Tonight, PBS will air a two-hour version of An American Family. The “Anniversary Edition” has been condensed from its 12-hour version by its original filmmakers, Alan Raymond and Susan Raymond, and debuts at 8 p.m. ET. If you haven’t yet… continue reading
An American Family
PBS's 1973 show An American Family was the first reality TV show: a narrative, unscripted, documentary-style series that followed the Loud family, including Pat, Bill, and Lance, who was TV's first openly gay character.
Two-hour version of An American Family, edited by original filmmakers, will air on PBS
An American Family has been turned into a fictional film for HBO and has been rebroadcast on a few PBS stations, but now viewers nationwide will be able to watch the 12-hour series compressed into a two-hour version called An… continue reading
Craig Gilbert calls HBO’s American Family film “fallacious”; Louds paid by HBO to stay quiet
HBO debuted its film about the creation of An American Family, but the series’ producer has called the film’s plot fiction–and as usual, reality is more interesting and complicated. While the performances in Cinema Verite were strong, and the actors… continue reading
An American Family will finally be rebroadcast this weekend, following HBO’s scripted film
This weekend, An American Family, the 1973 series that followed the Loud family and was the first unscripted, narrative TV show, comes back to life in the form of a scripted HBO film and a rebroadcast of the entire 12-episode… continue reading
HBO releases teaser trailer for Cinema Verite, the movie about An American Family
In April, HBO will debut Cinema Verite, a scripted film about the creation of the first unscripted, narrative documentary series: An American Family. It stars James Gandolfini as Craig Gilbert, the filmmaker who produced the series, and Tim Robbins and… continue reading
James Gandolfini watches Real Housewives, and other insight from the cast of HBO’s An American Family movie
In a few months, HBO will once again fictionalize the creation of a famous work of nonfiction, although this time it’s the reality series that started it all: An American Family. The Sopranos’ James Gandolfini stars as Craig Gilbert, the… continue reading
HBO turning An American Family into a fictional film
The first true reality series, An American Family, will become a fictional HBO film called Cinema Verite. Gavin Polone is executive producing the film, which has not yet been cast but was written “by ‘The Omen’ writer David Seltzer, with… continue reading
An American Family’s 35th anniversary was this week
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… continue reading
American Family filmmaker: reality TV has “shoddy production values.
American Family filmmaker: reality TV has “shoddy production values. An American Family cinematographer and co-director Alan Raymond watched The Surreal Life at the prompting of his family, including his wife and co-American Family filmmaker Susan Raymond, and was “fascinated by… continue reading
documentary about Lance Loud, An American Family episode air tonight.
documentary about Lance Loud, An American Family episode air tonight. Filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond followed the Loud family for the 1973 PBS series An American Family, and in 2001, they returned to film Lance Loud’s final days at his… continue reading
PBS plans “An American Family: The Final Episode” focusing on Lance Loud’s final days.
PBS plans “An American Family: The Final Episode” focusing on Lance Loud’s final days. Nearly 30 years after the series first aired, PBS will air a follow-up special, called An American Family: The Final Episode. It chronicles the final days… continue reading
new book explores An American Family “from conception to broadcast.”
new book explores An American Family “from conception to broadcast.” The first reality TV show, An American Family, which aired on PBS in 1973, is now the subject of an exhaustive book called An American Family: A Televised Life. Jeffrey… continue reading
PBS’ new American Family, debuting tonight, is not a reality TV show.
PBS’ new American Family, debuting tonight, is not a reality TV show. At first glance, PBS’ new show American Family, debuting tonight at 8 p.m. ET in most markets, looks like a follow-up to the 1973 An American Family, the… continue reading
An American Family’s Lance Loud dies; came out during 1973 show.
An American Family’s Lance Loud dies; came out during 1973 show. One of the stars of the first dramatic, episodic, soap-opera like reality TV show died last Saturday. In 1973, 12 episodes of PBS’ An American Family followed the Loud… continue reading
PBS may bring back “An American Family.”
PBS may bring back “An American Family.” The original reality TV show–PBS’ “An American Family,” which followed a single family for a year–is coming back to PBS, mostly because of the success of other similar shows this year, including PBS’… continue reading