Meet the Newmans - a 1960s TV family faces cultural shifts that jeopardize their hit sitcom.

It's 1964, and the CBS TV sitcom Meet the Newmans has become outdated. The show, featuring the antics of married couple Del and Dinah and their two sons, Guy and Shep, has seen a decline in ratings due to its failure to adapt to changing times. Behind the scenes, the sons seek lives far from their on-screen characters. When Del is in a car accident and hospitalized, Dinah and her sons need to salvage the final episodes of the season. Juliet, a young newspaper reporter whose initial meeting with Dinah led to a tough exchange about the TV mom's outdated portrayal, is recruited to assist in writing the script for the final episode. Is it too late to save the show from cancellation?

Meet the Newmans is author Jennifer Niven's tribute to the bygone era of 1950s and 60s television shows. Among the many family-centered sitcoms, the one most comparable is The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-1966), starring the Nelson family, including son Rick, who performed on the show and went on to have a successful music career. The changing culture of the 1960s is depicted through many references, including all the restrictions women had at the time, the publication of The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, and civil rights protests. This book, with its eye-catching cover art, offers an enjoyable slice of nostalgia.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars.

Historical Fiction.

Publication Date: January 6, 2026.

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