November 6th, 2008 by Sarah.
Oh the horror! Last night was the last episode of the Family, but what a lovely one it was!
The episode opened with Jane doing some cleaning at the weekend, but Simon wanted to go out. Jane was having none of it, despite the fact that Simon pointed out she was off all week and therefore could clean then. Still, she wasn’t being convinced and pointed out that she was getting root canal work done and shopping for wedding dresses on Monday. Both prospects brought sympathetic groans from Simon.
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November 5th, 2008 by Lisa McGarry.
This intimate portrait of family life concludes with the wedding of Jessica to her fiancé Pat. As Jessica and Pat tie the knot, Simon and Jane reflect on their own marriage. Their affection shines through, to youngest daughter Charlotte’s horror: “Can you actually stop that? Dad’s the grosser one. Stop it. Why are you doing that?”
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October 30th, 2008 by Sarah.
How relieved Emily must be to have not been the focus of someone’s wrath for ten minutes! Last night, it was Tom who was the bad seed of the Hughes family with his mini-rebellion regarding having a pierced ear. Not only was Emily not the bad child for a while, she also had the opportunity to side with her parents and berate someone else; it must have been like a holiday for her! She didn’t escape entirely though because Simon’s still on at her to get a better job and keep ‘normal’ hours, and as Emily has a prospective new boyfriend on the horizon, there was plenty for him to tease her about.
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October 29th, 2008 by Lisa McGarry.
This intimate portrait of family life continues with 14-year-old Tom flexing his adolescent muscles and locking horns with the other man in the house: his dad. When Tom starts wearing an earring, Simon confronts him.
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October 22nd, 2008 by Sarah.
This show is the highlight of my week and tonight, Simon takes on the role of peace-maker when Jane complains that Emily has been stealing her clothes. Before long, a lock is put on Jane and Simon’s bedroom door, which stops both Emily’s pilfering and access to the only bathroom in the house.
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October 15th, 2008 by Lisa McGarry.
Jonathan Smith’s intimate portrait of family life continues with mum Jane and dad Simon locked in a battle of wills with headstrong daughter Emily. As dawn creeps into the Hughes household, so does Emily, returning home after another night out on the town. But all the partying seems to be taking its toll, not just on Emily but on the rest of the family. During one argument, Tom notes that Emily has “gone into major angry mode” while Jane expresses the exasperation of mothers everywhere when she complains that her daughter “doesn’t take any notice of me”.
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October 11th, 2008 by Lisa McGarry.
Researchers have said that a daily dose of reality TV helps bust stress and improve concentration according to The Sun. I knew there had to be a reason why I am such a laid back, easygoing, yet focused sort of person!
The newspaper reports that shows like Big Brother, X Factor and The Family (which I watch on an almost daily basis by the way!) were found to improve social interaction (it’s all that water cooler chat) and reduce stress levels.
The study also suggested that watching comedies helped people to feel more relaxed, but current affairs shows increased anxiety. A group of psychologists studied TV viewing habits for Virgin Media and concluded that viewers’ diet of programmes should be balanced just like food.
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October 9th, 2008 by Sarah.
Poor Simon… I say it every week but it’s worth saying again; poor Simon.
On last night’s show, Valentine’s Day was looming, but the atmosphere was far from loving in the Hughes household. Simon was, as ever, exasperated by the kids behaviour and he wasn’t impressed with Jane either who he still feels isn’t being supportive enough.
Emily is still going out and partying at all hours, dressed in what amounts to dental floss and sequins and 14-year-old Tom is being more irritating by the day. On last night’s episode, Tom had a friend over and as teenagers are wont to do, decided to show off in front of his friend by being rude to Simon. He repeatedly told him to shut up, to get out and then nearly got into a physical brawl over computer games, and whilst Tom’s behaviour was without doubt unacceptable – he’d be minus a head on his shoulders if he was mine – being told to “go play outside” when he’s nearly 15 was odd. Read more & comment »
October 8th, 2008 by Lisa McGarry.
Director Jonathan Smith’s intimate portrait of family life continues with mum Jane and dad Simon clashing over their teenage children’s behaviour. Feeling unsupported in his attempts to discipline the children, Simon is near the end of his tether and taking it out on everybody; perhaps not the best preparation for a relaxing Valentine’s Day. Will the smile return to his face in time for a romantic meal for two with Jane?
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October 2nd, 2008 by Lisa McGarry.
Well, it had to happen sometime and it happened last night; Tom’s halo finally slipped and nearly strangled him as he and Emily got into a scuffle and he annoyed his dad so much, he had his new bedtime privileges suspended.
Now, I don’t know whether me and my family are the weird ones, but I felt that for a boy of fourteen – nearly fifteen – Tom acts, and is treated like, a boy of about eleven. Is it just me or do you feel the same? Let us know because I’d be really interested if it’s just me who thinks so. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing – kids grow up way too fast – but I did think it a bit odd. Read more & comment »
