, Mike thinks he may be the culprit who sent Peggy away for not signing an application for a credit card she wanted, and he enlists Wendi to help find her.

17. Low Expectations

March 26, 2019

To fulfill his showbiz dreams, Timmy enters a contest to appear on "The Partridge Family" and takes matters into his own hands when he doesn't hear back. Elsewhere, Peggy takes a driving test in order to get her license, but anxiety sets in and things don't go according to plan. In secret, Peggy tries a few questionable shortcuts to becoming a legally licensed driver, and in the process, drags the Cleary kids into her web of deceit.

16. Wendi's House

March 19, 2019

Mike and Peggy are sympathetic when Wendi's parents split up until Peggy realizes that Wendi's parents left her in the house alone, giving her and Eddie an unsupervised love nest. Elsewhere, Joey goes undercover to enter a cockroach he found in a race at a nearby bar. Meanwhile, Timmy is determined to watch the Jerry Lewis Telethon no matter what obstacles come his way.

15. Nine Birthdays

February 26, 2019

Peggy's talent for reusing wax from old birthday candles to create new ones lures her into exploring an identity outside the home for the first time. Her newfound candle-making work takes up more time, prompting Mike to get angry that her focus is straying from the family and the domestic duties. Meanwhile, Timmy is determined to get audience tickets on his birthday for a taping of "Boxcar Billy's Hobo Jamboree" in the hopes of making it on TV.

14. Happy Cecil

February 19, 2019

Mike and Peggy are stunned when they learn that Father Dunne has a girlfriend and decides to leave the priesthood. When the associate pastor, Father Abdi, is put in charge, Mike and Peggy do their best to adjust to the new changes until Peggy gets an idea for how to get rid of him. Meanwhile, Frank loses the church keys entrusted to him by Father Abdi and must find them before anyone else does.

13. Vietnam

February 12, 2019

The Clearys feel conflicted when Lawrence and Eddie are drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. Although Eddie and Lawrence try to avoid going, they come to terms with their fate, but the events of the day weigh heavily on Peggy and Mike. Though they are both proud, Mike and Peggy take matters into their own hands and try to derail Lawrence and Eddie's decision to serve their country.

12. Valentine's Day

February 5, 2019

To inspire Timmy to take better care of his personal hygiene, Peggy decides to take matters into her own hands and tricks him in hopes of solving the problem. Meanwhile, a concerned Mike fears that Peggy's meddling is causing Timmy to develop insecurities and robbing him of his passion for performance. At school, Timmy receives a Valentine's Day card from a secret admirer and becomes unnerved by the possibility of having a mystery suitor. Elsewhere, Eddie reports a recurring incident to Wendi's boss in an attempt to be helpful, but his chivalrous deed backfires.

11. Mailbox

January 22, 2019

Eddie becomes distraught when Wendi breaks up with him over disagreements on how they want to handle their future. Meanwhile, Mike struggles to address Eddie's heartbreak, and Peggy contemplates whether she has to break up with Wendi too. To complicate things further, Joey convinces Frank to send Wendi a love letter, pleading his case as to why she should be his girlfriend. With Frank's impending humiliation on the horizon, the Cleary boys try to help him retrieve the letter and just end up getting into more trouble.

10. Show Boat

January 15, 2019

Against Peggy's wishes, Frank secretly helps design a set for a musical in which Timmy is performing. Feeling jealous of all the positive attention Frank is getting for his work, Timmy devises a plan which forces Frank to admit his involvement on set, but Timmy's scheming backfires. Meanwhile, Mike grows increasingly concerned that Joey is heading down a shady moral path with all his wheeling and dealing, and decides to teach him a lesson.

9. The Love List

January 8, 2019

The Cleary boys want Peggy to tell them she loves them after seeing how loving Pat's friend's parents are. Playing on their insecurities, Peggy posts a ranked list of their names on the fridge in the hopes that it will bring out their competitive instincts, and someone will divulge who broke the dining room light fixture. Charged with several emotions, Timmy incriminates his brother but feels so guilty that he gets a horrible stomachache and heads to the hospital.

8. Christmas 1972

December 11, 2018

When Peggy's successful brother, Tom, drops in for Christmas, Mike immediately oozes with jealousy. Thus begins Mike's one-sided competition with Tom, using his kids as pawns to help. After Tom gives the Clearys an extravagant Christmas gift, pride prevents Mike from taking it

7. Little Cyst

December 4, 2018

Mike and Peggy think they might be expecting again, but later Peggy is diagnosed with having a cyst instead. The experience launches them into a debate about whether or not they should have another child. Meanwhile, the kids spy on Mike and Peggy to try to figure out what all their unusual behavior is about. When Pat overhears that they are going to have a little sister, the Cleary kids decide to dig deeper and continue their investigation, which only leads them on a downward spiral.

6. Behind the Counter

November 27, 2018

Mike comes to the conclusion that Eddie is being sexually active and takes it upon himself to give him enough advice to work things out. Later, Peggy disagrees with how Mike handled the situation and they argue over how much they should interfere in their children's lives. Elsewhere, Joey and Timmy attempt to disrupt Frank's plan to do free yardwork so that they can go back to getting paid.

5. Boxing

November 20, 2018

Frank announces that he has decided to compete in the church boxing tournament, making it obvious that he's playing for Mike's affections. When Frank can't cut it, Timmy steps in and takes up boxing in order to bond with his dad and get his approval. Ultimately, he has to choose between his dad's dreams for him and his own dreams of showbiz glory. Elsewhere, feeling rusty after being at the seminary for so long, Lawrence asks Eddie to help prepare him for a date by taking him on a "practice date".

4. Peggy's Day Out

November 13, 2018

To hide a mess Eddie made, his girlfriend Wendi tries to distract Peggy by insisting she take a day off with a fun day out while they take care of the housework. To everyone's surprise, Peggy accepts the offer and requests Wendi tag along, with the ulterior motive of teaching her a lesson. Meanwhile, Eddie enlists the help of his brothers to clean up and keep Mike out of the house while Wendi and Peggy are out. Elsewhere, Pat introduces Timmy to his secret dog.

3. Microwave

October 30, 2018

After Mike proudly introduces a new microwave to the Cleary household, Peggy immediately rejects it as she feels like it's intruding into her domain. Fed up with Mike's experimenting and nudging, Peggy secretly sabotages his happiness. Meanwhile, eager to see "everything" exposed for the first time, Joey and Timmy go to extreme lengths to see Barbara Eden's wardrobe malfunction on a Bob Hope TV special. Elsewhere, Lawrence attempts to apply lessons from a psych class at school to psychoanalyze Mike and Peggy, only to realize he needs to look deeply at himself.

2. Timmy's Poem

October 23, 2018

To Peggy's dismay, Timmy decides to enter a poetry contest to win the money he needs to repair his ventriloquist dummy. Stumped, he decides to plagiarize a poem and soon realizes he's not the only one who passed it off as his own. Meanwhile, Mike and Lawrence continue to butt heads when Lawrence complains that there are no fresh vegetables in the family's diet.

1. Pilot

October 16, 2018

Lawrence returns home and announces he’s quitting the seminary to go off and “save the world.” Times are changing and this family will never be the same.

Description

Where to Watch The Kids Are Alright

The Kids Are Alright is available for streaming on the ABC (US) website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch The Kids Are Alright on demand at Amazon, Vudu, Google Play and Apple TV.