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17 Great Dramas That Focus on Family First

We all have them. Families. 

Whether they’re abundant and generations are still in existence or if there are only a couple of you who make your world go around, odds are somewhere, someplace, there’s someone you’d probably like to hide from on the holidays! 

In the ’70s and ’80s it was difficult not to find a family’s drama on television, but in the 2000s family drama got kicked aside for more violent pursuits. There may be families, but first there was a crime or a crime family. It became all about law and order. 

This list isn’t about mob families, or procedural dramas that feature families, but about shows where the family comes first.

One interesting note, though, is that six of these series feature the natural or accidental death of a loved one near the beginning to kick the drama into high gear. Nothing like death to bring a family together.