Skip to main content
Intellect

BYU show "Real Families" nominated for Rocky Mountain Emmy

A research-based BYU reality showinvites viewers into the homes of families of all kinds and watch them deal with a variety of issues: marriage, toddlers, teens, blended families, time, money and more.

“Real Families, Real Answers” is sponsored by Brigham Young University’s School of Family Life and the College of Family, Home and Social Sciences. The series, which will air on BYU Television and KBYU-TV, is organized around topics studied by scholars from BYU and other universities, including the University of North Carolina, University of Minnesota and the University of California-Davis.

The parenting segment alone draws insights from nine published studies conducted by researchers at BYU, which has the largest faculty of family scholars in the country.

“The idea is to weave principles for success with the stories of real families and the way they actually live and work,” said Steve Duncan, a professor in BYU’s School of Family Life and the director of content development.

Unlike popular shows “Dr. Phil” and “Supernanny,” “Real Families” doesn’t feature an expert who intervenes to change the family dynamic. The research-based principles for success are presented to viewers separately, while the families being followed in each episode work through challenges independently and offer their own ideas about what works.

“The families aren’t perfect and what viewers will ultimately see is very real,” Duncan said.

RFRA_3542.jpg
Photo by Mark A. Philbrick/BYU Photo

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Want to thrive in your 30s? BYU study says education and service in your 20s are key

July 16, 2025
New BYU research shows that hitting the books and helping others in your 20s leads to a happier, more regret-free life in your 30s.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Wildflowers not wildfires: How BYU and Provo City are helping to restore Rock Canyon Trailhead

July 10, 2025
At Rock Canyon Trailhead in Provo, Utah, BYU researchers are fighting fires with flowers. By replacing a problematic weed called cheatgrass with wildflowers, students and faculty are working to protect and restore one of Provo’s most popular hiking spots.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Wildfires in residential areas are on the rise; why hydrants and the water system behind them were never meant to stop those fires

July 01, 2025
BYU professor Rob Sowby teaches and studies environmental engineering, urban water infrastructure and sustainability. He has particular expertise in the planning, design, construction and operation of public water systems. That expertise has been increasingly important (and regularly sought out) in the wake of apocalyptic wildfires that have taxed those public water systems.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=