TVSquad

ABC has a certified hit with their big sprawling look at an American Modern Family. But this isn't their first foray into a big family sitcom. In 2006, they aired a partially improvised comedy about a big, sprawling American family.

Sons & Daughters was barely on a month, but it sunk its talons into me and still hasn't let go. With mostly improvised dialogue, there was something very honest about the language they spoke, complete with the stammers and stutters that make up real conversation. The show was honest, heartfelt and funny. And with a massive cast, it felt like we were constantly on the verge of total chaos somewhere.

It looks like Sons & Daughters was ahead of its time, hitting the air when Americans were touting the sitcom as a dying format. Goss needed to hold out until this season, somehow. Now we're taking a hard look at the sitcom again, and finding that we do like it. It just has to be good. Sons & Daughters was good.

A couple of days ago, we told you about the news that Lost's (and -- to me -- Titus' and Drew Carey's) Cynthia Watros has signed to be a "guest star" on the new Tom Cavanagh CBS sitcom, which for now is called My Ex-Life. But the important part of the story as far as I'm concerned is that Watros will be taking the place of Sons & Daugters' Gillian Vigman (pictured), who had signed on to the pilot deal as a second option, in case S&D got cancelled.

So here's the $64 question: Does this mean that S&D, one of my favorite shows of the season, is coming back? We don't know yet, but this Zap2It article speculates that becaue ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson is such a big fan of the show and he's had a history of unexpected pickups (just ask everyone on Jake In Progress), it might actually happen. So, S&D fans, keep your fingers crossed.

[via Pop Candy]

Sigh. I knew Sons & Daughters was going to be an endangered show as soon as I saw the first episode. But I didn't realize the death knell would come so soon. According to Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle, Gillian Vigman, who plays Liz Walker on S&D, has been signed to the new CBS pilot that stars Tom Cavanagh.

(Indeed, this article from The Hollywood Reporter via AOL seems to confirm this.)

Of course, since the lovely and funny Vigman plays one of the main characters on S&D, it would appear this news signals the show's impending cancellation. Which sucks, of course: the show was just starting to hit its stride creatively. Or this could be one of those conditional signings, where she takes this job only if S&D is cancelled. But, either way, things aren't looking good, are they? Oh, well. Maybe one of the other pilots Fred Goss and Nick Holly are working on will have a better fate.

[Thanks to reader otmshank for breaking the bad news.]