Reality TV can be a bit of a modern freak-show, where we get a chance to point and laugh at the funny people who didn’t get the breaks we did in life. At its worst it’s over-the-top, exploitative, patronising and unedifying. But all that might be set to change…

A ‘typical middle-class family’ – the Hughes from Canterbury, have allowed the cameras inside their home for 100 days. Literally. A total of 21 cameras have been installed in their house, and the house next door has been turned into a temporary production gallery.

The 8-part documentary will be shown on Channel 4 in September, and is being billed as a sort of updated version of the original 1970s fly-on-the-wall show, also called The Family. Producers of the new show claim it will be the antithesis of Big Brother, and as such it might be quite refreshing for viewers.

Dad Simon Hughes, 44, will be the star. He’s recently been made redundant from his job at a property company.

Mr Hughes said: “We thought this would be great for future generations of the Hughes family to have a look back on. They will see how we talked, what we ate, what we wore and how we lived. It’s a four month snapshot of our lives.”

Director Jonathan Smith said: “What is remarkable about the Hughes family is that they are, in may ways, pretty unremarkable. I think they’re an antidote to some of the larger than life characters we see on television today. Their selling point is their normality. What we wanted to do is present a portrait of British family life that people can relate to.”

The Hughes were selected after a two year search for the right family.