Talk:An American Family

Copyright problems?
The text of this article is lifted word for word, it appears, from the website listed at the bottom of the article. Looks like someone needs to rewrite the entire article. Unschool 03:43, 10 June 2007 (UTC)


 * What makes you certain that they're not plagiarising us instead? Have you looked at the edit history?  Koyaanis Qatsi 01:42, 11 June 2007 (UTC)

The first sentence contains such a grevious error that it is laughable. It says the series aired in 1973, then says it won an award in 1972! Such a thing would seem quite impossible. I remember distinctly watching it in 1971, and meeting the Louds at El Paseo restaurant in the late summer of 1971 when I was honeymooning there. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.228.204.153 (talk) 17:41, 27 December 2010 (UTC)
 * Unless we're reading two different articles, the current version of this very article does not state anything of that nature. It says it was filmed in 1971, and aired in early 1973. There's no mention of it winning an award in 1972 in the article.  Pinkadelica ♣  04:00, 28 December 2010 (UTC)


 * You've conflated your memories. The series was filmed in 1971, and no doubt you met the Louds in Santa Barbara that summer, perhaps with cameras in tow. But like all such television shows, it was edited in a long process, in this case through 1972, and it did not air on PBS until January 1973. So unless you saw some raw footage in an editing room with Craig Gilbert, you didn't see it in 1971. Moncrief (talk) 21:26, 21 April 2011 (UTC)

2011 Anniversary Edition Of 'An American Family'
PBS will air a two-hour version of its groundbreaking 1973 reality series An American Family on July 7. The original 12-hour series, which centered on the Loud family from Santa Barbara, Calif., aired in 1973 but has not been seen nationally in more than 20 years. PBS said the edited An American Family: Anniversary Edition "provides a fresh perspective to viewers who may have missed the original series airing nearly 40 years ago"; to further seek out new audiences, the two-hour version will stream on PBS' Facebook page beginning June 27. The rebroadcast comes on the heels of HBO's fictionalized account of the making of the series, Cinema Verite, which starred Tim Robbins, Diane Lane and James Gandolfini and aired back in April. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.70.76.149 (talk) 14:58, 23 June 2011 (UTC)

Came out on the show?
I have watched the entire series (have you?), and there is no moment in the program when Lance Loud comes out to his family. No one denies of course that he is gay, and openly at that, but at no point in the course of the series does he come out. Beginning in the 1970s, commentators on the series began to incorrectly state that he had come out on the show, but it's simply false. So, yes, you can find links that state Lance came out (just as you can find all sorts of inaccuracies on the Internet), but I'm interested in the reality of the program, not inaccurate descriptions, no matter how widely popularized. I can certainly link you to a 1973 Dick Cavett interview in which Lance explicitly states that he was out for a long time before the show aired. Edit: Here it is:. Go to 5:59 in this clip. Both Cavett and Lance agree that the word homosexual was not mentioned on the show (they're right).

Moreover, you reverted a line in this article, which contained a "who" tag, no link, and no proof, that I can tell you is demonstrably false. Lance was not the first openly gay character (for one thing he was not a "character"; he is a documentary subject) to appear on television. As two examples, openly gay characters appeared in this 1967 documentary and this 1971 television episode. You reverted my edits, which were made in good faith and in the spirit of compromise, within a very few minutes. I ask you to examine the evidence and also act in good faith. Moncrief (talk) 05:49, 20 August 2011 (UTC)


 * I added two references that differ with you. One from PBS (where the show originally aired) and one from a noted columnist with scores of credits in numerous publications (ergo, making him a reliable reference).  In case you aren't aware, the standard in Wikipedia is verifiability over truth.  The verifiability is there and that trumps what you say is "truth".  And in answer to your question about whether or not I have watched the series: yes, I have.  When it originally aired on PBS in 1973.  Lhb1239 (talk) 06:04, 20 August 2011 (UTC)


 * "Coming out" doesn't have to include saying the word "homosexual". My recollection ("truth", of course, not verifiable) from the original broadcast is that we wondered during early episodes whether Lance was gay, and were certain by the end that he was. Wegesrand (talk) 11:38, 26 February 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
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Legacy and Influence section
I removed the entry about the SNL skit. It was not a spoof of the series at all. The editor who added it apparently misinterpreted the fact that the skit was titled "The Loud Family" because they communicated by shouting everyday conversation. The skit was completely lacking of a premise that connects it "An American Family," or any kind of parody of reality television in general. ShelbyMarion (talk) 02:02, 11 May 2016 (UTC)

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A Grouping Is Needed For All Family Reality TV Programs On Wikipedia (more information the better)
A collective of type to group all the Reality Family based programs. Or at least some easy identifiable way to navigate between them. That is so the information is mentioned for each program of the others and so linked that way on each program name. Also links to the same again on Wikipedia in a separate Others Family Reality Programs.

Why did I write here and not on the others because this is the first that started it all well this and The Family (Fly On The Wall) (1974) broadcast a year later on BBC.

Mention also where these are available to watch because while some may count these as entertainment they are to many educational. And maybe reason why they are not available to watch anywhere (unless maybe have XYZ device or a member of a recognised group etc).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_American_Family An American Family (1973) (PBS_WNET US)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Family_(1974_TV_series) The Family (Fly On The Wall)(1974) (BBC1 UK) (this wiki has very little content information at all)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Family_(2008_TV_series) The Family (2008) (CH4 UK) 3 seasons [with first season having a fifteen episode spin off The Family Teen Stories (2008)]. Seasons 2008, 2009, 2010

The Family (2011) (SBS_One AU) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Family_(2011_Australian_TV_series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Family_episodes_(2011_Australian_TV_series)

Sylvanian Waters (1994) (ABC AU & BBC UK) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvania_Waters_(TV_series) Having to use a web search engine find this on wiki. Wikipedia search was unable provide it.

-

Are these two below.. Family Reality TV.. Or maybe it is TLC way of filming and editing that makes me think something is different. Filmed Fly On Wall scenes then those involved talk about what just happened. Well yes but then it isn't Reality but planned or can be manipulated (planned). Time will tell. Neither of these two below are on Wikipedia yet.

Behind Closed Doors The American Family (2017) (TLC US) https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/behind-closed-doors-the-american-family/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7528406/

Meet The Putnams (2017) (TLC US) https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/meet-the-putmans/

Suggest also contact the maintainers of the other Family Reality TV programs to update their page contents.

I'm sure this is not the whole list of Family reality TV programs and more need to be added. Maybe while updating the above into a group on Wikipedia more programs can then be added at the same time as they become known. Or have on each page a question to readers do they know of others that are not yet mentioned, so able to add them all to Wikipedia.

80.234.142.78 (talk) 16:43, 14 November 2017 (UTC)

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