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The Flintstones
I yabba dabba dooooo! Who hasn’t exclaimed the phrase of pure excitement? We all grew up with The Flintstones, who first appeared on our screens long before most of us were born in the early Sixties. Fred, Wilma, their daughter Pebbles live in the Stone Age with a whole bunch of pets, mostly used as vacuum cleaners, garbage disposals and the like because of the lack of electricity. With their loveable neighbours the Rubbles, the Flintstones parodied modern suburban life but they also made all the children laugh.
The Flintstones is on every weekday morning on BBC2 around 11am.
The Brady Bunch
Probably the most typical ‘Family Show’; the Brady Bunch consists of the combined families of two divorced parents, bringing the total to two parents, six children, a housekeeper and a dog - a proper bunch really. The show focused mostly on the children growing up, hitting puberty and the drama that goes along with it. With six ages to choose from all children could relate, and mom and dad could compare the Bradies to their own children. Though most spin-offs were unsuccessful the show is one of the most memorable and most referenced of all time.
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show lets us peek into the life of the Huxtable family. Huh? Exactly, no one in the family is named Cosby except for father Heathcliff’s real life name, Bill Cosby. Apparently the name did them well because the show is one of the most successful family shows ever. Working parents “Cliff” and Clare are raising four daughters and one son. The three youngest children were the main focus of the series; older sister Denise’s stepdaughter joined in for the last season, once again because the youngest daughter had grown too old.
Who’s the boss?
Who’s the Boss? questions the roles of the male and female in the household when widowed Tony and his daughter move into divorced mother Angela’s house to help her with the household. Angela runs a successful business, Tony is a house dad. Initially the two are just friends but increasingly sparks begin to fly between the two. It’s not until the eighth season, however, that the two begin a relationship. The show depicts suburban life in a fairly realistic yet funny way. Angela’s mother Mona was there for some extra entertainment, playing an elderly men obsessed woman.
Growing Pains
Growing Pains often focused on the responsibilities of being a parent withn a large family – mommy, daddy, daughters Carol and Chrissy, and sons Mike and Ben – and who will take care of the baby. This baby grew up a lot faster than most, becoming a four year old from being only a toddler the season before. Older brother Ben was the sweetheart of the family, being clever but naïve, but sister Carol was the real smart one. Often declared a nerd by her brothers, she struggled her way through high school. Mike, played by Kirk Cameron, was the Teenage Icon, who certainly gave the show some of its popularity. The then unknown Leonardo DiCaprio joined the cast in the final season as the homeless Luke, and as it should be in a family show they took him into their house. And what do you know? They grew to love him as their own.
Full House
Born in the late Eighties, Full House starts when Danny Tanner loses is wife in a car accident, so brother-in-law Jesse and best friend Joey move in to help, taking care of Danny’s three daughters. The family continues growing with Jesse’s wife Rebecca, joined later by their twins for some fresh cuteness. Despite receiving bad reviews throughout its run, it remained popular with the audience, probably because of all this cuteness. The three daughters each portrayed the stereotypical role: oldest daughter who’s wise but bossy; the middle child trying to be cool like her older sister, but not being allowed yet; and the youngest being very cute, but also a little bit spoiled. The two eldest daughters, played by Candace Cameron (Growing Pains’ Kirk Cameron’s little sister) and Jodie Sweetin, though very good, were completely out-starred by little Michelle played by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who took turns playing the part. In the show since they were nine months old, the Olsen twins began building their empire, gaining immense popularity from Full House. Be aware: you will either find the twins ridiculously cute or scarily trained like little monkeys. They appear to do anything that they’ve been told…
The Simpsons
The blue hair, the spiky hair, Bart’s bum, we all know the yellow family. The Simpsons have been around for over 20 years, starting as “shorts” in The Tracy Ullman Show, and they have managed gradually to find their ways into our lives. Set in Springfield, a town in every state of America, the show is about everyday life, just a bit more cartoon-esque. With dumb father Homer, loving Marge and their children - naughty Bart, clever Lisa and cute Maggie - the family clashes constantly, but it remains clear how much they love each other. The show is celebrated for its satire on politics, media and American life in general.
The Simpsons is on Channel 4, RTE Two and Sky1
Roseanne
Despite the title, there is a lot more going on than just Roseanne, played by famous comedienne Roseanne Barr; but it's also true that Roseanne is the main character. Unlike the other family shows, Roseanne focuses on a working class family; the parents’ relationship isn’t like some Christmas card in which everyone looks happy. Roseanne creates a more realistic view of parenthood, although all family shows portrayed the rocky side of relationships at some point. Roseanne was very successful throughout its whole run. People were happy to relate to this family that was probably a lot closer to their own - there will be more women working in diners than there will successful career women. As well as raising her three children with husband Dan, Roseanne feels she also has to take care of her sister Jackie. The scenes between these two sisters are probably the most memorable in their sincerity.
7th Heaven
7th Heaven is a significantly later show, and perhaps doesn’t quite belong in this category. It revolves, however, around the Camden family with Reverend Eric as the leader of the pack of five, and later seven, children. His wonderful housewife Annie mostly takes care of the children but Eric is always there for good advice. This show is completely about being a loving family and learning some valuable lessons on the way, traditionally closing with a happy ending and a group hug. As cynical as this may sound, I actually loved this show when I was younger and watched it every day before I had dinner.
Family Guy
Loved for its political incorrectness, Family Guy, starring the Griffin family, is not quite like all the other shows. With an idiot father and a son with similarly no common sense, daughter Meg is left trying to fit in. But who could with a family like that? Mother Lois is probably the most sane, and one can only imagine why she ever married Peter. Probably the most popular is baby son Stewie, who speaks and acts like a grown up. He also tries to take over the world and kill his mother. Strangely enough, this can be quite funny. Finally we have Brian, the family dog, who drinks Martinis and contemplates life. The show got cancelled in 2002 but returned to TV after outstanding DVD sales.
Family Guy is on channels FX and BBC3.
DVDs of all series are for sale online.
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