The wealthy town of Westport, Conn., is full of cookie-cutter mommies and their seemingly perfect offspring, but the members of the Otto family can't be counted among them. Confident housewife Katie Otto shares a home with her husband, Jeff, and their three children Taylor, Harrison and Anna-Kat, and while she loves them all dearly, she recognizes they probably aren't going to land themselves in a magazine spread anytime soon. The matriarch knows her family is beautifully flawed, and she's far from sorry.
Based on chef Eddie Huang's best-selling memoir of the same name, "Fresh Off the Boat" takes a humorous look at the lives of immigrants in America. In the 1990s, Eddie, a hip-hop-loving 11-year-old, relocates with his parents and two brothers to suburban Orlando from the Chinatown section of Washington, D.C. As Eddie's dad, Louis, pursues the American dream by opening a western-themed restaurant named Cattleman's Ranch Steakhouse, Eddie and the rest of the family try to acclimate to their new, strange surroundings.
Told from the perspective of an unseen documentary filmmaker, the series offers an honest, often-hilarious perspective of family life. Parents Phil and Claire yearn for an honest, open relationship with their three kids. But a daughter who is trying to grow up too fast, another who is too smart for her own good, and a rambunctious young son make it challenging. Claire's dad, Jay, and his Latina wife, Gloria, are raising two sons together, but people sometimes believe Jay to be Gloria's father. Jay's gay son, Mitchell, and his partner, Cameron, have adopted a little Asian girl, completing one big -- straight, gay, multicultural, traditional -- happy family.
In the 1980s, geeky Adam uses a video camera to document his family's crazy life. His mother, Beverly, is overprotective and lacks boundaries, while his dad has a hot temper and finds it difficult to parent without screaming. Rounding out the clan are Adam's terrifying sister, Erica; his older brother, Barry, who has middle-child syndrome; and the family's beloved grandfather, Al "Pops" Solomon. Pops is responsible for wild antics, including offering drinks to Barry and teaching Adam about the ways of love -- which create more chaos in an already high-strung family.
Dre Johnson (Anthony Anderson) has it all: a great job, a beautiful wife, Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross), four kids and a big home in a classy neighborhood, but as a black man, he begins to question whether all his success has brought too much cultural assimilation for his family. With the help of his father (special guest star Laurence Fishburne), Dre begins to try to create a sense of ethnic identity for the members of his family that will allow them to honor their background while preparing them to embrace the future.
In the Heck family, middle-age, middle-class, middle-America mom Frankie Heck (two-time Emmy winner Patricia Heaton) uses a sense of humor to try to steer her family through life's ups and downs as she tackles her career goals. Her unflappable husband, Mike (Neil Flynn), is a manager at the local quarry. Oldest son Axl is an obstinate young man; awkward daughter Sue cannot seem to find her niche -- despite much enthusiasm in her attempts -- and youngest son Brick is an unusual child whose best friend is his backpack.
Bob Belcher is a third-generation restaurateur who runs Bob's Burgers with his loving wife and their three children. Bob believes his burgers speak for themselves and isn't afraid to offer a variety of off-beat creations. Bob's wife, Linda, supports his dream but is becoming sick of the slow times, as the restaurant is constantly in danger of going out of business. Despite the challenges, which includes consistent harassment from Linda's ex -- a health inspector -- Bob tries to keep the grill sizzling.
Adam has been operating under the assumption that his three children are little angels, but when his wife decides to rejoin the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom for 13 years, and he starts taking on more of the parenting responsibilities, he's quickly disavowed of that notion. Kate, a preteen, is a master manipulator and excited to take advantage of her father's naivete; Teddy spends too much time with his hands down his pants; and Emme frets over school. After recovering from the initial shock -- and with the advice of equally stressed parents Marie and Lowell -- Adam is confident he can lay down the law and keep the house in order.
