father described by a group of real fathers. A number of questions could be asked about the possible influence of the television family situation series on family life. However, such questions cannot be answered or the influence of television intelligently discussed until content analyses provide a factual basis for discussion. The social anxiety caused by the unknown effect of television warrants not only additional content analyses of the way in which social roles are portrayed in family television series, but also exploratory studies into the amount of realism children perceive in them. Clarification of the images presented and assessment of kind and amount of content accepted as "for real" are challenging objectives. Teachers in the area of child development and family relationships can devise television viewing assignments which develop critical observation and evaluation of social roles. Discussions of the likenesses and differences in various socio-economic levels and rural-urban set-