Melissa & Joey

Toledo, Ohio is home to the characters on ABC Family's "Melissa & Joey." The quirky sitcom joins two former child stars and introduces viewers to a talented pair of new ones. Melissa Joan Hart joined forces with Joey Lawrence while revisiting the traditional role reversal plot. Hart, as Mel Burke, is tasked with raising her niece and nephew after her sister is given a prison sentence for money laundering.

With their mom in prison and their dad on the run to escape prosecution for his involvement in a Ponzi scheme, teenagers Ryder, played by Nick Robinson, and Lennox, played by Taylor Spreitler, move in with their aunt.

Aunt Mel is instantly overwhelmed by juggling her new parental role and her demanding career as a councilwoman. Joey Lawrence's character, Joe Longo, enters the scene to remedy Mel's problem while solving one of his own.

The Ponzi scheme involving Mel's brother-in-law has left Joe Longo, a former commodities trader, penniless, jobless and facing divorce. He sees opportunity in playing nanny to Lennox and Ryder. A reluctant Mel agrees to the arrangement and Joe sets up house in the basement.

While Mel grows accustomed to taming her single girl ways, Joe is along for the ride. The teens are reluctant to feel at ease with their new living arrangement. Joe Longo serves as the strong male role model to the siblings as they prepare for a much more understated lifestyle than the one they had been afforded by their formerly wealthy parents.

As the children battle typical teenage woes, including fitting in at a new high school, Mel and Joey partner to parent the children. There are continual bumps along the road as Mel and Joey take a stab at finding a common ground while making ambitious attempts to prove each other wrong in most situations.

The half-hour sitcom has been picked up for a second season by ABC Family. Viewership continues to grow since the premier on August 17, 2010. Americans seem to have fallen for the unconventional dynamic "Melissa & Joey" provides.