The McDaniels (season 1)

The first season of the NBC drama television series The McDaniels follows the McDaniel family over several generations across three time periods. The show is led by . The series premiered on October 3, 2016 and the first season concluded after sixteen episodes on February 20, 2017. The series received very positive reviews from critics and became a ratings success. The series was nominated for numerous awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, and the Golden Globe for Best Television Series – Drama.
The series was renewed for a second season on December 5, 2016.
== Cast and characters ==
===Main===
*Hilary Swank as Bonnie (Scott) Sander
*Lea Thompson as Deborah McDaniel
*David Wenham as Mark McDaniel
*Vincent D'Onofrio as Joel McDaniel
*Jennie Garth as Janelle Puitt
*Martha Plimpton as Karen Smith
*Josh Segarra as Justin McDaniel
*Ryan Eggold as Larry McDaniel
*Mandy Moore as Wilma McDaniel
*William Zabka as Steve McDaniel
===Recurring===
== Episodes ==
No. overall	No. in season	Title 	Original air date	Synopsis
1 	1 	"Pilot" 	October 3, 2016 	
2 	2 	"Family Fun" 	October 10, 2016 	As Bonnie and Deborah attempt to bond with their grandkids, Justin struggles to be a part of Morgan's life. Meanwhile, Janelle visits Karen, Kaleb introduces his girlfriend to his parents, and Wilma and Larry take their kids to the zoo.
3 	3 	"Whatever It Takes" 	October 17, 2016 	Bonnie struggles with her husbands in both the past and the future, while Shannon tries to find a job. Janelle rejuvenates their church, Justin's custody battle begins, and Braedon breaks his knee.
4 	4 	"I'm Sorry" 	October 24, 2016 	
5 	5 	"The 31st" 	October 31, 2016 	The McDaniels celebrate Halloween, and while in the past, the kids trick-or-treat for the first time, in the present, Justin takes Jordan out and runs into Nicole, while Braedon and Matt both get themselves into trouble. Meanwhile, Karen meets a woman whose back surgery failed, and Joel struggles to find an interior designer.
6 	6 	"Let's Just Go Home"	November 14, 2016	Joel and Robyn struggle with their marital issues in both the past and the present. Bonnie and Deborah each have an eventful day with their granddaughters, while Barbara's trip to see Jessica ends in disaster. Meanwhile, Janelle attempts to be closer with Sarah.
7 	7 	"Told You So" 	November 21, 2016	On Thanksgiving, Karen and Eddie, along with Janelle and Byron, run into issues at the airport on their way to Portland. Mark and Joel get their families together, but Barbara crashes their dinner. Elsewhere, Steve, Justin, and Jordan are forced to stay the night in Oklahoma when the freeway closes, while Deborah spends time with her kids. In flashbacks, Bonnie and Ricky's relationship begins.
8 	8 	 	November 28, 2016	
9 	9 	 	December 5, 2016 	
10 	10 	 	December 12, 2016	
11 	11 	 	January 16, 2017 	
12 	12 	 	January 23, 2017 	
13 	13 	 	January 30, 2017 	
14 	14 	 	February 6, 2017 	
15 	15 	 	February 13, 2017	
16 	16 	 	February 20, 2017	
== Production ==
To keep within the show's setting, Hilary Swank filmed in Portland, Oregon, Lea Thompson, David Wenham, and Vincent D'Onofrio filmed in Van Buren and Fort Smith, Arkansas, Jennie Garth filmed in Eureka, California, Martha Plimpton filmed in Chicago, Illinois, and Josh Segarra, Ryan Eggold, Mandy Moore, and William Zabka filmed in Winfield, Kansas. Cast members flew to different locations depending on plot convience, forcing the production schedule to planned months in advance, to account for potential delays. Filming commenced in each location for the pilot in mid-March, and had completed only a few days later. Filming for the rest of the season went underway in July and completed on October 30, 2016, after only four episodes had aired.
== Reception ==
The series received positive reviews from critics and was a heavy awards contender. At the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, the series received eight major nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (for Ryan Eggold), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (for Hilary Swank and Mandy Moore), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (for David Wenham), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (for Jennie Garth and Martha Plimpton), and Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series (for "The Tree"), winning Outstanding Lead Actress for Swank.