SnoopyStyle
Bay Kennish (Vanessa Marano) never felt right with her rich conservative parents. Her mother Kathryn (Lea Thompson) doesn't get her artistic side. Her father John (D.W. Moffett) is a former Royals pitcher and owns several car washes. Her brother Toby (Lucas Grabeel) is the trouble-making musician. She suggests a DNA test which shocks the family. They discover that Bay and another baby was switched at birth. The other girl, Daphne Vasquez (Katie Leclerc), is deaf. She lives in a rough neighborhood with her mother Regina Vasquez (Constance Marie) and grandmother. She goes to a deaf school with her best friend Emmett Bledsoe (Sean Berdy) whose mother is Melody (Marlee Matlin). Regina is about to move out of town when everybody agrees to have the Vasquez move into the Kennish guest house.It's soapy teen family drama. By its nature, it tackles a lot of social issues especially pertaining to the deaf. The things that sold me right from the start are the actors and the usual deaf angle. It's rare to have a show based on deaf characters and that's very intriguing. It also doesn't hurt to have great actors. The younger side of the cast is filled with likable kids. The deaf community is well represented. Everybody is compelling. This is also a story about the parents trying to come to terms with their lost past and their newfound children. The three lead adults are all top level actors who give charismatic emotional performances. The show does get too soapy at times with a lot of social issues. It still manages to stay compelling for its full run.
Michelle-elaine
The direction the show is going is very stressful and just adds to the already overload of racist stress! I used to love this show, I have now canceled all recordings! Your now going to be losing viewers! Isn't there enough hate without this show now adding to it? I loved when this show had inspiration and showed people how to understand differences and overcome that, this is beyond that now and I'm very disappointed.
madisonlavenderfloyd
Though I am a teenager, rarely do I ever watch ABC Family's or "Freeforms" cheesy, teenage romance, drama. Trying to figure out what was so great about Pretty Little Liars or The Secret Life of an American Teenager, I disregarded the show for quite a while. I didn't really find anything wholesome about either show and found them to both be completely annoying. I couldn't even get past the first episode of Pretty Little Liars. I gave The Secret Life of an American Teenager some time but still couldn't find out what was so great about the show. A friend recommended the show to me. But, she also was the main person who pushed me to watch PLL's and TSLOAT, so, of course, I was a little skeptical. I was even more skeptical when I'd found out that the show was on ABC family. I watched the first episode of Switched At Birth and immediately fell in love. Every episode is of course filled with family drama, but they all overcome it in the end. The show proves that two people from completely different backgrounds and families can come together as one. The show is amazingly and beautifully written. One of the stars of the show is deaf, which definitely adds a different twist to the show and it's not just her there are plenty of deaf people who star on the show. The show has taught me much as a person. I've even taken up learning sign language and can confidently say that I know the full alphabet. I've also fallen in love with art, just like Bay loves her art in the show. The show is completely wholesome and has a wonderful message in each episode. I would definitely recommend this show to teenagers who love a little drama but want something different and wholesome.
Jammonte2004
The show is pretty easy to follow and very predictable, albeit there are a few twists. I would not consider this a family show, with children under the age of 14 watching. Granted when I was 14 (2001), teens weren't having as much sex then as they are now (or at least the illusion it seems to have nowadays). With times changing and everything having to be PC, you would think that the PORTRAYAL or DISCUSSION of STATUTORY RAPE would be a hot button issue. Evidently, this one managed to sneak through the cracks. To be perfectly honest, this is an adult show. That's my honest opinion, take it or leave it. Nevertheless, the show is entertaining. Each character, plays their roles well. I could not see anyone else fitting the bill. The star power is decent too, for any movie/TV show fanatic. Lea Thompson will always be one of my actresses for her parts in the Back To The Future trilogy and Constance Marie for her part in George Lopez. I guess that pretty much it.. I extended this just so to read the opinions of other on their subjective views of the whole aforementioned issue. Thanks, my opinion is not up for debate but I would love to read the feedback.