Louis Theroux - The Most Hated Family in America

In the programme, documentary‑maker Louis Theroux meets the Phelps family, who are members of a controversial church in Kansas. The family is noted for organising protests against what they view as America’s tolerant attitude toward homosexuality, and the film records their interactions and the church’s public demonstrations.

Louis Theroux – The Most Hated Family in America is a single‑episode documentary programme, it’s classed as a one‑off feature. The title signals that the film follows Theroux as he turns his camera on a specific American family, presenting the material in a documentary format without any episodic continuation. In this installment, the documentary‑maker sits down with members of the Phelps family, who belong to a Kansas‑based church that has drawn considerable public attention. The family is widely recognised for its vocal opposition to the way the United States treats homosexuality, and the programme records their protest activities and the reasons they give for challenging mainstream attitudes. The film centres on the interaction between Theroux and the family, allowing viewers to hear how the Phelpses articulate their beliefs and how they respond when questioned from the outside. By following their daily routines, listening to their statements and observing the way they organise their protests, the documentary offers a window onto a community that positions itself in direct opposition to prevailing gay‑rights sentiment in America. Through this focused portrait, the programme provides an unembellished look at a family whose activism directly challenges the broader societal view on homosexuality in the United States.