The Return Of An Old Obsession!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                         From 1976 to 1980, while I was still living at home, and my mother alive, (at least till early 1979), all things in our house would stop at 10PM on Tuesday nights, when "Family" aired on ABC.

                          Lest we forget the cast--Sada Thompson--so dramatic, just arranging flowers, oh, my God!--as Kate Lawrence; tall and handsome James Broderick, as her husband, Doug; Gary Frank (whom just about everyone, save I, was hot for!) as eldest son, Willie; Kristy McNichol, most moving and identifiable to me, as Buddy, and Meredith Baxter Birney as eldest child Nancy, who taught us that not all Golden Girls keep the gold once they finish high school. But, oh my God, how we wanted to look like her, dress like her, wear her hair, like her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           The show coincided with my transitional period, which caused me to empathize with Willie and Buddy.  I felt I was in their place.   Every family has its dramas, but the Lawrences, being a product of television, had more than their share.

                             Oddly enough, thinking back, the only episode I really remembered was the one where Willie's friend, Zeke, gets arrested while being in a gay bar.  This was pretty heady stuff for its day, and, in its fashion, "Family" adeptly tackled this issue, child abuse, lesbianism, and teen aged suicide.

                             Just recently, episodes have been turning up on my You Tube.  I have been watching them, and forgotten so much.  I remember, at the time, feeling the show went down when Quinn Cummings came on, as Annie, now I am willing to concede her valid contribution.  But the originals were the best.

                             And I just loved that blue house.  Was it real, or created on the Fox lot?  Anyone out there know, please tell me.

                               Not to mention the haunting theme music, composed by sometime co-star John Rubinstein.  I can still hum it, to this day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             As I watch the episodes, I have noted the ones that. today still impact upon me.
In upcoming posts, I will discuss them with you.

                             Even though the devices--manual, electric, typewriters, and pay phones on the street--are dated, the writing and the acting quality is not.

                               Would I could say the same for TV today.

                                 "Family" was and still is a gold standard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!