'Today, We've Arrived': Fresh Off the Boat Makes TV History

"Today, we've arrived."

Those words from celebrity chef Eddie Huang came just minutes before Wednesday night’s east coast premiere of Fresh Off the Boat, the ABC sitcom based on his memoir and the first network primetime show to feature an Asian-American family in 20 years.

Huang, along with the show’s executive producer Melvin Mar and two of its stars, Randall Park and Hudson Yang, joined a crowd of more than 1,000 people at a nightclub in New York City Wednesday night to watch the two-episode premiere and discuss the show.

“I hope this opens the door for more underrepresented voices,” Park said during a panel discussion between episodes.

Wednesday night’s watch party in New York drew a diverse crowd of fans ranging in age and ethnicity, along with high-profile names such as actress Erin Quill and comedian and actor Judah Friedlander, who will guest star in an episode of Fresh Off the Boat later this season.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Attendees at the event joined thousands of others across the country on social media to share their thoughts about the show.

On Twitter, the hashtag #FreshOffTheBoat trended in New York for nearly four hours beginning from the premiere of the first episode and extending well past midnight. In Los Angeles, where similar watch parties were being held, #FreshOffTheBoat also became a trending topic from the start of its west coast premiere.

Despite early positive reviews, the show has faced hurdles in the lead-up to the premiere, from a poorly-constructed marketing attempt to Huang’s own criticism about the adaptation of his life’s story.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

But on premiere night, Huang said the show’s existence on a major network meant a lot to him after once being told by his parents that there would never be a face that looked like his on TV.

“Something’s wrong when your parents tell you you can’t do something because of structural racism in a country you live in,” Huang said. “Y’all got to tell your stories.”

Fresh Off the Boat moves to its regular Tuesday time slot on February 10 at 8 p.m.