| Genre: | Sitcom |
| Narrated: | Noah Galvin |
| Composer: | Transcenders |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 29 |
| Camera: | Single-camera |
| Runtime: | 22 minutes |
| Network: | ABC |
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.[1] [2] [3] The series was renewed for a second season on May 12, 2016,[4] which premiered on October 11, 2016.
On May 11, 2017, ABC canceled the series after two seasons.[5]
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.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|
| No. | Title | Air date | data-sort-type="number" | Rating/share (18–49) | data-sort-type="number" | Viewers (millions) | data-sort-type="number" | DVR (18–49) | data-sort-type="number" | DVR viewers (millions) | data-sort-type="number" | Total (18–49) | data-sort-type="number" | Total viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | 1.8/6 | 6.33 | |||||||||||
| 2 | "The Real Papaya" | 1.9/6 | 6.01 | |||||||||||
| 3 | "The Real Lent" | 1.1/4 | 3.99 | |||||||||||
| 4 | "The Real F Word" | 1.0/4 | 3.47 | |||||||||||
| 5 | "The Real Spring Fever" | 1.0/4 | 3.75 | |||||||||||
| 6 | "The Real Man" | 1.0/4 | 3.67 | |||||||||||
| 7 | "The Real Grandma" | 1.0/4 | 3.65 | |||||||||||
| 8 | "The Real Book Club" | 0.8/3 | 2.98 | |||||||||||
| 9 | "The Real Wedding" | 1.0/4 | 3.46 | |||||||||||
| 10 | "The Real Retreat" | 0.9/3 | 3.29 | |||||||||||
| 11 | "The Real Other Woman" | 0.9/3 | 3.15 | |||||||||||
| 12 | "The Real Rules" | 0.9/3 | 3.25 | |||||||||||
| 13 | "The Real Prom" | 1.1/4 | 4.21 | |||||||||||
}
| Season | Time slot (ET/PT) | Episodes | Season premiere | Season finale | TV season | Rank | Viewers (in millions) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | span style="width:7%; font-size:smaller; line-height:100%;" | Viewers (in millions) | Date | span style="width:10%; font-size:smaller; line-height:100%;" | Viewers (in millions) | ||||
| 1 | Wednesday 8:30 pm Wednesday 9:30 pm Tuesday 8:30 pm | 13 | March 2, 2016 | 6.33[8] | May 24, 2016 | 4.21[9] | 2015–16 |
| 4.46[10] |
| 2 | Tuesday 9:30 pm | 16 | October 11, 2016 | 3.76 | March 14, 2017 | 2.67 | 2016–17 |
| 3.71[11] |
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".[12] 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."[13]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Dorian Awards[14] | LGBTQ Show of the Year | The Real O'Neals | |
| Unsung TV Show of the Year | The Real O'Neals | |||
| 2017 | Humanitas Prize | 30 Minute Network or Syndicated Television | Episode: "The Real Grandma" | |
| Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Choreography | The Real O'Neals |
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.[15]
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.[16]