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The Movie: "Family" started in 1976 and enjoyed a successful run on ABC, winning four Emmys, several Golden Globe nominations and critical raves. The series, which was produced by (among others) Edward Zwick ("Legends of the Fall"), Aaron Spelling and Marshall Herskovitz ("Thirtysomething"), focused on the upper-middle class Lawrence family. The family included father Doug Lawrence (James Broderick), mother Kate (Sada Thompson) and their three children: Nancy (Elayne Heilveil in season 1, Meredith Baxter Birney after), Buddy (Kristy McNichol), and Willie (Gary Frank). Most weeks, the show explored different issues, starting with a pilot that dealt with infidelity on the part of Nancy's husband (which brings back difficult memories for Kate, who dealt with a similar incident years ago when Doug cheated) Other issues dealt with over these two seasons (the short first season and the second season, which was the first full-length season) include: a cancer scare ("Monday is Forever"), losing a loved one ("A Right and Proper Goodbye"), alcoholism ("Skeleton in the Closet"), gay friends ("Rites of Friendship"), drug addiction (Nancy's friend is addicted to speed) and more. For a show to tackle some of the issues that "Family" did during the era in which it was on was groundbreaking. Looking at it from a modern viewpoint, the show's score does tend to underline the dramatic moments, but the show's acting is really strong and quite genuine - especially Broderick, who's terrific as Doug. Occasional touches of humor also serve to lighten the series. Overall, this is a good-hearted series that can seem a little sentimental at times, but the acting is so terrific that the show doesn't feel manipulative. 1. 1- 1 9 Mar 76 Pilot 2. 1- 2 16 Mar 76 Monday is Forever 3. 1- 3 23 Mar 76 A Special Kind of Loving 4. 1- 4 30 Mar 76 A Right and Proper Goodbye 5. 1- 5 6 Apr 76 Thursday's Child 6. 1- 6 13 Apr 76 Point of Departure 2nd Season 7. 2- 1 6 Oct 76 Coming Apart 8. 2- 2 19 Oct 76 Such Sweet Sorrow 9. 2- 3 26 Oct 76 Home Movie 10. 2- 4 9 Nov 76 Coming of Age 11. 2- 5 16 Nov 76 Jury Duty (1) 12. 2- 6 23 Nov 76 Jury Duty (2) 13. 2- 7 30 Nov 76 The Cradle Will Fall 14. 2- 8 7 Dec 76 Skeleton in the Closet 15. 2- 9 21 Dec 76 The Christmas Story 16. 2-10 28 Dec 76 Rites of Friendship 17. 2-11 4 Jan 77 An Eye to the Future 18. 2-12 11 Jan 77 Lovers and Strangers 19. 2-13 18 Jan 77 Return Engagement 20. 2-14 1 Feb 77 Mirror, Mirror on the Wall... 21. 2-15 8 Feb 77 Someone's Watching 22. 2-16 15 Feb 77 A Safe House 23. 2-17 22 Feb 77 Best Friends 24. 2-18 1 Mar 77 Taking Chances (1) 25. 2-19 8 Mar 77 Taking Chances (2) 26. 2-20 22 Mar 77 Comings and Goings 27. 2-21 29 Mar 77 ...More Things in Heaven and Earth 28. 2-22 3 May 77 An Endangered Species The DVD VIDEO: "Family" is presented by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in the show's original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. The presentation does show some minor issues at times, but overall, the condition of the series is about to the level one would expect from a series from this era. Sharpness and detail are not outstanding, but - aside from a few soft moments here-and-there - clarity is likely about as good as when the show was originally broadcast. Some minor wear (specks, marks, dirt) is occasionally seen on the elements, but most scenes looked clean and clear. Some minor artifacting was also seen, but no edge enhancement was spotted. Colors looked natural and nicely presented, with no smearing or other issues. SOUND: The mono soundtrack fares pretty well, with clear dialogue and music. Audio is a little on the thin side, but never sounds harsh or problematic. EXTRAS: Nothing. Final Thoughts: "Family" is a well-acted, good-hearted series that was groundbreaking in the way that it dealt with issues. It's unfortunate that there are no extras included here, but audio/video quality is fine. Recommended. |