1973’s An American Family was the world’s first reality TV show, its depiction of the complexities of family life caused controversy and was hugely influential. Most controversial of all was Lance Loud, the eldest son: flamboyantly witty and the first openly gay person on US TV. This programme tells Lance’s story – with clips from the original series and the1993 follow-up documentary, A Death in an American Family. The programme will be presented by Stuart Comer (Tate Modern) and Chris Pullen (Bournemouth University Media School), and concludes with a discussion.