Party of Five
What a Drag
TV Flash files “What a Drag” as a desk essential hour — Party of Five (1994–2000) on Fox, season 4, episode 1, aired 1997-09-17, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S04E01: listed hour 70 of 142 in the Party of Five guide, first listed hour of season 4. It aired 1997-09-17 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “You Win Some, You Lose Some” (S03E25). Next is “Past Imperfect” (S04E02).
Essential hour: “What a Drag”. What a Drag: addiction and teen romance in the same hour, still refusing to treat grief as a solved case.
Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
Bailey is arrested for a driving accident that happened five months earlier, and Charlie contends with Owen's cross-dressing.
Viewer FAQ
Where does What a Drag sit in the Party of Five guide?
S04E01 is listed hour 70 of 142 — first listed hour of season 4, season 4 episode 1.
When did Party of Five S04E01 air?
What a Drag aired 1997-09-17 and is listed at 60 minutes.
What is the premise?
Five siblings raise each other after their parents die in a crash caused by a drunk driver — grief, rent, and a family restaurant as the plot engine.
In the series
Why this series still plays
Orphaned Salinger siblings keep a family and a restaurant alive — grief as weekly Fox prestige soap. Keyser and Lippman mix rent, addiction, and teen romance until attractive suffering becomes a brand. Scott Wolf, Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell, Lacey Chabert, later Jennifer Love Hewitt: a casting farm that launched film careers from a tissue-box hour.
The look is attractive suffering in a family restaurant that has to stay open. After their parents are killed by a drunk driver, the Salinger siblings raise each other through romance, addiction, rent, and the business that keeps them solvent. Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman's Fox drama premiered September 12, 1994 and ran six seasons through 2000. Scott Wolf, Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell, Lacey Chabert became 1990s faces of the tissue-box hour; Jennifer Love Hewitt joined later. Issue arcs hit hard. Teen…
Filed against
- Scott Wolf as Bailey Salinger
Scott Wolf's Bailey Salinger kept Party of Five's orphaned siblings in a restaurant and a grief — Fox prestige soap, Keyser and Lippman mixing rent, addiction, and teen romance until attractive suffering became a brand. Matthew Fox, Neve…
- Matthew Fox as Charlie Salinger
Matthew Fox’s Jack Shephard carried Lost’s island mysteries — “live together, die alone,” forums broken, finale civil war included. Party of Five roots met global watercooler serialization. On TV Flash he is mystery-box leading-man…
- Neve Campbell as Julia Salinger
Neve Campbell’s Julia Salinger kept Party of Five’s orphaned household from becoming only attractive suffering — 1990s Fox prestige soap, Keyser and Lippman mixing rent, addiction, and teen romance, Scott Wolf, Matthew Fox, Lacey Chabert.…
- Lacey Chabert as Claudia Salinger
Lacey Chabert's Claudia Salinger kept Party of Five's orphaned household in tune — grief as weekly Fox prestige soap, rent and teen romance under Keyser and Lippman, attractive suffering as a brand. TV Flash files her as 1990s craft: the…
- Jennifer Love Hewitt as Sarah Reeves
Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Sarah Reeves joined Party of Five’s attractive suffering — orphaned Salinger siblings, a restaurant, grief as weekly Fox prestige soap. Rent, addiction, teen romance until the brand held. TV Flash files her as the…