TV Drama with the Best Progressive Values: The Fosters

Are any other DU-ers watching “The Fosters”? I never heard of it before Netflix recommended it a few months ago, so I was surprised to learn it’s in its fifth season on the Freeform Channel (returning in Jan). But after watching the first episode, I was hooked. I’ve since watched all 4½ seasons available for streaming and recommended it to all my liberal friends because if there’s a more progressive drama on TV, I haven’t found it.

The show is about a multi-racial family headed by a lesbian couple raising a brood of foster, adopted, and biological teens. Intertwined in the main plotlines of battling the foster-care system, family upheavals, and teenage angst are multiple strands of progressive values and topical issues, which are portrayed with sensitivity and realism without going all preachy.

Among the progressive values embraced by “The Fosters” are “Love Is Love” and “DNA doesn’t make a family; love does” and “It takes a village…” and “Bitches get things done.” In the Adams Foster Family, the highest praise is to say someone is “kind,” while the most stinging reprimand is to be called “selfish.”

After a few episodes, I began listing the hot issues this show addresses that we lefties care about. As more a teaser than a spoiler, here are some: Privatized for-profit foster care, homophobia, teenage contraception, substance abuse/recovery, bullying, suicide, Alzheimer’s and several other health issues, women’s empowerment, transphobia, marriage equality, abortion, private/public school funding, police brutality/BLM, sex trafficking, hate speech, white privilege, active shooter threats, Resistance movement/civil disobedience, DACA/immigration, and lesbian bed death.

In a totally self-serving effort to boost ratings and get “The Fosters” renewed for another season, below are videos of (a) one of my favorite scenes (one of the moms talking to their gay foster kid about homophobia) and (b) the series’ first episode. Please enjoy!