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This was a must-see for me in '76 -'80. It was my guiding light and the topics it touched upon were indeed concerns of mine. They were beautifully written and seemingly resolved with love. It's a wonderful cast that almost became my second family. Now streaming on Tubi its entirety.

I was a bit young to have watched Family during its original run, though my older sisters watched this show religiously. I must admit that as an adolescent young man, my tastes tended to run more towards the action fare and cop shows of the time. Nevertheless, I have gained an appreciation for Family over the years while watching it occasionally on various classic TV stations. MeTV+ currently runs the show each weekday morning in the NY/NJ area.

Set in Pasadena, CA, the show depicts The Lawrence Family, with parents Kate and Doug (Sada Thompson, James Broderick) and their three children Nancy (Meredith Baxter Birney), Willie (Gary Frank) and "Buddy" (Kristi McNichol). Kate and Doug were both happily married and parented in a very rational, loving manner. Episodes centered around topical relationship, work and school issues facing a "typical" middle class family. Occasionally, subjects not usually discussed on prime time family shows like homosexuality, breast cancer, alcoholism and sexual harassment were covered in "special" episodes and presented thoughtfully and professionally, avoiding the heavy-handed treatment we sometimes see on TV.

The show was well-received by critics and widely acclaimed, bringing Emmys to Thompson, McNichol and Frank during its run and making McNichol a big star. Shows like this are always a bit dated in some respects, but Family is nonetheless relevant in many ways today and undoubtedly brings back fond memories to those who remember it from their youth. Recommended watch.

"I felt this show was totally realistic. This program ran in the mid-seventies during the time that my wife and I were still newly married. This may have had an impact on why I feel toward the show like I do. However, I felt then as now, having grown up in a family myself, this has been the most realistically portrayed drama of an average family that I can remember seeing. I thoroughly enjoyed the program and only have good memories of it!"

"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

I first caught this show in re-runs on Lifetime and WOR 9 from New York in the late 80's, and I taped as many episodes as I could manage. I greatly admire the production values and story lines this frequently mawkish, yet unflinchingly progressive piece of late 70's serial TV "dramedy" had to offer in virtually every episode of it's four-year run. All of the key players were exceptional actors, and made for riveting television that has been largely taken for granted. With so much bunk arriving weekly on DVD, Columbia/TrisStar should really pick up the ball on this project and start compiling a comprehensive DVD collection while Sada Thompson and the rest of the crew are still with us, and can offer insightful reminiscence on a long-overdue and much-needed addition to the growing list of good and bad television shows available on DVD.

Producer Edward Zwick, along with Marshall Herskovitz, went on to produce "thirtysomething" "Relativity" "My So-Called Life" and "Once and Again." Sada Thompson, Gary Frank, and Kristy McNichol all won Emmys for their work on this series. Many veteran and up-and-coming performers made guest appearances on this series: Mildred Natwick, Tommy Lee Jones, Doris Roberts, James Woods, Elizabeth Ashley, Pat Crowley, Sheree North, David Dukes, Blair Brown, Brooke Adams, Linda Lavin, Kim Darby, William Daniels, Leirf Garrett, Annie Potts, Charlotte Rae, Shelley Long, Mare Winningham, Steve Guttenberg, Michael Biehn, Ted Danson, Stephanie Zimbalist, Michael J. Fox, and Henry Fonda (in the 1979 episode "thanksgiving" directed by Joanne Woodward). TRIVIA: James Broderick (Doug Lawrenece) is the father of actor Matthew Broderick; John Rubenstein (Jeff Maitland) wrote the theme from "Family" and is the son of pianist Arthur Rubenstein.

As a young adult in the mid 1970's to early 1980's, I greatly enjoyed watching all original episodes of this TV show. This series is of the highest artistic quality and adheres to the highest standards. The screenplay pauses long enough to flesh out each of its characters in depth, allowing the viewer to feel deeply for the characters. The show makes you feel great sympathy for the daily existential struggle of ordinary people in their search for love and purpose in their lives. This series is one of those rare works of art that is intelligent, smart, insightful, and life-affirming. It is a beautiful story, an emotionally moving experience that that helps make the world a little better place. I am hoping that all original episodes of 'Family' will be issued on DVD soon --- I would very much like to watch this series all over again.

I only started watching this recently and it's a nice TV series. The characters are appealing and their dealings with life's situations are very forward thinking. It's definitely in a whole different league from the same old same old! Some episodes are better than others but it stands the twst of time we'll. It all centres around this family and their nicenesses and warts, with unexpected reactions to some of their life events.

The TV series "Family" from 1976 to 1980 stands head and shoulders above any other family based show I have seen. It is very well observed, going right to the heart of family issues.

The writing and acting style is superb, allowing the viewer time to reflect on the issue and fill in the gaps them self. (This is the most engaging style of TV drama, which is also demonstrated in the family scenes in The Sopranos TV series.)

It may sound a bit 'naff' but it has deepened my own understanding of the profound nature of family life. This show demonstrates how family life can be conducted with courage and style.

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.

Family is the kind of show I wish they had on the air now. Normal family you can totally relate to living through normal every day problems just like I was when I was a teenager in the mid 70s. It was also set in Pasadena, California and family lived in Glendale which is the town next-door. Great cast and characters that you actually cared about. The only show that came close to being as good was Parenthood on NBC a few years ago. Interestingly enough another show set in California.

This show helped so much growing up. Issues were always relevant. Every character was perfectly cast. Sada Thompson was perfection as Kate Lawrence. She was like everyone's mother, with just a bit of Mrs. Barkley thrown in to give her an edge.

I was quite the precocious child at 7. Instead of coming home and watching cartoons, I preferred serialized dramas. This show was my favorite at the time. Even at that young age I knew what I was watching was good. Flash forward 30 years. I have now watched the episodes on DVD and this show truly is/was leaps and bounds ahead of anything in its day. The writing and direction was just phenomenal, credible, and so well executed. The acting is spot on, with nary a clichéd moment. It is great to watch these episodes again and see how a family drama should be produced. One can see why Sada Thompson Gary Frank and Kristy McNichol won Emmys for their work. James Broderick definitely should have been awarded one.

I loved this show in the '70's and bought Seasons1 and 2 on DVD. I was so happy when Tubi had it but they recently discontinued it. This is a show that still rings true 43 years later! BRING IT BACK ON ROKU or another streaming channel. The plots facing the Lawrence family are those that we still face today! My favorite episodes are" Skeleton in the Closet and Someone's Watching. I also adored how the series brought "Buddy" from adolescence into teenage years, with some of the same struggles facing the young generation today. Sada Thompson was the perfect Kate Lawrence. As the matriarch of the family, she presented herself with strength and class.

I remember this show........ Watching with my mom, dad said it was ok. That's how shows were in the 70's. I thought some episodes were good and some were not. I was a big Kristy McNichols fan and it was interesting to see now Helen Hunt,

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.

I remember this show but I wasn't a fan as a teenager. (I am the exact age of Kristy McNicholl.) Now at 61 years old I see it differently and I love it. I now connect with Kate, the mother. But it also brings me back to my teenage years and I watch it with nostalgia. Even Buddy's clothes is exactly how we dressed and now girls that age look like hookers! And to think my grandmother was horrified by 70s television! She must be turning in her grave. My mother also! Yet at the same time it had some quite controversial topics for the time. Sexual harassment, homosexuality, infidelity, abortion, etc.

It's fun binge watching this show

I didn't like it when they added Meredith Baxtner and removed Elayne Heilveil as Nancy Lawrence Maitland

Meredith may have been a year older than Elayne, but she ALWAYS looks SOOOO much older than her

She just didn't fit in as well at Elayne

Meredith (1947) ALWAYS looked SOOO much other than her 'siblings' in the show, Elayne (1948), Gary (1950), Kristy (1962) and there really wasn't that much age difference

Her character, Elyse Keaton in Family Ties (Aired May 14, 1989 to September 22, 1982), is only 14 years older than Michael J Fox (played Alex Keaton)

This was a show that made the competition pale in comparison. It is an Aaron Spelling production made before he became a sleaze machine. "Family" was the highlight of my viewing week when I was a student in grad school--too busy for everything but Family.

I was unfamiliar with Sada Thompson's work. Her portrayal gave the character a ring of genuine realness (not reality--realness). She portrayed a character that was a lady of elegance, honesty, compassion, nurturing--qualities that were so real the apple need not fall far from the tree on this one to realize that this was who she was at heart in her real family life. I never could see enough of her work. As a character and an actress who could draw you in, she and her supporting cast mates were always welcome guests in our home. There was never another show like it before or since. And frankly nobody but Sada could ever fill this role should a new series be mounted. It was a sad day when we found out that Family would not be returning. It left a void in our lives. Would that actors could launch the same effect in the current entertainment market of TV shows. I have a feeling that this series wouldn't get past 13 weeks.