by Hal Erickson
synopsis
The Canadian series First Years in the Life had something in common with the famous "long-range" TV works of British filmmaker Michael Apted. Making its CBC debut on June 28, 1968, the series originally consisted of ten half-hour "first-person" documentaries on ten different Canadian families. The intention was to update the histories of these families every five years, so that ostensibly the series could have run "forever." But the program proved too successful to be delayed in this fashion; thus, the CBC offered yearly updates, with more families, of various ethnic origins, added to the mix. Telecast during the summer months for four consecutive seasons, First Years in the Life aired its final episode on September 4, 1972.
