1962 is the worst of times, but also the best of times for Oliver Beene, an 11-year-old whose world is full of comedic chaos. Oliver's eccentric family is headed by his father, Jerry, a dentist whose idea of a fun and relaxing Sunday is drilling his kids' molars. Then there's Oliver's mother, Charlotte, a homemaker who idolizes Jackie Kennedy and fantasizes about being her. The Beene household is rounded out by older brother Ted, a sports fanatic who lives by one simple rule: "If it ain't about sports, it ain't worth talking about." This is exactly why he and Oliver haven't spoken in four years.