Character breakdown for The Next Generation
Tommy and Julie are siblings. Their parents (David and Juliana) were killed by a drunk driver when Tommy was 18 and Julie was 12.
Jack is Tommy’s best friend from age 6. Jack’s mother (Amber) died of cancer when Jack was 17 and his father (Ron) ran out on him. He was taken in by Tommy’s parents. Jack is now a world-renowned cardiothoracic surgeon.
When Tommy’s parents were killed, Jack and Tommy moved in together and took care of Julie. She considers them her ‘parents’. Tommy is now a chief pediatric oncologist specializing in surgery.
Brittany was born “Barbara Rose” and was a famous teen singer. She is an old friend of Stephanie. Her father Nathan was a single father and he died when she was 12. She moved to London and was raised by her grandmother where she was discovered by a recording artist. She was kidnapped and assaulted when she was 18 and contracted HIV. She dropped out of public view, changed her name to Brittany and became an OBGYN. She is now married to Tommy and they have 1 daughter, Naomi (25).
Stephanie is an orthopedic surgeon who has Multiple Sclerosis. She is married to Jack and they have 4 children: Sabrina (26), Tessa (24), Matthew and Jessica (9 year old twins).
Bill (William) is Brittany’s half-brother (same mother). His mother (Bridget) was an alcoholic and his father (Chris) was physically abusive and vicious. He was later found out to be involved in Brittany’s attack. Bill and Brittany didn’t know the other existed until they were in their 20’s. Bill is an Army Sergeant who served three tours in Iraq as a sniper. He was injured by a roadside IED and almost lost his leg. He has worked every day to be a better man than his father and there is no comparison. He is now a homicide detective and married to Julie. They have 2 children: David (26) and Josie (24).
Julie is Tommy’s sister and is a high school English teacher. She is married to Bill. She lost her parents at a young age and was raised by Jack and Tommy.
Mike is an Army Corporal and served under Bill. He was also involved in the roadside incident and was severely wounded. Bill saved him. He came home to his wife Rebecca just before she gave birth to a son, Jimmy. Mike learned soon after that she had cheated on him and Jimmy wasn’t his son. He was destroyed and got into a fight at a bar, getting stabbed. He was taken to the hospital where he met a nurse who changed his life. (Jade). Mike was a tracker in the Army and now works with Bill in homicide. Mike has tried to remain a positive influence in Jimmy’s life.
Rebecca is Mike’s Ex-wife. She went after Jade and poisoned her for spending time with Mike. She used Jimmy as a weapon to manipulate Mike and ended up going to prison for the attempted murder of Jade. Jimmy was taken in by Rachel (Rebecca’s sister) and her husband Brian. They have twin daughters (Erin and Lisa). Rebecca was released from prison and tried to kidnap Jimmy. He got away from her but she hit him with her car, severing his arm. He went in a downward spiral after that, resulting in catastrophic consequences for many in the family. Rebecca is now in jail indefinitely.
Rachel and Brian were attacked by associates of Rebecca and Rachel died as a result of her injuries. Brian and the twins had a hard time with Jimmy after that, resulting in Jimmy attempting suicide. He went to intense therapy after and works every day to make up for his past. He has no relationship with his sisters and his relationship with is dad is precarious. He is a bartender and lives with David. Jimmy is now 26. He continues to have a great relationship with Mike, Jade and their daughters,
Jade is an obgyn nurse who works with Brittany. While moonlighting in the ER, she met Mike when he came in injured. She comes from the foster system after being left in a dumpster by her mother after birth. She has always dealt with serious self esteem issues and underestimating her worth. She is married to Mike and they have 3 children: Eden and Sara- identical twins (24) and Scottie (9).
Ian is a large animal vet who owns and runs a rescue farm for abused and neglected animals. He opens up his farm for veterans to work and uses the animals to help people overcome trauma. He is a loner who lives for his wife Cassie and daughter, Desi.
Cassie (Cassandra) is an Army Sergeant who trained with Bill. She has served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and came home early when her daughter was attacked. She is married to Ian and they have 1 daughter Desi (26). Cassie works as a patrol officer.
Evan is Brittany’s bodyguard (she is still followed by fans). He used to work with his brother in law Jason in LA. Jason is a famous actor. He is married to Elizabeth and they have 1 son, Kevin (24).
Elizabeth (Liz) is an airline pilot. She is married to Evan and has a twin (Jason) who lives in LA. She has 1 son, Kevin.
*Robbie appears in the series as a friend and then boyfriend to Tessa. He is Epileptic and lives with his mother, Heather. His parents are divorced and his father (George) is not in the picture. Robbie isn’t a huge part of the original series, but he is an integral part of the sequel.
At the end of the series, the following characters were together:
Sabrina and Jimmy
Tessa and Robbie
David and Desi
Naomi and Bryan (Jason’s son)
Tommy and Brittany
Julie and Bill
Jack and Stephanie
Evan and Liz
So…long story short, here are the couples and their children:
Cassie and Ian have 1 daughter- Desi
Tommy and Brittany have 1 daughter-Naomi
Jack and Stephanie have 4 children- Sabrina, Tessa, Matthew, and Jessica
Bill and Julie have 2 children- David and Josie
*Bill and Brittany (Brother and sister) are married to Julie and Tommy (Brother and sister)
Mike and Jade have 3 daughters- Eden, Sara, and Scottie. They also treat Jimmie as their son.
Evan and Liz have 1 son-Kevin.
All of these characters and their stories happened in the original Family by Choice series. The sequel is the story of their children (although the adults are all still involved).
Current characters:
One love is the story of where everyone is after almost 4 years since the series ended. We meet Jimmy who is now working as a bartender. He dropped out of school and is no longer seeing Sabrina. His roommate, David, has graduated with a teaching degree and is looking for a job. He is no longer involved with his longtime girlfriend, Desi. We also learn that Desi’s mother Cassie was killed in the line of duty. Desi and Ian have struggled to recover from that.
Sabrina lives in New York and graduated from the Fashion institute. We see her lonely and shaken up from something that happened to her and she comes home when her family needs her. Much of her story is about reconnecting with all she left behind most importantly, Jimmy.
Tessa graduated from college and is getting ready to start Vet school. She is excited that her boyfriend Robbie is moving back home to begin med school after living in Indiana for college. She is hoping they can start a life together.
Tessa gets a call from her roommate Michelle who asks for a ride from a Fraternity party after getting dumped. Tess reluctantly goes to get her and while there, she is involved in a house collapse and is pinned. The whole family gathers to help her.
In the midst of all of the drama, we learn that Tommy is missing and being held by people who have a history with the family. He isn’t the only one being kept prisoner.
One love is a story about lost love and reconnecting. Jimmy and Sabrina, David and Desi, Robbie and Tessa. These couples set the foundation for where the family has come and where they are all heading.
