"Family": A TV Classic (Now on Tubi) That Beamed with Pride

After many years in syndication Sony Pictures Home Entertainment delighted fans with DVDs of the first two seasons in 2006 However following the restructuring of that division of Sony seasons three through five were never released and it felt as though the Lawrences had forever vanished But now thanks to Foxowned streaming service Tubi Family lives And it can be watched for freeFamily received Emmy nominations in 1977 3978 and 3979 for Outstanding Drama Series and while it inexplicably never won in that category it did score wins for Sada Thompson Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1978 Gary Frank Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1977 and Kristy McNichol Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1977 and 1979For anyone who watched this show during their childhood or teen years it likely plays a bit differently now Indeed viewing Family through the lens of maturity brings an even greater appreciation of its storytelling an uncanny blend of timeless tradition and progressive forwardthinking impeccable direction realistic dialogue that puts most of the chitterchatter in today39s series programming to shame and uncommonly natural performances that are in a word stellarWith great grace and compassion Family tackled every social issue of the day with great thoughtfulness and respect The characters were flawed and their opinions on certain matters often clashed but their illuminating exchanges were fair and understandable Of most importance nobody preached to the audience There was a rare assumption on the part of the writers that viewers possessed intelligence compassion and curiosity even when the story involved a controversial topic Teen sexuality was big So were equality in the workplace discrimination against the LGBT community single motherhood relationship ageism and the many challenges of medical care In all respects this show was ahead of its time in fact an episode about sexual harassment in the workplace included the phrase quotMe tooquot Remember this was almost 50 years agoWatching Family in June 2021 is particularly thoughtprovoking As we continue to celebrate Pride Month there39s no doubt strides have been made concerning representation and inclusion for the LGBTQ community on television since Family debuted in 1976 Yet two unforgettable episodes featuring gay characters remain as relevant and poignant today as the day they originally airedRites of Friendship Season 2 originally aired on December 28 1976 and centered on son Willie Frank above right being reunited with his longtime best friend Zeke Remsen Brian Byers above left when Zeke takes a break from college But the happy reunion is quickly compromised after Zeke is arrested for punching a cop in a gay bar and Willie is forced to deal with his friend39s sexualityquotI got busted in a gay barquot Zeke says explaining his arrestquotWhy would you want to be therequot Willie asksquotBecause I wanted to Willie I39m gayquot Zeke repliesThose two simple words historically two of the hardest in the English language to utter for so many send Willie on a spiral of outrage and disbelief As the family considers what it is to be gay and offers Zeke support and understanding that he doesn39t receive at home Willie feels increasingly angry and betrayed Has their entire friendship been a liequotI39ve told you everything since I was 7yearsold and I thought you were doing the samequot Willie says to Zeke his tone a mix of hurt anger and confusion quotNow I find you have a secret and it39s a big one Why am I the last to find outquotIt39s a familiar scenario for many in the LGBTQ community when they come out and seeing it depicted so earnestly in its day and even today is powerful Willie39s intimate conversation about it with dad Doug in which they both reveal past samesex crushes ought to be required viewing for everyone No spoilers here There is no better time than Pride to hit Tubi and find itOne year later on November 1 1977 came the episode We Love You Miss Jessup Season 3 and with it more thoughtful insight into outing When Buddy becomes enamored with her English teacher Miss Jessup Blair Brown pictured at top right her interest in learning increases No one bats an eye until it39s revealed at a PTA meeting that Miss Jessup is a quotdevoutquot lesbian and more than one parent asserts that she should be relieved of her teaching dutiesThe revelation splinters the Lawrences quotHomosexuality is not a criminal offense and legal grounds for dismissalquot says Doug the dutiful attorney Kate expresses concern about the influence Miss Jessup might have on their quottomboyquot teenaged daughter but refuses to form an opinion before she has all the facts Her resolve wobbles a bit when she learns that Miss Jessup was fired from a previous teaching position for having a relationship with a studentquotI was involved with a student but she was a college student and 22years old I wasn39t much older and we didn39t meet in schoolquot Jessup explains to the Lawrences in her own defense upset that her morals and abilities as a teacher are being questioned quotUntil recently homosexual men and women had two constant companions fear and shame At that time I lived with both so I ran away Now I don39tquotSada Thompson39s performance both in Kate39s comforting speech to Buddy about her burgeoning sexuality and her efforts to support Miss Jessup after she resigns proves yet again why this series is so profoundly powerful and why these episodes are important pieces of LGBTQ television historyEd Martin contributed to this columnClick the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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"Family": A TV Classic (Now on Tubi) That Beamed with Pride

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Steve Gidlow

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"Family": A TV Classic (Now on Tubi) That Beamed with Pride

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