As anyone who’s taken notice of the distinctive promotional posters and on-air trails will no doubt be aware, The Family made its long-awaited debut on Channel 4 tonight. A minutely-observed eight-part documentary series, it promises to “lift the lid on family dynamics” and “build a revealing and intimate portrait of life in Britain today”.
Filmed over 100 days and nights, The Family will chronicle the everyday lives of the “vibrant and often fiery” Hughes family from Kent – dad Simon, mum Jane, daughters Jessica, Emily, Charlotte and son Tom – as they respond to the challenges that modern family life presents.
Did you watch the first episode? What did you make of it? Was The Family what you expected?
BAFTA award-winning director Jonathan Smith said he wanted the series to provide “an honest portrait of family life in the 21st century”. Do you think this will be achieved? Have you been able to relate to what you’ve seen so far? Does The Family reflect your experience of how families live and interact in this country today? The TV Show would love to know what you think.
If you missed tonight’s first episode, please take a look at the clip below to get a flavour of what went on.
The Family will be available free on Catch-Up for the next 30 days.
Commentsoldest first
Liked the show and the family members. Mum and dad are sound and have heart. The 19 year old will see the error of her ways when she watches it and realise what lovely parents she has. She is all take take take but I’m sure she;ll be fine in the long run. I look forward to next week.
I was 17 years of age in 1974 and married in the same year that the first family documentary was aired.
I am now a 51 year old widow, mother of 2 sons aged 31 and 29, and grand mother of three.
I didn’t watch the 1974 production, but I would put money on the family having better manners,and communicating in more than disjointed syllabyls.
I wathched Phil and Fern today and the documentary maker said he liked this family. This is car crash TV at it’s worst. The family on morning tv bore no resemblance to the morons we saw tonight. Which begs the question how much does makeup, air brushing and (script?) PR have to do with the opium of the masses television.
This takes Questionable tv ethics to a lower base line
I enjoyed the family, which played more like a documentry soap was that the intention? It beared no resemblance to my own family. Did they purposely look for a family were the family unit was orthodox in makeup? Aren’t most family’s today made up of single parents. Aren’t a large percentage of families now made up of step parents and siblings. Aren’t a considerable number of families bi racial or bi cultural.
The British family is complex i’m just curious why this family.
I’m 27 years old, i live in London on my own while the rest of my family live in Liverpool. I have no children.
I consider myself a young woman yet I was shocked at the lack of respect the daughter had for her parents and how they seemed incapable of disciplining her. My mother is West African with a scouse accent having spent more years in Liverpool Merseyside than her country of birth. She was strict but fair she’s an idol to me and my four other siblings. When I was a child i used to secretly wish my parents were as liberal as the parents of my white friends. One of whom even lied to my mother so that I could go clubbing with her daughter. But by 19 when i was at University and living independently I was grateful for my upbringing, grateful for the morals and respect for others as well as myself that was installed in me. The family is an indictment of the society in which we live today, the me, me, me, society where nobody else matters as demonstrated by the 19 year old. The product of children having children, the mother being 40 and wanting desperately to be the childs best mate instead of her mother. The father is a surprise twist but his authority is constantly being undermined, in someway he represents the State. The family is a must see, if for no other reason than to see how not to do it.
Simply loved it, it was a joy to watch, I sat with my mother and brother and watched another family have exactly the same stresses that we have had, I am the oldest of my 5 siblings and I was exactly the same, Im lovely now though!!!
this is possibly the worst television programme i have ever seen in my life. i am a 20 yr old drama student and was cringing at the unrehearsed obviously unscripted scenes, this resembled a secondary school drama class when you were asked to improvise. the mother constantly was cutting off the father with what can only be described as speaking s**t (sorry but i couldn’t describe it any other way) and when the father did say something it was not constructive at all. the arguments never actually went anywhere they just repeated themselves constantly. im afraid i cannot comment on the whole show because i switched off before my whole head exploded in frustration and anger that channel 4 would actually waste money and time in putting this on television. putting such ill mannered and disrespectful teenage characters on a show like this is not going to help the current problem it is just going to condone it and make it the ‘NORM’ and so teenagers will accept this way of behaviour and so will parents instead of using strict dicipline because they will think all teenagers are like this. well they arent and strict dicipline does work if you stick to it. please take this show off the television and save people from the time they are going to waste watching it.
I watched the family and sow myself and my husband in it, our everyday life! This behavior of teenagers is very upsetting for the parents ,family and society . Unfortunately we too have a horrible teenage daughter who is 18 now but it all started when she was 13. She left school at 16, had a part time job but lost it because the night life and smoking canabis were her priorities(still are), and now is on the job seekers allowance and is not very interested to find another job. She demands money from us every day that she spends on petrol and drugs,and we are not happy about it, but if we refuse to give her money she ”raises hell” at home.Sometimes this goes on for hours, one evening she did it for 6 hours - real torture! and we gave in eventually! She only wants and gives nothing in return, no help at home, allways in a bad mood, never sits down to eat and talk with us, just in and out of the house at all hours!So much selfishness, so much anger and rudness! She doesn’t care about nobody else but herself, what have we done to deserve this?! We want her to move out , even thought of legal eviction,but she does not want even to hear about it! Can’t see light in the end of the tunnel, feel as if my life is over,! Looking forward to see the rest of ”The Family” , very good idea, very true look into the life of the families today! !
Really enjoyed what i watched. It made me realise what pain i brought to my parents. I would disagree with what others have said about how not to bring your kids up and how this was not a show of wearing make up and tv publicity!!!!This was about a family that you could see clearly loved each other. And if each and everyone of us thought about our lives properly we have been there and done the same. Family means everything it brings us all together.
This is clearly set up - not reality TV at all. Does Ch4 really think we’ll fall for this? You can’t imitate real life. Art imitates life not the other way round and this is proof we shouldn’t even try. Staged and see through!
enjoyed watching The Family. It was very interesting and I cannot wait till the next episode!
All though there are very clear family roles as there are in every family, you can see parts of yourself in each “character”, no matter what your age or gender is. This is why I found the first episode so interesting and amusing and will definitely be watching again. I think this family were very brave to open themselves up to the viewing public’s scrutiny! The thing that struck me strongly in the first episode was how the mother seems to strive for a relationship with her eldest daughter which is less parental and more friendly. I see this as a pattern with a lot of mothers and teenage girls, which I don’t feel is a good thing. It is of course great to have a strong relationship with your children, but how can you hold any authority over them as their friend?
“Documenting universal themes of family life” is what te blurb states. Absolute tosh! You have a very upper-middle class family, that most cannot relate to with te size of their house and the amount of money given to the appalling children for nothing. The parents have given more attention to how they appear on camera compared to how they deal with reality. That awful Emily needs a good kick up the proverbial….what example is this? Emily is molicoddled (I have no idea how to spell it as it only seems to apply here!!)
PLEASE MAKE A REAL LIFE DOCUMENTARY
The only one in this family who is real is the young boy, and he does not get enough exposure for us to even remember his name. What does that say?
Does the mum do anything or does she just lie in bed or on the sofa in her dressing gown while the dad cooks, works, cleans etc.
I find the family great entertainment and maybe a little educational too. It must be hard to live with all the cameras but i do not find it false at all. I come from a single parent family and find it interesting to watch how the parents work together or against each other sometimes! However no family is perfect but its clear this is a very close loving family and I for one will continue to tune in.
Is the Father a saint? what is he still doing in this house of horrors? chained to the kitchen and trying to keep the family together - whilst Mother appears to be in bed all the time, trying to command attention and be one of the ‘girls’ at the same time - GENIUS TV!
just watched the 2nd episode of the family and it was even better than the 1st. I find it captures perfectly the dynamics of the modern family - the parents who strive to find a balance between supporting their kids and guiding them along the right path; the kids who want their freedom while stretching the boundaries set for them. What strikes me most is the loving and affectionate relationship which underscores even the conflicts. I love you guys! Keep up the good work channel 4
Loving the two episodes so far also the credit sound tracks,who sung the version of “over a rainbow”?
I feel sorry for the dad in The Family. He seems to do all the cooking, goes to work, while his wife sits around in her dressing gown and sticks up for her troublesome daughters . They seem to be following her ways. She isn’t a good role model. The only well behaved one seems to be the son!
I can’t understand why the mother is such an underdog…her girls run rings around her and she seems to have absolutely no status. I guess it’s because she was very young when she had them. And she spends most of her time in bed! Anyway, I can’t relate to this family at all. They are boring. Though the dad tries really hard to maintain some kind of centre and direction. Can’t a series be made about a normal, middle-class educated family? - there are lots of them out there. They might be a bit more interesting. And don’t anyone dare call me a snob; I’m not - I’m just being truthful. I shall carry on watching it because I’m useful for nothing after I’ve put my 4 year old boy to bed and had a couple of glasses of wine. Well done Channel 4 - it’s dead boring but I’m STILL watching it! That’s entertainment!
I am loving this documentary…why is everyone taking it so seriously? God.. some people need counselling after reading some of the comments left about the programme. I love watching a programme about a ‘normal’,loving family with teenage kids that doesn’t make me want to cry myself to sleep. I watch all these depressing documentaries about poor, broken families, with their children in gangs and involved in knife crime. It is such a relief to watch a family that make me laugh, cry and relate to myself.
I am a mother of a three year old daughter, and I hope the love and close unity I see in the Hughes family will be present in my family life with my husband and our daughter.
I am prepared for the ups and downs,as I hopefully expand my family…as I was once a cow of a teenager myself!!!
Good luck to the Hughes and their future!
Well done Channel 4!!!!!
The only two people who have any sense are father & son (who doesn’t get enough ME time) It’s time the mother became a parent figure instead of a “FRIEND”No wonder children won’t accept discipline in the home when one is a parent & the other is a mother who doesn’t want to AGE!!!!! Grow up.
Where’s all the branded kitchen food products or washing powders or trainers? Nothing in this SET is branded. Anyone wonder why?
Has nobody noticed the severe lack of branded foods,washing powders, shoes or anything else in this SET? It’s not real, it’s not convincing,it’s just bad TV!
Re The Family - I think the mum needs counselling for depression - but feel she has probably always been ineffectual which is why Emily and Charlotte need a visit from Super Nanny. I agree the son has to take back seat and its a shame. Simon is a super bloke who deserves more respect, support and love from a good woman - he could come and live me anytime!!!
“who sung the version of “over a rainbow”?”
Emma, the singer is called Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.
Channel 4 seem to have managed to find the country’s most boring family for this prog. The original one in the 70’s at least had real characters. This family comprises of three females who can only be described as “lumps” - they do nothing and say nothing of interest - just sit around with gormless staring expressions, especially mum!! I feel sorry for dad, but then again, on this week’s episode he lost my sympathy by treating his 17 year old daughter like a six year old - far too much cuddling, kissing and hair stroking for a young woman of her age! I don’t think I can bear to watch it again. Yuk!
also about the branded foods…..they all had a bacon sandwich with Heinz ketchup…..isnt that a brand?
you will find they have just moved alot away to avoid unwanted marketing
I feel sorry for the Son. He is the most ignored person in the family- the Cat had more airtime than him
I agree with a lot of the comments about the Dad who seems to do everything and the (lazy/depressed?) Mum. Has she got any interests or has she no energy left after dealing with the fairly awful daughters? (My girls would not have got away with it had they behaved and spoken to me like that). But they are fairly run of the mill and normal. And to the people who say a ‘normal’ family these days has to have a single parent or loads of step people - yawn. Some of us still live a conventional existence and it is nice to see something of that on TV for a change.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. fantastic! actual tears of joy as i watched the last scene. It is all worth it in the end!
I throughly enjoyed watching the family it made me realise that my own family are perfectly normal after all,my husband has been telling me for years we are a normal family and now he can say i told you so ,I have 2 teenage sons and we have gone through a similar experence regarding one dropping out during A levels thankfully he’s back at college . So good luck to you all and thankyou again for showing that its not all plain sailing with teenagers and by the way you are both great parents your kids are lucky to have you and i cant wait for next week’s episode.
With respect Louise Dawson god help us if this is a portrayal of a normal loving family. Lets hope they come through this and learn manners and respect.
I am enjoying watching the Show - The Family …. but I know if I had acted like Emily when I was her age and living with my parents - no job, dossing around all day and then going out at 11.30 every night (where does she get the money exactly?), I would have been out on my ear. They are letting her get away with murder.
He should leave them to it and move on.
I just love the dad, if only my children had had a father like that, so affectionate, so caring and so patient. Mum’s non-involvement at times worries me and the younger brother so far seems very much in the background. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s episode.
Love The Family, it is great. The problems that arise are similar to those that have occured in my family. Like 17 year old Charlotte not liking college; I just went through a similar experience and was thinking of dropping out. The Family is great and I never miss it, keep it up Channel 4.
I absolutely adore this program. I like the fact they show every aspect of everyday’s life of a family, good or bad. The arguments, the fun, the dialoge. But what really fills my heart is how close this family is, how really and truly love each other. You can see it especially by watching their kids behaviour. I think they’ve done an excellent job as parents. Great program, well done Channel 4.
Just watched this weeks episode of The Family and I was touched. That the ‘normal’ family exists (mum, dad, kids). I know there is no norm but this family are what society should stand for- mum and dad, kids and problems but above all, there is LOVE. They talk, laugh, have arguments and sit down and solve problems. Yes there are parts that I think could be improved but as there is no perfect family, these are issues that this particular family have to deal with. I come from a family without a dad but we have LOVE and face most of the problems this family has. What is highlighted to me is that a father figure is important in a famiy and the importance of communication with your children, especially at times when you don’t see eye to eye. The parents are modelling (yes sometimes even they don’t agree) strategies to sort out problems, love for each other and the compromises that we have to make not only in adult life but from childhood. Well done Channel 4!!
I wonder if Emily has a boyfriend.
The upstairs of the house confuses me, the parents bedroom is huge but the other 2 look tiny and does everybody have to walk through the parents bedroom to get to the bathroom?
This documentary is absolutely fantastic. I love the way the film shows the normality of family life. The children, who are just living normal teenage lives and having normal teenage crisis are just brilliant!
I love the fact that there are threads of normal family complexities, which most people can relate to. You can clearly see the absolute love they all have for eachother whatever the argument has been about that week! The affection by all family members shows a very healthy and loving relationship, (which is unfortunatly so rare to see these days) within their gorgeous family.
I can honestly say i have literally cried with joy watching their unconditional love, fun and compassion at every episode! They are a very lucky family, which is all to their credit for building such close and loving relationships. Simon and Jane , you should be proud of yourselfs. You have a lovely family!
Well done to the team for producing such a wonderful piece of film!
Whats the name of the song that Emily has on her phone when it rings?
loving the family
I think its great TV and the family are really brave to do it. I think the parents are great, and trying to do the best they can to bring their kids up decently. The kids so far seem totally normal teenagers to me! One thing which shines through is that they are a strong family unit who care about each other.
Really enjoying it and looking forward to next week.
PS - Did Tom get any stick at school after this weeks episode?
I was appalled to see how many viewers were quick to judge this family.
Comments about the mother, Jane being lazy and watching TV all the time from people who are sitting for an hour watching the show and then later at their computer complaining about it .If you can’t see the irony in that then I would doubt Jane would have to worry about the caliber of person complaining about her.
All you know of this family is what the editors have deemed worth showing. And just like BB it’s the arguments everyone enjoys and relates to. They have been neatly and cleverly edited into separate ‘episodes’ each dealing with it’s own issue and character. Remember patience is a virtue.
To Diva and a few others: Your attitude is reprehensible. Just because your family are different does to mean they are better. Your selective memory has forgotten what a stroppy teenage you were. Or am I wrong. You were a perfect angel? You speak of diversity as if it is a prerequisite to a family. This family is not ‘normal’ because they are white and middle classes. Is that really where political correctness has got us to? Shame on you! A family is love. This is a REAL family.
To people who say it’s not real… well I don’t know. Seems very real to me. This is exactly like my family. Rows over nothing. One parent getting angry, one there to defuse the argument. Stroppy teenagers filled to the brim with hormones not realizing the effects of their actions and the hurt they cause.
These are not bad people. Give them a break; remember what it was like to be young and sympathize with them. People make mistakes, but it’s how you move on that matters.
To those that say “my kids would never have got away with this”, tell us how you deal with them, not sit there smugly thinking how much better a parent you are. There are probably issues that you aren’t/weren’t even aware of because you’re so confident you had/have a perfect family with strict discipline.
My family isn’t like Easterners or Brookside or Hollyoaks. It’s like this. Thanks C4 for giving us an alternative norm that people like me can relate to.
anyone know what the dad does for a living??
What a fantastic family, I am a 36 year old mother of two young children and can relate to the show totally, it makes me dread the teenage years slightly but you can clearly see how much they all love each other. What a brave family but I want to thank you so much for doing it.
Why the hell does this programme exist? I have never seen anything so annoying in my entire life. These people make me despair, they are boring beyond compare. I hate them all, there is nothing likeable about any of them. Good god I am so dissapointed in channel 4 for making this programme, you really should be ashamed!
I adore The Family - a joy to watch.
I like this show almost too much….
Why are they ALL dressed in black, what is wrong with them?
hi can anyone tell me what work the dad does? He seems to do all the cooking and running around in the house. pws
Some of my members of my family were actually like that, I suffered a nervous breakdown. Someone should foster that poor 14 year old boy.
Hopefully with the huge money they will earn, they can all go on a course to learn how to behave like normal, human beings.
makes me CRINGE yuck they DO NOT represent Britain.
Wouldn’t watch it if you paid me!!
I love the Family - their are sometimes really argumentative and dad especially dwells on winding his kids up but hey he is concerned for their welfare - he is there, he cooks, he loves them all. Great Stuff!
The reason they keep shouting at Emily is because they know they’re being filmed and have things to hide - deflection.
So staged. And Dad is holding a Bible? Does that mean their Christian?? But none of them seems to care about anyone but themselves, they not filmed helping any other people outside of family house?
God what an awful family. The mother is like a sulky child she cannot communicate with her kids and the kids are horrendous - the dad is in his own world.
There is nothing nice about any of them, and that is being nice. Dad treats Emily like a baby and then says ‘now give me a hug’, maybe they would have more respect for Mum if she got out and got job (as at moment does not seem to have Anything to occupy her time), maybe Em doesn’t ask Mum to borrow her clothes cos she knows she’ll say no!! Most Mums would be proud they have such good dress sense as daughters and Share, but oh no! Most unpleasant viewing today’s episode. All their screeching and arguing is giving me a headache, and why do they Never have any guests in their house?? is it because people are embarrassed to visit them. But mainly what comes through in each episode is their Selfishness. All that arguing is to hide somethng- what are they really up to? Or maybe it is just because they Know they are being filmed for 3 months and have Nothing To Offer.
ARRRGHH! WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH.
I absouletely love the Family-such a REAL family with everyday ups and downs.
Excellent work
Excellent to watch,but all you really need is to hear the conversations. The Father stands out as the solid centre of the family even upset he will continue to cook and organise, I don’t think any of them realise how special he is to them maybe watching it themselves they will come to understand.The Mother I think finds it difficult to see her place in the family unit she loves being a co sister to the girls but Emily takes advantage of this and when she acts like a sneaky sibling back i.e taking clothes,make-up etc she then has to face a very upset Mum who feels disrespected by her child.Emily needs some ground rules from her Mum and especially needs to pay house keeping money.She could easily do this by dropping one night out a week this would also show she’s listened to her parents and make them all happy.(she could do with some more sleep make-up will only cover it for so long) I had my Father say to me once that he just wanted his little girl back so i can see where my dad was coming from now. I don’t want to cause offence but maybe the Mum is still suffering from Post-natal depression i know from experience that it kind of stays with you even after the worst has gone.Mum and Em’s need to bond again this could help stop Em’s going “DADDY DADDY DADDY” all the time.Maybe it’s about time emily got over the label from her parents as a failure,she’s got alot going for her and needs to put her heart into something i could see her running her own Beauty salon she always looks stunning just like her mum…..XXXX
watching the family is a brilliant insight into a typical british family,its funny,heartwarming and makes you feel that your not the only family in the world with problems.Emily needs a kick up the backside,poor mum is bullied by her,naive dad is fooled by her and even ziggy the cat avoids her,i hope when dad watches this back he learns something from it,his daughter is a piece of work and needs to be put in her place,or an even better solution would be to get her own place.
I realy did’nt wan to do this but after watching the show for weeks now I have come to the conclusion that the house is the reason for so much heaviness in the mood.
The layout of this house is haphazzard and cluttered, like ours and sometimes its hard to make sence of anything when kids stuff is all over the place but it isnt just that.
The lower part of the house seems to have a dining room that leads into a living room. I would be dying to knock that wall down and make a bigger living space which will let in more light.
The kitchen is tiny causing overcrowding when 2 people are in it.
The bathroom acessed by going through the parents room is unavoiable I guess but this much put a lot of stress on the parents as well as kids. Jane wants her own space without kids traisping through to the bathroom..
There is a heaviness with this family and i can see that Jane is depressed and frustrated that that Emily plays her mum and dad. Shes a big girl now and needs to think about her parents a bit more. Jane may have other issues that need addressing, sometime bless her, ido not think she looks at all well, maybe its just the lighting.
Someone mentioned she should go to work. Would that be from someone who does not have 3 kids and a house to run. Some people can handle it some cannot, in fact I thought Jane did work. Sure it was mentioned in the beginning and so what if she does’nt , it is not a crime for a mum not to work! She does work sorting out the family.
Dad is a mixed bag. I had my reservations when i saw him lose it a couple of weeks ago when he was throwing covers ove rthe cameras. I was worried for Jane at that point.
other times he seems caring but its all a little contrived and over the top. I think he is trying his best but i think that maybe this is where the kids have lost there way with the parents possibly. I believe there is a lot of testing boundries going on, although Emily is 19, one could say might say she is her own woman, not sure.
Concerned for the son. The filming of him standing in the kitchen brandishing a knife was rather worrying. There are some deep rroted things going on there. Doesnt he paly football, basketball, rugby, swim or even skateboard? I have only seen one mate visit and they were then ousted out of the house by dad to go and “do stuff”
Well if dad was seen holding a bible..good for him. We can all use some spiritul guidance to get us through teh mundane running of our families.
God bless x
Sorry about the spelliing mistakes there…typed it so quickly…
This programme is the best thing on TV at the moment. There are so many similarities with my family it is unreal. Emily reminds me of my eldest daughter and it is so easy for people to lecture you on how to deal with teenage girls, but when you live with them 24, 7 and want the best for them, it really isn’t that easy. My husband and I usually end up arguing with each other as well when it comes to the kids, we often wonder what we would fall out about if the kids weren’t in the house.
I think Emily should take a step back and look at herself, she is a 19 year old
spoilt brat who can manipulate her father and verbally abuse her mother. She has total disregard for her parents feelings,
There are no ground rules for Emily and no boundries for her. She is what her parents have made her so it is up to them, albeit too late, to take their daughter in hand. Consistency is the word.
I have watched all episodes of the family and have become increasingly flabbergasted at the disgraceful behaviour of Emily. She is a rude, selfish bully. Her parents should not be arguing with her but setting the boundries and rules and if she does not agree then she should be told to find somewhere else to live. As she herself points out she is 19yrs old and therefore should have more consideration for her family and remember that it is their house as well. She is extremely manipulative and uses emotional blackmail to get her own way. The continual stress and arguing within the household is mainly centred around her. If she found herself somewhere else to live she would soon realise which side her bread is buttered on and how lucky she is to have a family that love her instead of feeling how hard done too she is. I hope that when she sees herself she will think long and hard about her distructive behaviour and make some positive changes for the whole family’s sanity!
Just watched Miss Naked Beauty for the 1st time. What is with the build up of the women’s self esteem regarding body image then confront, embarrass and humilate them in front of a panel of judges about whether they are good enough for the task. This is not The Apprentice. Is self esteem just about Body Image???
Who will actually remember any of them when programme finishes?
Have just watched episode 7, does anyone know who was singing during the last few scenes.
Many thanks
Loved the family, think this is a true insight on how family life is like behind closed doors. I am the eldest of three sisters,am now 25 and can remember all the rows that went on! Its funny to watch all the points the dad brings up, they were the constant points my parents complained about. Just watched the eldest get married in the last series was very emotional, wish them all the best in the future.Think they are a very loving family despite their arguements!!!
Myself and my daughter watched every episode and loved every minute of it. What a lovely typical family. I thought that every family member had some really great qualities and it was fab to see a marriage still going strong after so many years. Emily just hasn’t found her place in life, but she will and when she does i’m sure she will make her parents really proud. The funniest bit was Tom in the kitchen with the knife, pretending to dig out simon’s brains!!! We laughed and we cried at simon with the valentines card, that was so lovely. We will miss watching all of them and wish them all the best for the future.
I have just cried through the whole of the wedding episode..please dont tell me we will never see that family again, its my highlight of the week. I loved every minute of it and would never get bored of watchin them all. Move over peter Andre…Simon should be voted dad of the year, what a fanastic man in every way, no wonder those kidas are so well balanced. I dont know know how anyone can even think about criticising them ???! Please do another none with the same family!! I loved it and so did my mum, she has been naggin me for ages to come on here and say how wonderful simon is.Emily is so lovely and placid and well balanced, apart from the nocturnal living thing but she is 19…! What a wonderful family and what a credit to jane and Simon. Love you all and I really mean that. I really hope that they all read this x x x
I loved every second of the family and I’m sad that it has come to an end and I’m sad for the people on this site that spend their time slagging the family off they all seem to have problems and need to look at themselves.and their anger
A quick note to JENNY HOOK. No one is “slagging off” the family, it is called constructive criticism and it is only personal opinion which is why the site was set up. This does not mean that everyone who commented needs your mis-guided sympathy, or has problems and anger issues. That said, I thought the wedding was wonderful and the family worked very hard to make it a very special day. All the episodes raised points of interest which motivated viewers to discuss them and for some viewers to comment and therefore acheived the programmes objective. Congratulations to all involved.
Jane, Simon and the family, I just wanted to say ‘thankyou’ for being brave enough to open your home and family to the nation. You allowed us to see equally your strengths and weaknesses, anger and tears, happiness and laughter, frustration and despair but throughout the series the absloute love you all have for each other was more apparent than anything else. Jane, please dont read the appaulling comments some narrow minded people have had the indecency to leave
this continues from above(i pressed submit prematurely!!)
to the people who saw fit to attack Jane I say this to you ‘constructive criticism’!!
I saw so many parallels with this family to my own but thankfully without the constant infantile behaviour of Emily. I feel confident that Emily will see the error of her ways following playback. Some people failed to appreciate how the family did interact, especially Jane and Simon. I too am fortunate that my husband loves and cares for me and in doing that will cook and clean and share the responsibilites of running a home. i was under the impression that Jane did work outside the home, and if not who r we to criticise the dynamics and roles of their relationship, it obviously is successful and loving. They are not perfect, but who in hell is, I sure know our family isn’t, but like the Hughes family we take each day as it comes and deal with joy and despair together. I applaud channel 4 for the series and can’t wait for the next series, to all those who have slated the family and channel 4, stick ur neck out if ur family is so perfect and volunteer for the next series!!!!! Thankyou sincerely to the Hughes and i wish u the best of luck and every happiness. ps i wouls love to see Jane get her wish to renew her vows for their 25th wedding anniversary, maybe a follow up channel four????.
Final episode? It is more interesting to watch my cat pee.
To people who leave as long comments as that above, you need to live your own lives.
Just watched the wedding again! the bride was so beautiful and the groom handsome. This time I cried. Jane and Simon must feel that through all the ups and downs, arguments and tears from previous episodes have been worth while after seeing their beautiful daughter at the start of her own journey in life, and that there is light at the end of the teenage tunnel! I hope that Emily will find her way in the near future and the outcome from the experience of this series is positive for her. I wish them all the best for the future.
ok I have watchd every episode. could someone tell me what is so interesting?
Well J,.. Its’ observing the family dynamics through anaylising from a behavioural psychological perspective using the Critical Realism therom in order to allow for future discourse. Hope this answers your question!! p.s. if you did’nt find it interesting why did you watch every episode??
becaus my remote broke!
beeca.. you could sell anything,
p.s. are you sure we were watching the same program?
ps. hope your remotes working now I would’nt want to think you were subjecting yourself to such boredom. Boredom can do strange things to people such as blogging!!!
pps. Soz Oct 24th would’nt want to miss inform you. got to go - CSI on!
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