The rarely seen world of a polygamist family is documented in "Sister Wives," which follows Kody Brown, his four wives and their combined 17 children trying to live as a "normal" family in a society that shuns their lifestyle. Three of

the wives -- Meri, Janelle and Christine -- have worked for years with Kody to develop a cohesive, loving unit, and their marriages produced 13 kids. Then wife No. 4, Robyn, and her three children were added to the family much later, a development that produced mixed feelings, insecurities and uncertainties. Will it disrupt the balance and change the Browns' lives for the worse?

From their unconventional family structure and living arrangements to financial challenges, each half hour episode exposes the inner workings of a polygamist household, revealing the unexpectedly tight-knit and loving relationships between Kody's wives. The series also captures the intense dynamics surrounding a man juggling three wives while attempting to keep it a secret from the outside world- but the general public is not the only challenge that the Brown family unit is facing.

Bill Henrickson seems like a typical suburban husband and father, except for the fact that he has three wives, nine kids and three homes to maintain. The Salt Lake City polygamist has to juggle his families' needs while overseeing his casino business, fulfilling his political interests and attempting to reconnect with his fundamentalist relatives.

Big Love received widespread critical acclaim, and earned several major awards and nominations throughout its run. The third season was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, and the first three were nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series - Drama. For acting, Chloë Sevigny won a Golden Globe Award for her supporting role, and Bill Paxton was nominated three times for his leading role. At the Emmys, Ellen Burstyn, Bruce Dern, Mary Kay Place and Sissy Spacek were all nominated for their recurring roles. Creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer won the Writers Guild of America Award for Television:

The series left behind a legacy as one of television's most complex studies of American family life, and has been the subject of seminal pieces in top academic journals including the Columbia Law Review, Michigan Journal of Gender & Law and Law and Contemporary Problems. Several publications listed the series' first three seasons as among the best television of the decade 2000-09, and its final season ranked among the best-reviewed scripted series of 2011.