''Switched at Birth'' is an American teen and family drama television series that premiered on

ABC Family American cable television, cable and satellite television network Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through four different owners and six different name changes dur ...

on June 6, 2011. The one-hour scripted drama is set in the

Kansas City metropolitan area The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

, and revolves around two teenagers who were switched at birth and grew up in very different environments: one in an affluent suburb, and the other in a working-class neighborhood. According to ABC Family, it is "the first mainstream television series to have multiple deaf and hard-of-hearing series regulars and scenes shot entirely in

American Sign Language American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States and most of Anglophone Canadians, Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that i ...

(ASL)". The show's debut was ABC Family's highest-rated series debut to date. The series won an honorary

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

in 2013, and on July 30, ABC Family ordered a third season which premiered on January 13, 2014. On August 13, 2014, ABC Family renewed the series for a fourth season, which premiered on January 6, 2015. On October 21, 2015, ABC Family (later rebranded as Freeform) confirmed the series had been renewed for its fifth season, which was later confirmed to be the final season. On March 19, 2016, it was announced that the fifth season was bumped from a March 2016 to a January 2017 premiere date. In October 2016, the network announced that the final season would premiere on January 31, 2017.

Plot

Bay Kennish, a teenage girl living in the

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

suburb of Mission Hills, Kansas, discovers from a school lab assignment that her

blood type A blood type (also known as a blood group) is based on the presence and absence of antibody, antibodies and Heredity, inherited antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). These antigens may be proteins, carbohydrates, glycop ...

is incompatible with that of her parents. Genetic testing confirms that Bay is not the Kennishes' biological daughter. It is revealed that the hospital mistakenly switched Bay at birth with Daphne Vasquez, who has been raised by her single mother Regina and grandmother Adriana in the low-income neighborhood of East Riverside, Missouri. Daphne is

deaf Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...

, having lost her hearing as a result of contracting

meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, intense headache, vomiting and neck stiffness and occasion ...

at age three. The Kennishes invite Daphne and Regina to their home, and after learning that Regina is struggling financially, propose that they move into their guest house with Adriana, an offer that Regina accepts. This arrangement forces the girls, along with both families, to understand their differences and embrace their similarities. The girls sometimes struggle with their identities. Bay discovers that she has inherited her artistic talent from Regina, and Daphne discovers she has inherited John's athletic skills and Kathryn's love of cooking. Both mothers learn to bond with their biological daughters, while often unintentionally angering the ones they raised. John learns to relate to his new-found daughter by coaching her deaf school's basketball team and employing her in the office of one of the local chain of car washes that he owns. Bay is driven by a need to find her biological father, Angelo Sorrento, who left Regina shortly after Daphne went deaf.

Episodes

Cast

Main characters

* Sean Berdy as Emmett Bledsoe (regular seasons 1–4, recurring season 5), Daphne's best friend who is also deaf. He later dates Bay. *

Lucas Grabeel Lucas Stephen Grabeel ( ; born November 23, 1984) is an American actor, musician, producer, comedian, and television writer. He is best known for his role as Ryan Evans in the ''High School Musical'' film series (2006–2011). His other film ap ...

as Toby Kennish: Bay and Daphne's older brother. * Katie Leclerc as Daphne Paloma Vasquez: the biological daughter of John and Kathryn Kennish. Hard of hearing rather than deaf, Leclerc learned ASL at age 17, before she was diagnosed at age 20 with

Ménière's disease Ménière's disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear that is characterized by potentially severe and incapacitating episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Typically, only one ear is affected in ...

which runs in her family. She developed a deaf accent for her role as Daphne, but speaks without it briefly in a scene in season 1, episode 9 where Daphne dreams the switch never occurred, and she was raised as Bay Kennish and retains her hearing. She also speaks without the accent through the majority of two other episodes: "Ecce Mono" (season 2, episode 15), which shows an alternative reality in which Daphne was raised by the Kennishes from age three and got a

cochlear implant A cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted Neuroprosthetics, neuroprosthesis that provides a person who has moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss with sound perception. With the help of therapy, cochlear implants may allow for imp ...

; and "Yuletide Fortune Tellers" (season 3, episode 22), which shows an alternate reality where the switch never happened. * Vanessa Marano as Bay Madeline Kennish: the biological daughter of Regina Vasquez and Angelo Sorrento. She was raised in the wealthy neighborhood of Mission Hills by John and Kathryn Kennish. Bay is a very talented artist who has a particular love for

Frida Kahlo Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by Culture of Mexico, the country' ...

. Bay can be very impulsive at times, and, at first, does not take the news of the switch well. However, she gradually gets better in accepting that Regina and the Kennishes are both her family. * Constance Marie as Regina Vasquez: Bay's biological mother and Daphne's legal mother. * D. W. Moffett as John Kennish: Bay's legal father and Daphne's biological father. * Lea Thompson as Kathryn Kennish: Bay's legal mother and Daphne's biological mother. * Gilles Marini as Angelo Sorrento (recurring season 1, regular seasons 2–3): Bay's biological father and Daphne's legal father.

Recurring characters

Marlee Matlin Marlee Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress, activist, and author. Deafness, Deaf since she was 18 months old, Matlin is known for her portrayals of deaf women, and for her activism on behalf of deaf individuals in Cinema of the ...

as Melody Bledsoe, Emmett's mother and Regina's friend who is also deaf. * Ivonne Coll as Adriana Vasquez, Regina's mother. It is a running gag on the show that Adriana likes to watch telenovelas, and she quips that they cannot compete with the real-life drama caused by Angelo. *

Austin Butler Austin Robert Butler (born August 17, 1991) is an American actor, singer, and model. Butler began his career on television, first in roles on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, most notably on ''Zoey 101'' (2007–2008), and later on teen dramas, ...

as Wilke, Toby's best friend who also dates Daphne briefly. * Maiara Walsh as Simone Sinclair, Bay's nemesis and Toby's ex-girlfriend, as well as Wilkie's ex-girlfriend * Blair Redford as Ty Mendoza, Bay's ex-boyfriend and Regina and Daphne's friend from their old neighborhood * Charles Michael Davis as Liam Lupo, Bay and Daphne's ex-boyfriend * B. K. Cannon as Mary Beth, Bay's and Ty's friend and Travis' ex-girlfriend * Anthony Natale as Cameron Bledsoe, Emmett's father * TL Forsberg as Olivia, Cameron Bledsoe's stoner ex-girlfriend * Christopher Wiehl as Patrick, Regina's ex-boyfriend * Tania Raymonde as Zarra, Bay's rebellious friend *

Justin Bruening Justin Bruening (born September 24, 1979) is an American actor and former fashion model. He was discovered at a McDonald's in Escondido, California, and within a week, he was shooting photos with Bruce Weber. In 2003, his acting career began w ...

as Chef Jeff Reycraft, Daphne's boss and short-term boyfriend * Ryan Lane as Travis Barnes, Daphne's deaf friend. Lane's role as Travis earned him the RJ Mitte Diversity Award at the 2013 Media Access Awards. He is Bay's boyfriend in the final season. * Max Lloyd-Jones as Noah, Bay's hard-of-hearing friend (and short-term boyfriend). The character parallels the real-life situation of Katie Leclerc, with hearing loss due to inherited Ménière's disease. *

Annie Ilonzeh Annette Ngozi Ilonzeh (born August 23, 1983) is an American actress. From 2010 to 2011, she played Maya Ward on the ABC daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'', and later starred as Kate Prince in the short-lived ABC reboot of '' Charlie's Ange ...

as Lana, the mother of Angelo's second child * Cassi Thomson as Nikki Papagus (Kennish), Toby's ex-wife * Stephanie Nogueras as Natalie Pierce, a Carlton student who becomes Bay's friend * Max Adler as Miles "Tank" Conroy, Bay's ex-boyfriend and Toby's former roommate *

Alec Mapa Alejandro "Alec" Mapa (; born July 10, 1965) is an United States, American actor, comedian and writer. He got his first professional break when he was cast to replace B. D. Wong for the role of Song Liling in the Broadway theatre, Broadway product ...

as Renzo, Kathryn's friend who she meets while taking tap-dancing classes * RJ Mitte as Campbell Bingman, a pre-med student, wheelchair user and volunteer at the free clinic where Daphne is serving her hours of community service. He briefly dates Daphne. * David Castaneda as Jorge, Daphne's ex-boyfriend *Bianca Bethune as Sharee, Daphne's friend and field hockey teammate from Carlton * Sharon Pierre-Louis as Iris, Daphne's hearing and signing college roommate and cousin of her pre-med interpreter *Adam Hagenbuch as Greg "Mingo" Shimingo, Daphne's college boyfriend and son of John's former business manager *

Nyle DiMarco Nyle DiMarco (born May 8, 1989) is an American model, actor, and Deaf culture, Deaf activist. In 2015, DiMarco was the winner of The CW's reality television series ''America's Next Top Model'' in America's Next Top Model (cycle 22), season 22, be ...

as Garrett Banducci, a Carlton student and co-worker of Travis' who takes a romantic interest in Bay. He is also deaf. * Daniel Durant as Matthew, a deaf boy who tries to frame hearing students at school. He is also revealed as gay and has a romantic interest in Emmett. * Rachel Shenton as Lily Summers, a neighbour who becomes pregnant with Toby's baby. * Alice Lee as Skye, Emmett's film making friend at UCLA * Kenneth Mitchell as Wes, Regina's boss.

Guest stars

* Meredith Baxter appears in season 1 and 4 as Kathryn's mother Bonnie, a co-investor in John's car wash business, whose favor shifts from Bay to Daphne upon learning of the switch. * Corbin Bernsen appears in season 1 as Wilkie's father, James Wilkes Jr., who has the unpleasant task of telling Daphne he is sending his troubled son to boarding school. * Shelley Long appears in season 1 as Rya Bellows, a publisher who encourages Kathryn to write her own memoir of the switch. * Terrell Tilford as Eric, opened the coffee shop and Regina is now a partner of. The two of them are also in a relationship. Eric has a young son and mysterious past. * Sandra Bernhard as Teresa Ledarsky, Bay's art teacher in Season 3. * Davi Santos appears in Season 3, Episode 12: Love Among the Ruins as Martin, Nacho's friend. * Sam Adegoke appears in Season 5, as Chris Walker. * Shayne Topp appears in Season 4, Episode 3 as Taylor Halstead.

Production

On August 1, 2011, ABC Family announced that they were ordering more episodes for the first season of ''Switched at Birth'', bringing the first season to a total of 30 episodes. After the airing of the series' initial 10 episodes ended on August 8, 2011, the series continued with a winter premiere on January 3, 2012, airing an additional 12 episodes through March 20, 2012. The series began airing the remaining 8 episodes of its first season on September 3, 2012. On , ABC Family renewed ''Switched at Birth'' for a second season; it premiered on . After the spring finale on , the second season resumed on . On July 30, 2013, ABC Family renewed the show for a third season to premiere on January 13, 2014. The show has an

expert who helps make sure that the sign language used by the four fluent regulars (Katie Leclerc, Sean Berdy, Constance Marie, and Marlee Matlin) all employ a similar dialect. Airing on March 4, 2013, to mark the 25th anniversary of the " Deaf President Now" protests at

Gallaudet University Gallaudet University ( ) is a private federally chartered university in Washington, D.C., for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. It was founded in 1864 as a grammar school for both deaf and blind children. It was the first school ...

, the season 2 episode "Uprising"—which featured a similar student-led protest surrounding the closure of Carlton School for the Deaf, was produced almost entirely in sign language.

Filming locations

The show was filmed in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Establishing shots used in several episodes feature video of downtown

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

, including: a shot of the Liberty Memorial in the first episode; the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art; and Loose Park. Scenes were filmed in Santa Clarita, Valencia, Beverly Hills, and Pasadena.

Marketing

ABC Family promoted the series by launching an online game, ''Switched at Birth: Hunt for the Code'' one week before the premiere. Bay, a graffiti artist, left her signature stencil image on ten different websites, and players searched for the picture and accompanying code to redeem sneak peeks and enter a drawing to win $4,000. Each weekday, ABCFamily.com posted two clues hinting at a site featuring the image, and instructed users to scan the code with a Microsoft Tag Reader for exclusive content. Additionally, each code had two letters for fans to collect and enter to win upon completion of the ten-digit code.

Broadcast

Reception

Critical reception

On the

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website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, the first season holds an approval rating of 100% based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 7.50/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Despite leaning on a tried-and-true premise, ''Switched at Birth'' proves to be an entertaining remix thanks to fresh writing and charming characters." On

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, the first season of the show holds a score of 75 out of 100 based on reviews from 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On the