(from http://www.realityblurred.com/) On Tuesday, with the TV-watching world focused on the debut of American Idol 7, a significant anniversary passed: It was the 35th anniversary of the debut of An American Family, the show that inspired The Real World, which in turn inspired most of what we now consider to be reality television. The series debuted Jan. 15, 1973, and while shot like a documentary, it was essentially a 12-hour soap opera starring a real family.
While Amazon has a product page for a DVD of the series, one has not yet been released, nor has there been any announcement of an impending DVD release. However, there is a fantastic book about the show, An American Family: A Televised Life; Jeffrey Ruoff’s detailed look at the series isn’t a substitute for watching it, but does explain all you’d want to know about its production and reception.
Five years ago, just before the series’ 30th anniversary, PBS aired a documentary about the final years and death of Lance Loud, one of the show’s stars. As Thomas Heald reminds us, the show also followed “parents Bill and Pat and their kids Grant, Kevin, Lance, and Michelle,” and during one episode, Pat told Bill that she wanted a divorce, captivating the nation.
While Amazon has a product page for a DVD of the series, one has not yet been released, nor has there been any announcement of an impending DVD release. However, there is a fantastic book about the show, An American Family: A Televised Life; Jeffrey Ruoff’s detailed look at the series isn’t a substitute for watching it, but does explain all you’d want to know about its production and reception.
Five years ago, just before the series’ 30th anniversary, PBS aired a documentary about the final years and death of Lance Loud, one of the show’s stars. As Thomas Heald reminds us, the show also followed “parents Bill and Pat and their kids Grant, Kevin, Lance, and Michelle,” and during one episode, Pat told Bill that she wanted a divorce, captivating the nation.
I have heard about this series for years now, and have always been curious to see t. Have any of you ever watched it? And what did you think. I know we have some documentary fans out there - and this has reality tv and documentary all over it.
1 comment:
It's hard to believe that it's been 35 years since this series first aired. I was just out of college at the time. I watched that show on an 11-inch black and white portable TV and was riveted. It is probably impossible to convey to someone who wasn't around at the time the impact of this series and of Lance in particular. My guess is that he was the first out gay man most viewers had ever encountered.
Soap opera is a convenient way to characterize the series, but what hooked you as a viewer was that it was unmistakably real. In an age when a common insult was to call something or someone "plastic," it was absolutely authentic.
In the universe of stuff that's not on DVD but should be, "An American Family" is very near the top of my list. If you ever get the chance to see it, you will remember it as long as you live.
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