Eine amerikanische Familie

Having just finished watching Homefront again on TVLand, it occurred to me that Family would be an ideal show for them to run. It has everything a successful show should have -- excellent story line, terrific cast and acting and great family appeal. There are very few shows on today that can compare to all that Family has to offer.

May I suggest that anyone interested, please contact TVLand and see if we can persuade them to run this series as they did Homefront.

I imagine I'd find it rather simple and uninteresting today, but I have fond memories and I had a big crush on Kristy Mcnichol, who was maybe only a year older than I was. Now I look at her and I see a kid, but at the time, I saw someone, slightly older than me, slightly more together and someone I could relate to.

One time at summer camp, I was an aide, and most of the people around were counselors, they were 18 or 19, I was 16 and they were talking about women who they thought were hot and I mentioned my crush on Kristy and I never heard the end of it. They said "she's a kid". But . . . did they not realize, so was I. That's life and growing up I suppose. I remember one or two plots with this one, how people would have different opinions but the father would always work things out in the end. It was kind of like a slightly more mature and better written Brady bunch. Not quite at the level of James at 16, but somewhere between the two.

I don't know if I'd recommend anyone watch this show now unless they want to experience a time capsule, but I remember it fondly. I used to look forward to catching it Sunday nights I think it was, might have been Fridays.

So for many years, I remembered a show I use to watch as a small child (I was born in 1980). For the life of me, I remembered only the theme song, the word "Family" in the title, and Kristy McNichol being in the cast. The show was on (in syndication) WSMH TV 66 here around 84-86. I owe thanks to VH1 for recently running the 100 famous teen stars in which Ms. McNichol and this wonderful show were mentioned. I am happy to know that my mind wasn't playing tricks on me and that this show really existed. I loved this show as a child and my family use to watch it together. It was a great time back then, when family actually did things as a family. I remembered eating dinner and finishing up just in time to watch this show. They (TVLand) need to bring this back so that my nieces and nephews can enjoy this classic also.

"Family" was consistently entertaining and insightful television, in the wasteland that was late 70's television programming.

It dealt with sensitive issues in a thoughtful manner without proselytizing or being maudlin.

I had the good fortune of beginning my television career by being a fan of "Family." A new resident of the neighborhood, I hung-out during the filming of exterior shots at the location of the "Lawrence" home in South Pasadena, during "Family's" final season. That same summer, in 1979, I went to work for the production company, Spelling-Goldberg Productions. Watching "Family" shoot was magic.

The series hearkened-back to an era even earlier than the late 70's...it kind of had a sixties feel to it, an earlier, simpler, and kinder period among American families. However, unlike the family dramas that filmed during the sixties, "Family" was far more realistic and believable.

Clearly, the break-out star of "Family" was young Kristy McNichol who stole nearly every scene she was in.

"Family" is long overdue to be offered in a DVD collection, and I hope all four seasons will soon be available in a video collection.

Thanks for the memories.

Gary L. Myers

This show was great. I started watching it on the Nostalgia Network but now that network is nostalgia itself. The Pasadena setting was perfect for this family. In LA but off in a more quiet, normal and realistic location. Everything about this show is 70's and that adds to its coolness. Bellbottoms everywhere and the people in them with such problems!!!!!