WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, Feb. 4, ABC will broadcast a two-episode premiere of a new situation comedy called “Fresh Off the Boat.”
Inspired by chef/restaurateur Eddie Huang’s bestselling memoir of the same name, the show tells the story of hip-hop-loving sixth-grader Eddie and his immigrant family’s adventures moving into a mostly white neighborhood in Orlando, Fla. in 1995.
“Fresh Off the Boat” stars Randall Park as Louis, Constance Wu as Jessica, Hudson Yang as Eddie, Forrest Wheeler as Emery, and Ian Chen as Evan. Huang provides the voice-over narration.
The Asian Pacific American Media Coalition and its member organizations have been advocating for greater diversity in network television for over 15 years.
“Not since Margaret Cho’s ‘All-American Girl’ in 1995 has the public been able to see an Asian American family at the center of a network TV show,” noted APAMC Co-Chair Daniel Mayeda. “‘Fresh Off the Boat’ promises to be a fresh take on the universal story of a family trying to make it in a new environment. We urge you to watch this terrific new comedy.”
Here are APAMC’s top five reasons to watch “Fresh Off the Boat”:
1. It’s the first sitcom featuring an Asian American family in 20 years.
2. So you can stop associating Randall Park with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (“The Interview”) and instead associate him with the hilarious Louis Huang.
3. Find out whether Jessica Huang (Constance Wu) was the original “tiger mom.”
4. So you can check out Eddie Huang’s (Hudson Yang) collection of T-shirts of 1990s hip-hop stars.
5. Find out what Eddie considers “White people lunch.”
The special two-episode premiere is on Feb. 4 at 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. The show’s regular time slot is every Tuesday on ABC at 8 p.m., starting Feb. 10.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/FreshOffTheBoatABC or ABC.com show page: http://abc.go.com/shows/fresh-off-the-boat.
Viewing Party in L.A.
Visual Communications, Angry Asian Man, the Japanese American National Museum, and Dis/orient/ed Comedy invite you to a community screening to celebrate the world premiere of “Fresh Off the Boat” on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at JANM, 100 N. Central Ave. in Little Tokyo. Two episodes, at 8:30 and 9:30 p.m., will be followed by a community discussion with panelists Jenny Yang, Phil Yu, Jen Wang, Oliver Wang, and Milton Liu.
Admission is “pay what you can,” but a $3 donation is suggested to cover the location costs. Seating is first-come, first-served, and space is limited. Doors will open at 7:45 p.m. RSVP here, but note that an RSVP does not guarantee admission.