Family was centered around the Lawrence family, a middle-class family living in Pasadena, California. The show explored various family issues and storylines, including marital problems, infidelity, teenage rebellion, and addiction. The show also tackled more serious topics such as cancer, bereavement, and suicide.
The main characters of Family included Doug Lawrence (James Broderick), a successful lawyer and patriarch of the family; his wife, Kate (Sada Thompson), a homemaker; and their three children, Nancy (Meredith Baxter Birney), Willie (Gary Frank), and Buddy (Kristy McNichol).
The show was critically acclaimed and won multiple Emmy awards, including Outstanding Drama Series in 1978. It was known for its realistic and emotional portrayal of family dynamics and was praised for addressing controversial topics that were not often depicted on television at the time.
Family also launched the careers of many actors, including Baxter Birney and McNichol, who both went on to become successful television stars.