Family members from television's first reality show to speak at Beinecke Library

In the early 1970s, “An American Family,” a 12-hour documentary series chronicling the members of the Loud family of Santa Barbara, was aired on PBS. Two members of the family, Pat and Delilah Loud, will visit the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library on Wednesday, April 1, to discuss the making of the series — widely considered the first “reality” television show — and how the exposure it gave them affected their lives.
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In the early 1970s, “An American Family,” a 12-hour documentary series chronicling the members of the Loud family of Santa Barbara, was aired on PBS. Two members of the family, Pat and Delilah Loud, will visit the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library on Wednesday, April 1, to discuss the making of the series — widely considered the first “reality” television show — and how the exposure it gave them affected their lives.

Their talk will take place at 4 p.m. at the library, 121 Wall St. The event is free and open to the public.

The series made household names of parents Pat and Bill Loud and their five children, Lance, Delilah, Grant, Kevin, and Michele. Each week, 10 million viewers tuned in to watch dramatic life events unfold, including Pat asking for a separation from Bill, and their eldest son, Lance, coming out as gay.

The visit of Pat and Delilah Loud celebrates the acquisition of the Loud and Lance Loud Papers by the Beinecke Library. 

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Media Contact

Mike Cummings: michael.cummings@yale.edu, 203-432-9548