TV documentary film-maker Paul Watson, who has just died, is being described as the “father of reality TV”. But the truth is he didn’t quite invent the genre and his biggest hit, Sylvania Waters, was more soap than reality TV, in what was an obvious attempt to do a real-life Neighbours.
Although Watson’s 1974 docuseries The Family was the first of its kind for UK television, it was likely based on successful US series An American Family, which screened in 1973 and shocked viewers when the parents decided to divorce on-camera and their 19-year-old son Lance came out as gay.
