Published: January 7, 2025 -- The HBO Original three-part documentary series AN UPDATE ON OUR FAMILY, directed by Rachel Mason, debuts WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. New episodes will debut subsequent Wednesdays through January 29.

The documentary had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Festival.

Synopsis:

AN UPDATE ON OUR FAMILY explores the complex world of family vlogging – a popular and potentially lucrative phenomenon in which parents post a steady stream of lifestyle videos on their social media channels to be consumed by loyal subscribers. The content often cultivates a sense of community and attachment for devoted viewers and can generate income for the vloggers. Through the lens of one family’s story and the sudden online disappearance of their adopted son, the series raises questions about what motivates vloggers to expose their home lives to the world and examines the wider issues that emerge when parents make their family life public.

Inspired by a New York Magazine article by Caitlin Moscatello, the series dives into the popular practice of family vlogging and the rise and fall of Ohio-based vlogger parents Myka and James Stauffer, who gained massive popularity through their widely watched YouTube channels that had a combined following of roughly one million subscribers by 2020. The Stauffers were known for their honest and revealing portrayal of the highs and lows of parenting young kids. In 2017, the then-parents-of-three adopted a two-and-a-half-year-old boy from China and named him Huxley, documenting the entire adoption process and subsequent family adjustments to a new family member. Voracious followers kept up and Huxley himself became an audience driver for their channel. One day, three years later, Huxley mysteriously stopped appearing on the Stauffer’s page, sparking a whirlwind of online speculation about his whereabouts.

Weaving together YouTube footage of the Stauffers and other family vloggers, as well as insights from YouTube consumers, vlogging experts, adoption specialists, and parents, the series explores both the popularity and challenges of family vlog channels, revealing the sense of deep community that they provide to their subscribers who follow the families’ every move. AN UPDATE ON OUR FAMILY provokes a salient conversation about privacy on the internet, the nuances of trans-national adoption, and the unregulated industry of monetizing one’s family.

Episodes:

Episode 1: “Welcome to Our Family”

Debut date: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15 (9:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
The episode chronicles the lucrative world of YouTube vlogging, including social media archival footage of Myka and James Stauffer, as well as original interviews with others. Hannah Cho, an avid YouTube consumer, explains how daily videos and constant updates provide a sense of community. Myka Stauffer’s wholesome demeanor and willingness to share everything on camera results in huge viewership and brand partners rushing to endorse her. Teasing a “big surprise,” the Stauffers, already parents to three children, announce that they are adopting a child from China.

Episode 2: “Damn Good Mom”

Debut date: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22 (9:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
The business of family vlogging is explored, examining YouTube’s algorithm, which rewards bold thumbnail photos, sensationalist titles, and the need to constantly promote exciting new content. As adoption day approaches, the Stauffers post videos counting down the days. The family continues to earn money from brand sponsors, but after more than two years as the “star” of the Stauffers’ vlogs, their adopted son Huxley suddenly disappears and all videos of him go private on their channel.

Episode 3: “Where’s Huxley?”

Debut date: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29 (9:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
The episode examines what happens when online vitriol rises and concerned fans turn into critics. The press sheds more light on the Stauffers’ online content, including their lavish lifestyle, Huxley’s treatment, and their tearful 2020 update on his absence from their life. Brand sponsors drop the Stauffer family and Myka disappears from the internet.

Credits: HBO Documentary Films presents AN UPDATE ON OUR FAMILY, a Vox Media Studios Production. Directed and executive produced by Rachel Mason; executive producers, Rachael Knudsen, Max Heckman, Chad Mumm, Mark W. Olsen, Jennifer O’Connell, and Lizzie Fox; co-executive producers Caitlin Moscatello and Marina G. Stadler; producers Jasmine Luoma and Julee Metz; co-producer, Arun Gulati; supervising producer, Danielle Franco; senior producer, Casey Meurer.