Switched at Birth: Volume One

The title of this ABC Family Channel teenage melodrama says it all: well-to-do suburbanites John and Kathryn Kennish (D.W. Moffett, Lea Thompson) and struggling single mom Regina Vasquez (Constance Marie) discover that the daughters they've raised since birth are not their own biological progeny. It turns out that rich girl Bay Kennish (Vanessa Marano), a graffiti artist with a rebellious streak, and whip-smart, well-adjusted Daphne Vasquez (Katie Leclerc), who's deaf as a result of a childhood illness, were accidentally switched at the hospital—human error, not anything malicious—and a high school science experiment reveals a genetic anomaly that brings the whole thing to light. That's all in the first five minutes. The rest of the series covers the girls' awkward but fulfilling efforts to get to know their blood relations while still maintaining their home ties, resulting in a collision of class, culture, and child-rearing philosophies (that one of the teenagers is hearing-impaired opens up the show to a culture rarely seen on TV). There are plenty of boyfriend troubles, parenting crises, and personality clashes, along with a few manufactured brouhahas and a tendency to gloss over the repercussions of some dramatic twists, but in general Switched at Birth strives to address issues of identity and relationships (including teenage sexuality) responsibly. Presenting the first 10 episodes of the 2011-12 debut season, this is recommended. (S. Axmaker)