▁two ▁daughters ▁and ▁adopt ▁a ▁third . ▁Kevin ▁becomes ▁a ▁successful ▁actor ▁while ▁struggling ▁to ▁be ▁taken ▁seriously . ▁After ▁lack ing ▁direction ▁much ▁of ▁her ▁life , ▁Kate ▁meets ▁and ▁mar ries ▁T oby , ▁purs ues ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁music , ▁gets ▁a ▁degree , ▁and ▁becomes ▁a ▁mother . ▁ ▁Most ▁episodes ▁feature ▁a ▁story line ▁taking ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁present ▁( 2 0 1 6 – 2 0 1 9 , ▁contempor aneous ▁with ▁air ing ) ▁and ▁a ▁story line ▁taking ▁place ▁at ▁a ▁set ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁past ; ▁but ▁some ▁episodes ▁are ▁set ▁in ▁one ▁time ▁period ▁or ▁use ▁multiple ▁flash back ▁time ▁periods . ▁Flash back s ▁often ▁focus ▁on ▁Jack ▁and ▁Reb e cca ▁c . ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁both ▁before ▁and ▁after ▁their ▁b ab ies ' ▁birth , ▁or ▁on ▁the ▁family ▁when ▁the ▁Big ▁Three ▁are ▁children ▁or ▁ad oles c ents ▁( and ▁played ▁by ▁two ▁sets ▁of ▁younger ▁actors ); ▁these ▁scenes ▁usually ▁take ▁place ▁in ▁Pitts burgh , ▁where ▁the ▁Big ▁Three ▁and ▁their ▁parents ▁are ▁born ▁and ▁raised . ▁As ▁adult s , ▁Kate ▁lives ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁Rand all ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁are ▁in ▁New ▁Jersey ▁( and ▁later ▁Philadelphia ), ▁and ▁Kevin ▁re loc ates ▁from ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁and ▁back ▁again . ▁ ▁Vari ous ▁other ▁time ▁periods ▁and ▁locations ▁have ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁settings , ▁and ▁some ▁episodes ▁have ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁earlier ▁experiences ▁of ▁other ▁characters