Switched at Birth (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Switched at Birth is an American television series that premiered on ABC Family
on June 6, 2011 at 9:00 ET/PT. The one-hour scripted drama revolves around two teenagers who were switched at birth and grew up in very different environments. The series' debut was the highest rated show debut for ABC Family to date.
On August 1, 2011, ABC Family announced that they were ordering 22 more episodes for the first season of Switched at Birth, bringing the first season to a total of 32 episodes. The additional episodes will start airing on January 3, 2012.
) is an artistic teenager being raised by her stay-at-home mom Kathryn (Lea Thompson
) and former professional baseball player father John (D. W. Moffett), in the wealthy neighborhood Mission Hills, Kansas
along with her brother Toby (Lucas Grabeel
). After studying blood types in school, Bay begins to wonder why her blood type does not match her parents'. The family gets genetic testing done and confirms that Bay is not biologically related to them. They discover that the hospital mistakenly switched her with another newborn, Daphne Vasquez (Katie Leclerc
), a deaf teen living with her struggling single mother Regina (Constance Marie
) and Puerto Rican
grandmother (Ivonne Coll
) in a working class neighborhood in Riverside, Missouri
. A case of meningitis
caused Daphne to lose her hearing as a child so she attends Carlton, a school for the Deaf, where she plays basketball.
When the two families meet, the girls struggle with their identities as Bay relates to Regina's artistic abilities and Daphne is drawn to John's athletic skills, as well as the family's friendly demeanor. The Kennishes learn that Regina is facing financial woes and propose the Vasquezes move into their guest home. The new living situation forces the girls, along with both families, to understand their differences and embrace their similarities. Kathryn wants to bond with Daphne as her mother and unintentionally alienates Bay, whereas Regina is fighting Kathryn's influence on Daphne and though she sometimes bonds with Bay, she doesn't want to switch children. During the season finale, Bay's biological father Angelo Sorrento shows up at her art show. Fighting starts up after some secrets about Regina unfolds.
Oscar winning actress and deaf advocate Marlee Matlin
plays a friend of Regina's and the mother of Emmett (Sean Berdy), Daphne's best friend and school-mate.
expert who helps make sure that the sign language used by the four fluent regulars (Katie Leclerc, Sean Berdy, Constance Marie, and Vanessa Marano) all employ a similar dialect.
," a metropolitan area which includes the distinct municipalities of Kansas City, Kansas
and Kansas City, Missouri
, although the show is filmed in Atlanta. Locations mentioned in the show include Mission Hills, KS
, a suburb of Kansas City, MO where the Kennish family lives, Riverside, MO
, where the Vasquez family lived before moving to the Kennishes' guest house, and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
and Loose Park
, both in Kansas City, MO. In addition, establishing shots used in several episodes feature video of downtown Kansas City, MO, including a shot of Liberty Memorial
in the first episode.
Numerous references throughout the series are made to the fact that John Kennish played for the Kansas City Royals
baseball team. There is no history of anyone with that name playing for the Royals.
Vehicles driven by members of the Kennish family bear Kansas license plates, but they appear to be the 2010 "America's Heartland" base used only for personalized license plates instead of the 2008 "Ad Aspera/State Seal" base used for standard issue license plates. In Season 1, Episode 5 a close up of John Kennish's license plate is clearly visible, showing a Kansas plate, but the county sticker in the upper left corner says "SN", which stands for Shawnee county, Kansas, the county in which the state capitol of Topeka is located, rather than "JO" for Johnson County, Kansas
where Mission Hills is located.
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
on June 6, 2011 at 9:00 ET/PT. The one-hour scripted drama revolves around two teenagers who were switched at birth and grew up in very different environments. The series' debut was the highest rated show debut for ABC Family to date.
On August 1, 2011, ABC Family announced that they were ordering 22 more episodes for the first season of Switched at Birth, bringing the first season to a total of 32 episodes. The additional episodes will start airing on January 3, 2012.
Premise
Bay Kennish (Vanessa MaranoVanessa Marano
Vanessa Nicole Marano is an American actress. She has appeared on the TV series Without a Trace, Gilmore Girls, Scoundrels and The Young and the Restless, among others. She is currently a main character on Switched at Birth, where she stars as Bay Kennish.-Personal life:Vanessa Marano was born...
) is an artistic teenager being raised by her stay-at-home mom Kathryn (Lea Thompson
Lea Thompson
Lea Katherine Thompson is an American actress and director. She is best known for her 1990s NBC situation comedy Caroline in the City and her portrayal of Lorraine Baines McFly, Marty McFly's mother, in the Back to the Future trilogy...
) and former professional baseball player father John (D. W. Moffett), in the wealthy neighborhood Mission Hills, Kansas
Mission Hills, Kansas
Mission Hills is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,498. The city is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, which is adjacent to the east, across the aptly named State Line Road. Mission Hills was originally developed by noted Kansas...
along with her brother Toby (Lucas Grabeel
Lucas Grabeel
Lucas Stephen Grabeel is an American actor, singer, dancer, songwriter, director and producer. As a performer, he is best known for his role as Ryan Evans in Disney Channel Original Movie's High School Musical and its sequels High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year , and as...
). After studying blood types in school, Bay begins to wonder why her blood type does not match her parents'. The family gets genetic testing done and confirms that Bay is not biologically related to them. They discover that the hospital mistakenly switched her with another newborn, Daphne Vasquez (Katie Leclerc
Katie Leclerc
Katie Lynn Leclerc is an American actress. She has appeared on several television series, including Veronica Mars and Fashion House. In 2011, she received a lead role on the show Switched at Birth, starring as Daphne Vasquez....
), a deaf teen living with her struggling single mother Regina (Constance Marie
Constance Marie
Constance Marie Lopez is an American actress. Known professionally as Constance Marie, she is known for her role as Angie Lopez on George Lopez and for her role as Marcella Quintanilla in the 1997 film Selena...
) and Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
grandmother (Ivonne Coll
Ivonne Coll
Ivonne Coll is a former Miss Puerto Rico turned actress who played the role of "Yolanda" in the movie The Godfather II.-Early years:...
) in a working class neighborhood in Riverside, Missouri
Riverside, Missouri
Riverside is a city in Platte County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,979 at the 2000 census.The town on the edge of the Missouri River has a long history of racing and gambling. It formally incorporated in 1951....
. A case of meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
caused Daphne to lose her hearing as a child so she attends Carlton, a school for the Deaf, where she plays basketball.
When the two families meet, the girls struggle with their identities as Bay relates to Regina's artistic abilities and Daphne is drawn to John's athletic skills, as well as the family's friendly demeanor. The Kennishes learn that Regina is facing financial woes and propose the Vasquezes move into their guest home. The new living situation forces the girls, along with both families, to understand their differences and embrace their similarities. Kathryn wants to bond with Daphne as her mother and unintentionally alienates Bay, whereas Regina is fighting Kathryn's influence on Daphne and though she sometimes bonds with Bay, she doesn't want to switch children. During the season finale, Bay's biological father Angelo Sorrento shows up at her art show. Fighting starts up after some secrets about Regina unfolds.
Oscar winning actress and deaf advocate Marlee Matlin
Marlee Matlin
Marlee Bethany Matlin is an American actress. She is the only deaf actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, which she won for Children of a Lesser God. Her work in film and television has resulted in a Golden Globe award, with two additional nominations, and four Emmy...
plays a friend of Regina's and the mother of Emmett (Sean Berdy), Daphne's best friend and school-mate.
Cast and characters
- Katie LeclercKatie LeclercKatie Lynn Leclerc is an American actress. She has appeared on several television series, including Veronica Mars and Fashion House. In 2011, she received a lead role on the show Switched at Birth, starring as Daphne Vasquez....
portrays Daphne Paloma Vasquez, the biological daughter of John and Kathryn Kennish. She is the legal daughter of Regina Vasquez. She was born on October 22, 1995. She was deafened at age three as a result of drugs used to treat meningitis. - Vanessa MaranoVanessa MaranoVanessa Nicole Marano is an American actress. She has appeared on the TV series Without a Trace, Gilmore Girls, Scoundrels and The Young and the Restless, among others. She is currently a main character on Switched at Birth, where she stars as Bay Kennish.-Personal life:Vanessa Marano was born...
portrays Bay Madeleine Kennish, the biological daughter of Angelo Sorrento and Regina Vasquez. She is the legal daughter of John and Kathryn Kennish. She was also born on October 22, 1995. She is dating Emmett. - Constance MarieConstance MarieConstance Marie Lopez is an American actress. Known professionally as Constance Marie, she is known for her role as Angie Lopez on George Lopez and for her role as Marcella Quintanilla in the 1997 film Selena...
portrays Regina Vasquez, Daphne's mother and Bay's biological mother. - D. W. Moffett portrays John Kennish, Bay's father and Daphne and Toby's biological father.
- Lea ThompsonLea ThompsonLea Katherine Thompson is an American actress and director. She is best known for her 1990s NBC situation comedy Caroline in the City and her portrayal of Lorraine Baines McFly, Marty McFly's mother, in the Back to the Future trilogy...
portrays Kathryn Kennish, Bay's mother and Daphne and Toby's biological mother. - Lucas GrabeelLucas GrabeelLucas Stephen Grabeel is an American actor, singer, dancer, songwriter, director and producer. As a performer, he is best known for his role as Ryan Evans in Disney Channel Original Movie's High School Musical and its sequels High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year , and as...
portrays Toby Kennish, John and Kathryn's son, Bay's brother, and Daphne's biological brother. He develops a gambling problem, but comes to terms with dealing with it. - Sean Berdy portrays Emmett Bledsoe, Daphne's long-time best friend who is also deaf, and refuses to use his voice to communicate. He becomes a temporary drummer in Wilke and Toby's band as well as both Bay and Daphne's love interest. He is in a relationship with Bay.
Recurring cast
- Marlee MatlinMarlee MatlinMarlee Bethany Matlin is an American actress. She is the only deaf actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, which she won for Children of a Lesser God. Her work in film and television has resulted in a Golden Globe award, with two additional nominations, and four Emmy...
portrays Melody Bledsoe, a deaf guidance counselor and basketball coach at the Carlton School for the Deaf, Emmett's mother, and Regina's best friend. When Bay and Emmett begin dating, Melody disapproves. - Austin ButlerAustin ButlerAustin Robert Butler is an American actor, singer, and model. He is best known for his feature films roles as Jake Pearson in Aliens in the Attic and as Peyton Leverette in the High School Musical spin-off film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, as well as for his television roles as James on Zoey 101,...
portrays Wilke, Toby's rich best friend, who is in a band with him. He becomes Daphne's love interest and causes Toby to get into a gambling situation. - Ivonne CollIvonne CollIvonne Coll is a former Miss Puerto Rico turned actress who played the role of "Yolanda" in the movie The Godfather II.-Early years:...
portrays Adriana Vasquez, Regina's mother, Daphne's grandmother and Bay's biological grandmother who lives with Regina and Daphne in the Kennish guest house. - Blair RedfordBlair RedfordDavid Blair Redford is an American actor.- Personal life :Redford grew up in the suburb of Canton, Georgia and attended Sequoyah High School. He is of Irish, French, German, and Native American descent...
portrays Tyler "Ty" Mendoza, Daphne's close friend, and Bay's love interest and short lived boyfriend before he leaves for the military in episode five. - Charles Michael Davis portrays Liam Lupo, the former boyfriend of Bay and short-time boyfriend of Daphne, his father owns a restaurant in town.
- Meeghan Holaway portrays Amanda Burke, Esq., the Kennishes friend and lawyer, helping John to sue the hospital for medical malpractice.
- Jason Brooks portrays Bruce, the ex-husband of Kathryn's friend and love interest of Regina, until she comes to the conclusion he still has feelings for his ex-wife.
- Gilles MariniGilles MariniGilles Marini is a French actor. He is known for having appeared in Sex and the City: The Movie and in the American TV show Brothers & Sisters as Luc Laurent.-Life and career:...
portrays Angelo Sorrento, the biological father of Bay Kennish and ex-husband of Regina Vasquez. When Daphne was three, he had her DNA tested, which proved his suspicions that she was not his biological daughter. He believed Regina must have had an affair and left her to raise Daphne alone. When he learns of the switch, he returns and hopes to be a part of Bay, Daphne and Regina's lives. - Oliver MuirheadOliver MuirheadOliver Muirhead is an English character actor known for often portraying pompous country gentlemen. In 1986, he also directed the musical pantomime A Christmas Held Captive. In addition to acting, Muirhead has also lent his voice to various animated series such as P.J...
portrays Geraldo, the owner of the local hair salon patronized by Kathryn and her friends. Regina later works here in order to move her business to Mission HillsMission Hills-California:* Mission Hills, California, in Santa Barbara County* Mission Hills, Los Angeles, a community within Los Angeles* Mission Hills, San Diego, an old subdivision in north-central San Diego-Elsewhere:* Mission Hills, Kansas, in Johnson County...
.
Production
The show has an American Sign LanguageAmerican Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
expert who helps make sure that the sign language used by the four fluent regulars (Katie Leclerc, Sean Berdy, Constance Marie, and Vanessa Marano) all employ a similar dialect.
Audio Editing
Scenes featuring only deaf characters having a conversation (mainly Daphne and Emmett) have their audio edited to remove all background noise except for ambient noise. This is done so viewers can focus on the emotions and physical nature of sign language, while also providing them with a perspective of what it's like to be deaf.Setting
The show is set in "Kansas CityKansas City Metropolitan Area
The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a fifteen-county metropolitan area that is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri and is bisected by the border between the states of Missouri and Kansas. As of the 2010 Census, the metropolitan area has a population of 2,035,334. The metropolitan area is the...
," a metropolitan area which includes the distinct municipalities of Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
and Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, although the show is filmed in Atlanta. Locations mentioned in the show include Mission Hills, KS
Mission Hills, Kansas
Mission Hills is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,498. The city is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, which is adjacent to the east, across the aptly named State Line Road. Mission Hills was originally developed by noted Kansas...
, a suburb of Kansas City, MO where the Kennish family lives, Riverside, MO
Riverside, Missouri
Riverside is a city in Platte County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,979 at the 2000 census.The town on the edge of the Missouri River has a long history of racing and gambling. It formally incorporated in 1951....
, where the Vasquez family lived before moving to the Kennishes' guest house, and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art opened in 1994 in Kansas City, Missouri. The core of the museum's permanent collection is the Bebe and R. Crosby Kemper Jr. Collection, a gift of the museum's founders. The collection includes works created after the 1913 Armory Show to works by present-day...
and Loose Park
Loose Park
Loose Park is the third largest park in Kansas City. It is located at 51st Street and Wornall Road. The park is home to a lake, a shelter house, Civil War markers, tennis courts, a water park, picnic areas and a Rose Garden...
, both in Kansas City, MO. In addition, establishing shots used in several episodes feature video of downtown Kansas City, MO, including a shot of Liberty Memorial
Liberty Memorial
The Liberty Memorial, located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, is a memorial to the fallen soldiers of World War I and houses the The National World War I Museum, as designated by the United States Congress in 2004.. Groundbreaking commenced November 1, 1921, and the city held a site dedication...
in the first episode.
Numerous references throughout the series are made to the fact that John Kennish played for the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
baseball team. There is no history of anyone with that name playing for the Royals.
Vehicles driven by members of the Kennish family bear Kansas license plates, but they appear to be the 2010 "America's Heartland" base used only for personalized license plates instead of the 2008 "Ad Aspera/State Seal" base used for standard issue license plates. In Season 1, Episode 5 a close up of John Kennish's license plate is clearly visible, showing a Kansas plate, but the county sticker in the upper left corner says "SN", which stands for Shawnee county, Kansas, the county in which the state capitol of Topeka is located, rather than "JO" for Johnson County, Kansas
Johnson County, Kansas
Johnson County is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States. The county is largely suburban, being part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, and containing many of its affluent southwestern suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 544,179. Its county...
where Mission Hills is located.
Promotion
One week before the premiere, ABC Family launched the online game, "Switched at Birth: Hunt for the Code." Bay, a graffiti artist, left her signature stencil image on 10 different websites and users searched for the picture and accompanying code to redeem sneak peeks and enter 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.Reception
The show had the highest-rated premiere ever on the ABC Family network with total viewers of 3.3 million made up of adults 18-34 1 million, women 18-34 over 750,000, adults 18-49 1.7 million and women 18-49 1.7 million. Including a repeat later the same evening, the premiere was seen by an estimated total of 4.9 million viewers on its first broadcast day. The first 10 episodes are available on Netflix's Watch Instantly service.Awards
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Recipient(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | ||||
| Teen Choice Award 2011 Teen Choice Awards The 2011 Teen Choice Awards hosted by Kaley Cuoco aired live on August 7, 2011 at 8/7c on Fox. This was the first time that the ceremonies were aired live since the 2007 show... |
Choice Breakout Star | Katie Leclerc Katie Leclerc Katie Lynn Leclerc is an American actress. She has appeared on several television series, including Veronica Mars and Fashion House. In 2011, she received a lead role on the show Switched at Birth, starring as Daphne Vasquez.... |
||
| Teen Choice Award | Choice Breakout Star | Sean Berdy | ||
| Teen Choice Award | Choice Summer TV Show | Switched at Birth | ||
| Teen Choice Award | Choice Summer TV Star: Male | Lucas Grabeel Lucas Grabeel Lucas Stephen Grabeel is an American actor, singer, dancer, songwriter, director and producer. As a performer, he is best known for his role as Ryan Evans in Disney Channel Original Movie's High School Musical and its sequels High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year , and as... |
||
| Teen Choice Award | Choice Summer TV Star: Female | Vanessa Marano Vanessa Marano Vanessa Nicole Marano is an American actress. She has appeared on the TV series Without a Trace, Gilmore Girls, Scoundrels and The Young and the Restless, among others. She is currently a main character on Switched at Birth, where she stars as Bay Kennish.-Personal life:Vanessa Marano was born... |
||
| ALMA Award Alma Award The American Latino Media Arts Award, or ALMA Award is a distinction awarded to Latino performers who promote positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment field... |
Favorite TV Actress - Supporting Role | Constance Marie Constance Marie Constance Marie Lopez is an American actress. Known professionally as Constance Marie, she is known for her role as Angie Lopez on George Lopez and for her role as Marcella Quintanilla in the 1997 film Selena... |