Tom (Topher Grace) is a middling novelist with dwindling readership, Sarah (Caitlin McGee) works with at-risk kids, and younger brother Connor (Jimmy Tatro) is set for life in a sprawling, emptier-than-usual mansion. They’re a tight-knit bunch, as are the various kids and spouses that make up the broader Hayworth family tree, including Sarah’s wife Denise (Sasheer Zamata). Another of the show’s hooks is that, aside from the interplay between the sibling’s families, Tom is working on a new novel based on them all. National Lampoon biopic “A Futile and Stupid Gesture” writer Michael Colton based the show on his own life, co-creating and writing the series with writing partner John Aboud. The pair don’t shy away from the comparisons to “Modern Family,” but they want to unpack the Hayworth family dynamic in a way the show’s predecessor couldn’t.
“We’ve been talking for years about how to come up with the next great family sitcom that reflected all the stories that Mike has, and that our friends talk about that are in the culture,” Aboud said at the “Home Economics” panel for Television Critics Association virtual Winter 2021 Press Tour. “We’ve been fans of ‘Modern Family’ forever. But when you look at those three families and how those stories intersect, you look at their houses, all those guys are rich. They are not dealing with financial troubles.” Tom’s hesitance comes a little bit from Colton’s experiences, too. But he explained that he’s been a tad more forthcoming with his own family than Tom is on the show. “It is a very meta concept, because a lot of this season is about Tom is writing a novel that is based on his family, but he initially doesn’t tell them. With my family, I told them, but I waited a little while to read the script. I was a little unsure how they would react, but I think everybody’s excited about it,” Colton said. Watch the full “Home Economics” (with plenty of flying Monopoly bills) below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1bsDeBn95s&feature=youtu.be Another part of the show’s TCA presentation included an ABC parody omnibus that reimagined “Home Economics” as some of the network’s other biggest hits. It’s fun! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK9Tm6_EnvM&feature=youtu.be “Home Economics” premieres Wednesday, April 7 on ABC. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
