compare and contrast early TV with TV in 2017
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Choice D – Study the Changing Content of TV Shows – In the early years of TV (1950s
into the 1960s) certain types of shows dominated on the 3 networks: (1) wholesome
sitcoms featuring in-tact mother, father, children families, such as Leave It To
Beaver, Father Knows Best, Ozzie and Harriet, Lassie, etc. (2) Westerns, such as
Have Gun, Will Travel, Maverick, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, etc. (3) comedy shows starring a
famous comedian of the day (Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Milton Berle, Jack Benny, Bob
Hope, Jackie Gleason, Groucho Marx, George Burns and Gracie Allen, etc.), (4) Police
Dramas, like 77 Sunset Strip, Dragnet, or Perry Mason. Then there was The Ed
Sullivan Show, a variety program, which dominated Sunday night from 1948 until 1971
(more than 1,000 episodes). It was on Ed Sullivan that many Americans first saw
Elvis Presley and the Beatles. There was also Arthur Godfrey who had a one hour
show every
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weekday afternoon, plus Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts Monday evening and Arthur
Godfrey and His Friends on Wednesday evening – plus he had a radio show. Become
familiar with some of these shows. Media historians often call this time “The
Golden Age of TV” also because of powerful, original dramatic shows (such as Studio
One or Playhouse 90).
How has TV changed since the early days? Your task here is to compare and
contrast early TV with TV in 2017. All the above shows aired in prime time,
let’s say from 8:00 PM until 11:00 PM. Examine the programming on ABC, NBC,
CBS, Fox in prime time today. What types of shows dominate TV shows today?
How are they different from early TV? Any similarities? Would you agree that
early TV was ‘the golden age’? Why or why not?
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