American Family, An

An American Family is a groundbreaking 12-part American television documentary series filmed in 1971 and first aired in the United States on PBS starting in January of 1973. The show chronicled the experiences of a nuclear family, the Louds of Santa Barbara, California. The series was produced by Craig Gilbert and featured the work of filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond. The series is generally considered the first reality TV series.

The seven members of the family were:

* William Carberry (Bill) Loud (born January 22, 1921)

* Patricia (Pat) Loud (born October 4, 1926)

* Lance Loud (June 26, 1951 – December 22, 2001)

* Kevin Robert Loud (born January 28, 1953)

* Grant Loud (born May 5, 1954 in Eugene, Oregon)

* Delilah Ann Loud (born October 15, 1955)

* Michele Loud (born October 15, 1957)

The Louds' eldest son, Lance, was gay and occasionally wore lipstick and women's clothes. He is credited as the first openly gay character on television.