Remember that weird family at the end of the block? The one in the strange, overgrown house that always seemed to emit odd noises and smelly puffs of smoke? In Middletown, those are the Boninis, a motley family of exuberant misfits. Led by Bikini, a twelve year-old hurricane of a redhead, the pilot sees her and her brothers Buckley, Rat and Pee Wee move in with their Aunt Meanie.

A tough combination of innocence and attitude, Bikini Bonini embodies all the best and worst qualities of kids in their ‘tweens; both unselfconscious and unsocialized, Bikini is totally independent of role models, accepting no imitations for herself or her best friend, Kate.

Kate Bigman acts as the audience’s eyes and ears into the Bonini world. Quite the opposite of Bikini, Kate’s a people-pleaser and a rule follower. She never gets into trouble until Bikini arrives to become her best friend... and her conservative parents’ worst nightmare.

The rest of the Boninis are just as eccentric as Bikini. Her brother Pee Wee may be sixteen, but he has willed himself to keep the body of a toddler. Bikini’s twin brother Buckley is a giant jock, and her brother Rat talks to animals almost exclusively. Aunt Meanie is a witch and a recluse who lives in her beat-up mansion almost undetected by the outside world. At least, until the kids arrive.

It’s not easy for the Boninis in Middletown. Governed by its commuter train to The City, the denizens of this bedroom suburb demand conformity in everything from the time they eat breakfast in the morning to the way they wave good-bye at the platform. Miss a step in Middletown, and you’ll be left at the station, quite literally.

Since Bikini refuses to fit in, rejects conventional wisdom, and suspects tradition, she generates more than her fair share of trouble in Middletown as her singular perspective spins everyday situations into high adventure. Most episodes of Bikini Bonini will focus on Bikini’s conflicts with the powers that be in her new environment. When stories are not centered on her, however, as leader of the pack and queen of the cul-de-sac, Bikini will still be the one to resolve others’ stories through, or perhaps despite, her own unique contribution.