‘American Family’ Finally Arrives

In April 2000, producer Gregory Nava (“El Norte,” “Selena”) delivered a series pilot to CBS that promised to break new ground as the first TV drama built around a Latino cast.

But what transpired in the ensuing months broke more hearts than ground, as support for “American Family” eroded amid network concerns that the story of an East L.A. family struggling with pressures both internal and external just didn’t have the right stuff for the fall lineup. Some suggested that the real concern was that the cast was too ethnic for mainstream audiences. The show, starring Edward James Olmos as the family patriarch, was shopped around to other networks, and rumors of new deals and airdates came and went without success.

The story might have ended there had not PBS and sponsor Johnson & Johnson stepped into the breach to make tonight’s debut of “American Family” possible (8 p.m. KCET, KVCR). Additional episodes, which began filming last fall, will air at 8 p.m. Thursday and then settle into a regular Wednesday night slot.

The long delay between the pilot and Thursday’s new episode necessitated several changes in the cast, but Nava’s warm tone and sure hand as writer and director make the transition almost seamless.

The strong cast, along with Olmos, features Sonia Braga, Raquel Welch, Rachel Ticotin, Constance Marie and Esai Morales. The show’s at its best when in storyteller mode, letting the plot unfold naturally and using flashbacks with skill and sensitivity.

Some manic moments of comedy are less successful, but both tonight’s pilot and Thursday’s episode build momentum with elegance around family crises, commitment and celebration.

It’s a family anyone can embrace.