The Fosters

If it sticks with the quiet, string cheese moments, it could end up being an understated--but provocative--must watch.

Intelligent enough for adults, accessible enough for younger viewers and entertaining enough for both, it's a great show for parents and kids to watch together, and will give them plenty to talk about.

Somehow the premiere hour fills in all this background without getting lost and--more importantly--with sincerity and sensitivity. [10 Jun 2013, p.50]

Earnest but rarely saccharine.

On the basis of the pilot, the show does a slightly better than average job of turning off-the-shelf ingredients into something diverting and occasionally moving.

At least one aspect of Stef's relationship with her ex (Danny Nucci) seems unlikely, and Lena works at the most beautifully sited school in America, which all the kids happen to attend. But there's heart here, and a message about not throwing away children that belongs on a network that puts "Family" in its title.

Polo and Saum are good actresses, but they appear pretty well hamstrung in their initial scenes together, as Stef and Lena banter about not taking in more stray kids, prompting Stef to quip, "We are not 'The Brady Bunch.'" Take away a few elements, though, and they sort of are.