| The only family I've seen on TV that I thinks comes close is Roseanne.
They struggle to make ends meet (realistically, too -- their
electricity gets shut off, they don't wear fancy clothes, they eat
meals like meat loaf and TV dinners and a big deal is ordering pizza),
they drive old cars (I felt a great surge of "me too!" on the episode
that Roseanne wanted to buy a 'new' car -- like less than 10 years old
and Dan scoffed as if she had suggested to buy a Rolls. Now THAT's
middle class when 10 year old cars are new! :), their kids don't excel
at everything they do, they never really go on vacation (No "Roseanne
in Hawaii" episodes thus far), things in their house don't match
perfectly, it's often cluttered with laundry on the couch, their pantry
is one of those open to the kitchen kind and haphazardly stocked with
stuff like most pantry's I've seen, none of them are particularly pinup
material, etc. But they all manage to get along, sometimes awkwardly.
(Becky's eloping and Dan's reaction, albeit more shortlived than
perhaps real life would have it, felt 'real').
I was one of those who scoffed at Cosby's 'realism' -- yeah, right.
TV realism, perhaps, but not real realism. Most shows who try to show
a 'realistic' family fall into the Idealized Family. Even the
alternative families (My Two Dads spring to mind). Everybody looks
good, dresses well, gets to do everything, never worries much about
money, and so forth. One Big Happy TV Face. I don't expect tragedy
for sitcoms, but I don't expect to be expected to swallow the Cosby's
or the Full House crew or Whomever as a real indication of the American
Family. Maybe it's the kind of family that has that Family Values
thing Bush was always talking about, but by and large, I don't know any
real families who resemble any of them.
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| I personally enjoyed the family life on LIFE GOES ON. It was all very
realistic. And even though ROSEANNE is probably the "typical" family, I
liked the seriousness of LIFE GOES ON. We joke a lot in my family too,
and I'm glad that we can laugh at most of our problems, but the way
that LGO dealt with the more serious issues is, IMHO, a perfect
teaching tool for the kids.
LIFE GOES ON was one show that my 6-1/2 year old daughter and I sat
down together and watched and discussed. It will be sorely missed.
I'll give a vote for DR. QUINN, too, even though it's on the "old
fashioned" side. Watching it is like watching a Hallmark Hall of Fame
special every week.
Catherine
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| Believe it or not, "Cosby" isn't all _that_ unrealistic - except for
the amount of money they had, of course! [The episode in which they
bought the painting that had been done by great-uncle whose-itz was
rather jarring; my family would _never_ have had multiple thousands of
dollars to spend on a painting.] But as far as the generally cheerful
attitudes, the family chats and family skits and overall good
relationships between all the in-laws, etc., it's not too far from _my_
family - though, at times, our kitchen may have resembled Roseanne's
more than the Huxtables'. [If so, I hasten to add, it was us kids'
fault; Mom is a MUCH better housekeeper than Roseanne. ;-)]
-b
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| Just started reading this note but wanted to reply on this topic. I
think the family in The Wonder Years was a very realistic family. I
think I am a few years older than Kevin and I found it very realistic
and I recognized a lot of things happening to Kevin and his family. A
great series, unfortunately stopped already, as far as I am concerned
they could have going on following Kevins life.
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