View source for Rent A Family (Part 1)

{{Infobox
|bodystyle = width:30em;
|headerstyle = background:var(--infobox-header-color);
|labelstyle = background:var(--infobox-header-color); width:35%;
|header1 = Series
|header3 = Original Broadcast Date
|header5 = Cast
|header7 = Format
|label10  = Preceded by: 
|label11 = Followed by: 
|data8 = [[:Category:Scripted Actors|Scripted Actors]], [[:Category:Improv Actors|Improv Actors]], [[:Category:Panel Discussion|Panel Discussion]], 58 minutes
|data4  = [[:Category:1987|1987]]
|below = [https://www.joefrank.com/?s=Rent%20a%20family Purchase]
|belowstyle= border-top: 1px solid #333;padding-top:5px;
|data6  = [[Barbara Sohmers]], [[Mark Hammer]], [[Arthur Miller]], [[Tim Jerome]], [[Nick Ullett]], [[Carolyn Swift]], [[Larry Block]], Lynn, Sarah, Carmen, Thomas, Timo, Sharon, Christa
|data10 = [[Nightride]]
|data11 = [[Rent A Family (Part 2)]]
|data2  = [[Work In Progress]]
|
}}
''"Anyway they closed the office and they let me go."''

'''Rent A Family (Part 1)''' is a program Joe Frank produced as part of the series [[Work In Progress]]. It was originally broadcast in [[:Category:1987|1987]].

== Synopsis ==
Eleanor, an unemployed divorce&eacute; with 2 young daughters,
([[Barbara Sohmers]]) having trouble finding work, reluctantly joins
Rent-A-Family, an organization that rents out families to men who want
one temporarily.

9:30: Rent-A-Family's proprietor, Joel, ([[Larry Block]]) describes
how Rent-A-Family works.

10:50: Panelist #1 ([[Tim Jerome]], German accent) asks a question
about how it works.

11:50: Panelist #2 ([[Arthur Miller]]) asks a question.

12:10: Panelist #3, Johnny, ([[Nick Ullett]], English accent) asks a
question.

13:10: The panel and proprietor talk about Rent-A-Family and society,
planned obsolescence, the convenience of renting instead of owning.

18: Carmen introduces herself; more voices of women and children,
mostly drowned under music and sound effects.  Joe names things
(...cheeseburgers, zoning regulations...)

19:40: Eleanor tells about Wendy and Diane; takes them to get filmed
for Rent-A-Family.  She decides the first applicant is suitable,
prepares for an outing at the beach.

31:50: Panelist #2 says that society sells the happiness of families
but families are diminishing.  The panel discusses Rent-A-Family
further.

41: More voices of women and children, mostly drowned under
music and sound effects.

42:30: The first outing, to the beach, goes well until the fellow
(un-named and voiceless) takes the girls to get ice cream.

51:40: The panel talks about Rent-A-Family further.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:95%; overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Legacy Synopsis</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The program explores an organization that rents women with children to bachelors for days at a time.  A woman talks about signing up with the program.  Panel discussion about the program with a spokesman and questioners:  men who choose a range of different families; renting spare children; the cost of different families; built in obsolescence; the relative value of long and short term relationships; the RAF as prostitution.  Clips from the catalog of applicant videos against a background of chimes and Joe listing random nouns.  The woman discusses her first experience in the program.  Panel discussion continues: loneliness; the no parent family; intimacy in short term relationships; fast moving society, a bachelor in RAF commits suicide. More catalog clips.  The woman describes the first meeting with her renter for a picnic on the beach. [Spoiler removed.]  Panel discussion: the strangeness of the encounter as a positive, alienation in ordinary marriage. 
</div></div>

== Music == 
{{A Fine Line (Tim Story)}} [Intro]
{{Eihwaz (Defense) / Kano (Opening) (Giles Reaves)}} [9:33]
{{Gypsy Violin (Harold Budd)}} [18:26]

== Additional credits ==
The original broadcast credits state: "The performers were [[Barbara Sohmers]], [[Arthur Miller]], [[Tim Jerome]], [[Nick Ullett]], and [[Larry Block]]. Special thanks to Carmen, Thomas, Timo, Lynn, and Sarah. Rent A Family Part 1 was recorded at M&I Studios in New York City by Phil Capp, and at KCRW by Dave Weaver. Technical production by Tom Strother."

== Miscellanea ==
There is/was an actual "Rent-A-Family" company in Japan that sent actors to visit lonely parents - see [https://www.context.org/iclib/ic37/bush2 "Running Out Of Time"] (''In Context'', Winter 1994).

This show was so emotionally powerful, that the actors involved often broke down in tears (in real life) during the taping.

== Footnotes ==

[[Category:Scripted_Actors]]
[[Category:Improv_Actors]]
[[Category:Panel_Discussion]]
[[Category:Barbara Sohmers]]
[[Category:Mark Hammer]]
[[Category:Arthur Miller]]
[[Category:Tim Jerome]]
[[Category:Nick Ullett]]
[[Category:Carolyn Swift]]
[[Category:Larry Block]]
[[Category:1987]]
[[Category:Work In Progress]]
{{Series|series=Work In Progress}}{{Cast|cast=[[Barbara Sohmers]], [[Mark Hammer]], [[Arthur Miller]], [[Tim Jerome]], [[Nick Ullett]], [[Carolyn Swift]], [[Larry Block]], Lynn, Sarah, Carmen, Thomas, Timo, Sharon, Christa}}
[[Category:Unknown_air_date]]
[[Category:Show]]
[[Category:Show_by_date|19870001]]	{{Airdate|airdate=1987}}