29
Jul
FOR PINK-FREUD ONLY: History of Marriage on TV Best answer on the web
Author: jack // Category: xn--g7qx97f.commarriage. But I've just been given new direction. Now I need an
overview plus specific examples of how TV SERIES have portrayed
marriage from the early years of television until now. Feel free to
be creative. You'll want to throw in in "The Honeymooners" and "The
Simpsons." "Donna Reed" and "Father Knows Best," and "Dick Van Dyke."
You'll probably want to include a brief summary of soap operas.
Single out any show or historical TV moment thing that raised the bar,
broke the mold, was groundbreaking concerning marriage. Example:
"Thirtysomething," I think would have been considered so. In your
travels if you come across definitive experts/authors/critics who
could be interviewed on the subject, list 'em, too. You know, like
the Roger Ebert of television. The only one I can think of right now
is John Leonard, but I'm sure I'm missing someone perfect. Note: You
don't have to find me tapes or DVD's. I realize this is a holiday
weekend, but hope you can come up with something by . . Tuesday? If
sooner, great. If this isn't clear, let me know -- or if you cannot
do by Tuesday, let me know.
I don't know if it was Viggo's name that hurt him. He seems to have suffered from being in a lot of really LOUSY movies. I've also liked Aaron Eckhart for years, too. The two could play brothers. Take a look at the HILDAGO trailer, though -- you'll not only swoon fro Viggo, you'll fall in love with his HORSE!
To further clarify things:
Am I correct in assuming that you are not looking for wordy, at-length analyses of the sociological significance of shows (as in my sample, above,) but more of a series of very brief capsule descriptions? Should this be structured as a timeline (by decade,) or grouped by topics such as "Famous Firsts" and "Breaking New Ground"?
Do you have any preference about whether I emphasize the negative or the positive? Or do you want a relatively even balance? Since the new show features a dysfunctional marriage, should I concentrate on earlier shows of that sort?
Can you give me an estimate of approximately how many words of text are desired?
I am very ill and will be offline for a while. I will resume work on this project as soon as I am able to do so. Thank you for understanding.
~Pink
~Pink
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Looking at the world through Reagan-tinted glasses, television of the 1980s offered several series which featured strong, nurturing marriages. Examples include "Family Ties," "Growing Pains," and "The Cosby Show," which broke new ground by showing a prosperous Black couple whose marriage is the cornerstone of their family life (as contrasted with the dysfunctional African-American marriage presented in "The Jeffersons.") But the rosy years were ending. In the late 1980s, Fox's "Married, with Children" and "The Simpsons" marked the transition from the Enthusiastic Eighties to the Nihilistic Nineties, and TV's portrayal of marriage followed the trend of cynical iconoclasm that crept across the nation. Some might even say that TV led the trend.
The degradation of the depiction of marriage among primetime television sitcoms gained momentum in the early 1990s. With the notable exceptions of "Mad About You" and "Home Improvement," most sitcoms which involved couples tended to mock the institution of marriage. Disrespect and dissatisfaction was the norm between husbands and wives, as exemplified by Al and Peg Bundy, of "Married, with Children." Children spoke to their parents rudely, and mostly got away with it: although Homer Simpson frequently mimed strangling his son, young Bart was always miraculously unharmed by the mock violence, and he soon resumed his bratty antics, "dissing" his mother and father while Homer and Marge bickered ceaselessly, displaying only occasional signs of genuine affection for each other.
The image of marriage continued to erode when, in the mid-1990s, NBC introduced what became its top-rated program, "Friends," which seems to promote the attitude that marriage is something you do for a while if you're having a slow weekend. The character Ross, one of the six titular "friends," has been married three times, with one of his ex-wives eventually marrying a woman. A lead character, Rachel, has been married to -- and divorced from -- Ross, and gave birth to his child after the divorce. Another sitcom, "Roseanne," premiered in 1988, and reached its peak of popularity in the '90s. Roseanne and her husband, Dan, are very much like the Bundys from "Married, with Children"; a working-class couple whose life together is one ill-tempered squabble after another, with brief interludes of "I love ya, babe."
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In addition to blocks of material like the above, I was planning to prepare several "Top Ten" style lists on different subjects, such as "Top Ten TV Divorces," "Top Ten Lovey-Dovey TV Couples," and "Top Ten Child-free TV Marriages." I would also like to do a "timeline" of the high and low spots of television's treatment of married life.
By hook or by crook, I can assure you of two things:
1. I promise to meet your deadline, and post an answer by Tuesday (probably by Sunday, actually.)
2. I will *definitely* find a way to sneak "I Married Joan" into the discussion. I grew up with a fixation on Jim Backus, whose affectionate portrayal of Judge Bradley Stevens gave me some early notions about what I wanted in a husband.
Your feedback is eagerly sought.
~Pink
http://www.news-star.com/stories/111497/art_sitcom.html
How about omitting "Mary Kay and Johnny" by saying that "I Love Lucy" was "one of the first shows...", something like this:
"I Love Lucy" was one of the first shows in which a pregnancy was involved, although the network would not permit the use of word "pregnant" -- Lucy was "expecting." Odd, since the couple slept in separate beds! Twin beds for married couples continued to be the norm throughout the fifties and sixties, with occasional exceptions such as "The Flintstones" and "The Munsters." That daring show "The Brady Bunch" went so far as to show a husband and wife sharing a goodnight kiss while in bed.
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Here's another "first" that occurred to me: "Lost in Space" (CBS, 1965) was the first science fiction show to feature a married couple.
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I'd like to mention "He and She" (CBS, 1967) as an ancestor of today's sitcoms about well-adjusted, hip young professionals.
http://www.jumptheshark.com/h/heandshe.htm
It would not be difficult to prepare two lists, one of "happy television marriages" (as in "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," "The Cosby Show," and "Mad About You,") and the other of "troubled television marriages" (such as "The Honeymooners," "Roseanne," and "The Osbournes.") Would such lists fit your plans?
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Regarding a show about marriage itself, "Thirtysomething" stands virtually alone, but there was an unsuccessful "dramedy" called "United States" (NBC, 1980) which is worthy of mention:
"The premise of the half-hour program was "to examine the one marriage in two that doesn't end in divorce, because the partners have found a way to get through the ups and downs of that most intimate relationship," Mr. Gelbart says. In an unusual deal, Mr. Gelbart and his collaborator on the show, Gary Markowitz, talked then-NBC chief programmer Fred Silverman into ordering an entire season's worth of scripts -- to be written before the show went into production. And the show would have no laugh track."
http://www.tvweek.com/topstorys/042902gelbart.html
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When we get around to discussing "The Cosby Show" and its portrayal of Black professionals, mention might be made of "Barefoot in the Park" (ABC, 1970), which featured a young Black attorney and his wife.
http://www.memorabletv.com/usab1.htm
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I am sorry about the critical comment from the Peanut Gallery. In no way do I feel exploited. You are offering a handsome fee for a truly interesting project, and I am honored that you chose me to assist you with it.
~Pink
When we get around to discussing "The Cosby Show" and its portrayal of Black professionals, mention might be made of "Barefoot in the Park" (ABC, 1970), which featured a young Black attorney and his wife.
http://www.memorabletv.com/usab1.htm
"Out of Order" certainly has broken some ground in the field of fictional marriages. (Of course, quite apart from the artistic merits of the series, I had to watch because I am an Eric Stoltz groupie.)
This project was the most challenging and interesting thing I've done so far on Google Answers. Thanks for the opportunity to stretch my researching muscles!
~Pink
I'm pondering soap operas and trying to figure out how to work them into an overview of TV marriages. Since I am not a viewer of soaps, I'm working from online descriptions, most of which make it appear that, in soap plots, marriage vows exist mainly for the purpose of being broken. Weird stuff there, such as a woman who marries a man who had raped her (on ABC's "General Hospital -- the marriage later goes on the rocks.) And there's the ubiqitous "my husband isn't the father of my baby" bit. Oy.
~Pink
"Coronet Blue." Never heard of that one. Like you, though, I do get attached to shows that bite the dust quickly. There was one that TNT optioned and then never aired called...oh, shoot, is it The News or the News Room? Soemthing like that -- with Clancy Brown. BRAVO picked it up and I think there were only 10 or 12 episodes. I loved this show. And there's another one by Ken Finkelman, also called The news Room (or something like it), that came out of Canada and aired on PBS. Again, sooo funny and clever. But I hear he is resurrecting it again, so there's hope. And my favorite SHOWTIME series was "Beggars & Choosers," about a satire about a TV network, with Charlott Ross as a fast talking neurotic executive. I cannot watch her on NYPD Blue because all I think of is , "What a waste." She has the most AMAZING comic timing.
Although I loved looking at Viggo in that trailer, I can't say the same for the horse he rode in on. I almost died after receiving a head wound in a horseback accident when I was 10 years old. A steel plate was installed in my skull, and I had 55 stitches in my scalp. Haven't felt very fond of the critters ever since.
But I doubt that this will keep me from enjoying "Hidalgo" and "Seabiscuit." I can just pretend that the horse is a large, odd-looking dog.
7:30 pm too early for nudity? Ha! Not in my house, it isn't. :-D
~Pink
I have one question: do you want me to consider only network TV? There have been some vivid portrayals of marital situations on cable ("The Sopranos" and "The Shield" have broken some ground, for instance.) May I include cable and syndicated programming?
HAPPY TV MARRIAGES: Same Song, Different Verses
"Father Knows Best" (CBS, 1954). The titular father, Jim Anderson, never raises his voice and seldom loses his patience. He comes home from a hard day at work, exchanges his suit coat for a comfy sweater, and becomes his family's unflappable fount of wisdom. Jim's wife Margaret has learned how to deal with Jim in such a masterful fashion that he never recognizes that she almost always gets the upper hand when the couple disagree. The Andersons' children, nicknamed "Bud" and "Kitten," cause a few mild fracases, but generally stay on the periphery of the family's dynamics. The Andersons typify the kind of fantasy family that was commonplace in Televisionville in the 1950s, yet scarce or nonexistent in the real world.
"The Dick Van Dyke Show" (CBS, 1961). Although the show is set in the 1960s, Rob and Laura Petrie are, in many ways, the prototypical TV couple of the '50s: He works (as a TV comedy writer), while she stays at home and raises their son, Ritchie. When they have disagreements, Laura generally acquiesces to Rob, while quietly manipulating the situation to achieve her own goals. This was one of the last sitcoms in which the wife was (outwardly, at least) meekly submissive to her husband. In a memorable scene, Rob says to Laura "Don't forget, I wear the pants in the family." It is noted that Laura is wearing her usual capri pants; Rob then back-pedals by saying "Well, I wear the important pants; the family leadership, the decision-making ones." Laura's reply: "Yes, dear."
"Good Times" (CBS, 1974). This was a groundbreaking show which depicted a struggling African-American family living in project housing. Unlike the buffoonish men in most sitcoms, James Evans is a strong, insightful husband and father. His wife Florida is also a pillar of strength, which becomes essential when James dies in an automobile accident during the show's third season. The interactions between James and Florida are sensitively scripted, and the problems faced by the family oscillate between comedy and drama, with many of the comic moments contributed by the Evanses' teen son JJ, who popularized the catchword "Dyn-O-Mite!"
"Family Ties" (NBC, 1982). Steven and Elyse Keaton are politically liberal parents trying to raise three politically conservative children, Alex, Mallory and Jennifer. The marriage of Steven and Elyse is not the central source of this show's plot developments, but it is an anchor which helps to give the show dignity. Steven and Elyse typically resolve disputes without name-calling or shouting, and their clashes seldom result in hurt feelings. When actress Meredith Baxter-Birney became pregnant in real life, the show incorporated the pregnancy, and the Keatons' son Andy was born in January 1985.
"The Cosby Show" (NBC, 1984). Like "Good Times," "The Cosby Show" brought an African-American family's life into focus. But unlike the economically disadvantaged James and Florida Evans of "Good Times," this married couple is a pair of highly-paid professionals: Dr. Cliff Huxtable is a physician, and his wife Clair is an attorney. They have five children: Sondra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa, and Rudy. Marital discord is dealt with in a mature and sensitive manner in this show. Although the Huxtables often disagree with one another (generally on matters regarding child-rearing), the disagreements are resolved with a minimum of emotional tirades and very little shouting.
"Mad about You" (NBC, 1992). Paul and Jamie Buchman, of "Mad about You," are young urban professionals. Paul is a documentary filmmaker; Jamie works in public relations. The show manages to remain comedic even when dealing with some of the more traumatic issues of marriage, such as the frequency of sexual relations, disagreements over mutual friends, and problems with mentally unbalanced in-laws. Throughout the plot twists, Paul and Jamie manage to weather the storms of marital discord, and at the end of the show's fifth season they become parents for the first time.
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A SIX-PACK OF TROUBLED TV MARRIAGES: The Evolution of an Archetype
Tolstoy began his novel "Anna Karenina" with this observation: "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." In television history, this tends not to be true. Many of television's dysfunctional marriages are essentially retreads of one seminal show, "The Honeymooners." And thereby hangs a tale. Several tales, in fact...
"The Honeymooners" (CBS, 1955). Ralph and Alice Kramden are the prototypical dysfunctional married couple of televisionland. Ralph is a large, overbearing, yet oddly lovable working-class husband whose wife Alice is frequently the focus of his frustrations. Mock threats of violence, such as "One of these days, Alice -- pow, right in the kisser!" and "You want a trip to the moon, Alice?", are often directed at the longsuffering Alice, who is generally unruffled by the implications of this abusive verbiage, and who persists in loving the loudmouthed lunkhead anyway. The Kramdens' volatile marriage is contrasted with the easygoing relationship of their neighbors Ed and Trixie Norton, who quarrel only occasionally, with fewer shouting matches and no references to the use of brass knuckles.
"The Flintstones" (ABC, 1960). "The Flintstones" was television's first successful prime-time animated series. In this virtual remake of "The Honeymooners," Fred Flintstone is a large, overbearing, yet oddly lovable working-class husband whose wife Wilma is frequently the focus of his frustrations. Other than a few thousand years of time, the main difference between the Kramdens and the Flintstones is that the Kramdens are childless, while the Flintstones have a daughter, Pebbles.
"Married, with Children" (Fox, 1986). Al Bundy is a large, overbearing, yet oddly lovable working-class husband whose wife Peg is frequently the focus of his frustrations. Is this beginning to seem familiar? The Bundys have two surly, self-centered adolescent children who sometimes serve as plot thickeners, but the main turning point of the show is the constant bickering between Al and Peg, which often takes a snide side-trip into sexual innuendo that would never have survived the censors' wrath in earlier times.
"Roseanne" (ABC, 1988). It's déjà vu all over again, with a gender twist. Roseanne Conner is a large, overbearing, yet oddly lovable working-class wife whose loving and patient husband Dan is frequently the focus of her frustrations. The Conners have three children, Becky, Darlene, and DJ. Petty arguments and shouting matches are the norm in this household, and there is often an underlying tone of sarcasm and bitterness even in Roseanne and Dan's tender moments together.
"The Simpsons" (Fox, 1990). The archetypical Kramdens are reincarnated yet again as Homer and Marge Simpson. Homer Simpson is a large, overbearing, yet oddly lovable working-class husband whose wife Marge is frequently the focus of his frustrations. Like Roseanne and Dan Conner, Homer and Marge are the parents of three children, two girls and a boy (Maggie, Lisa, and Bart).
"Dinosaurs" (ABC, 1991). Earl and Fran Sinclair are a pair of dinosaurs, but other than their species (and the marvelous animatronic figures designed by the Jim Henson Studios,) there is little to differentiate them from Ralph and Alice Kramden. Earl is a big blowhard with a heart of gold; Fran is a housewife who loves him despite his frequent surly outbursts. The Sinclairs, like the Conners and the Simpsons, have three children, one of whom apparently has no first name, but is known only as "Baby."
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FAMOUS TV FIRSTS
First TV married couple to share a bed: "Mary Kay and Johnny" (DuMont, 1947). This 15-minute situation comedy starred the real-life married couple Mary Kay and Johnny Stearns. Unlike other early TV couples (notably Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, of "I Love Lucy,") the Stearnses had a double bed.
First TV wife to become pregnant: "Mary Kay and Johnny" (DuMont, 1948). When actress Mary Kay Stearns became pregnant in the real world, a pregnancy was written into the show. A similar "art imitates life" event was later involved in "I Love Lucy," much to the delight of the audience, who awaited the birth of the Ricardos' "Little Ricky" as if anticipating a blessed event in their own families. Since the network would not permit the use of the word "pregnant," Lucy Ricardo was said to be "expecting."
First TV sitcom to feature a Jewish couple: "The Goldbergs" (CBS, 1949, moved to NBC in 1953, then to DuMont in 1954). Molly and Jake Goldberg enjoyed a stable and loving marriage marred only by the fact that Jake was played by three different actors during the show's five-year run. As was the case with many early sitcoms, this show had a successful run on radio before being transplanted to televisionland.
First TV show to depict a working show-biz couple: "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show" (CBS, 1950). George Burns and Gracie Allen essentially played themselves in this delightful show, which pioneered the innovation of "breaking the fourth wall" by frequently having George look straight into the camera and address the audience directly. Gracie's depiction of a lovable, scatterbrained wife paved the way for later daffy ladies such as Joan Davis, of "I Married Joan" (NBC, 1952).
First science fiction show to feature a married couple: "Lost in Space" (CBS, 1965). This show, initially entitled "The Space Family Robinson," began as a relatively straight sci-fi epic involving mom and dad Maureen and John Robinson and their children. Maureen was not exactly the typical TV wife of the times, as she had a doctorate in biochemistry. However, she was played by June Lockhart, who was fresh in everyone's mind as the nurturing mother from "Lassie," so the balance of intellectual power between the sexes was somewhat swayed toward the husband, as was typical of shows from this era. Later episodes of "Lost in Space" highlighted the interactions among the family's articulate and sarcastic Robot, the villainous stowaway Dr. Zachary Smith, and the Robinsons' youngest child, Will, and the show evolved from drama to comedy, relegating the characters of the parents to supporting players who seldom got any good lines.
First TV wife to have an abortion: "Maude" (CBS, 1972). When Maude Findley, a middle-aged woman with an adult daughter, finds that she has become pregnant, this situation comedy takes an abrupt turn into serious drama. Maude and her husband Walter agonize over the decision of whether or not to terminate the pregnancy, finally opting for an abortion. This was an unusually bold plotline, since the episode predated the U.S. Supreme Court's "Roe v. Wade" decision which made abortion legal. Some CBS affiliates refused to air the two-part episode, and several sponsors pulled out because of the controversial nature of the subject matter.
First TV sitcom to feature an interracial couple: "The Jeffersons" (CBS, 1975). Tom and Helen Willis, the upstairs neighbors of George and Louise Jefferson, were a most unusual couple: Tom was White, and Helen was Black. Their daughter Jenny became romantically involved with the Jeffersons' son Lionel. Jenny Willis eventually married Lionel, and they had a daughter, Jessica Jefferson. "The Jeffersons," like "Maude," was a spinoff of "All in the Family" (CBS, 1971) and -- like its progenitor -- the show was unafraid of tackling touchy issues.
First TV sitcom couple to get a divorce: "Rhoda" (CBS, 1976). Rhoda Morgenstern, a popular character on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," was spun off into her own series, in which the perpetually neurotic, unhappily single Rhoda finally found domestic bliss with contractor Joe Gerard. The show took Rhoda and Joe from courtship to marriage to separation, and, finally, to divorce. By the end of the show's last season, Rhoda's mother, Ida Morgenstern, was also single again, having been deserted by her husband, Martin. Rhoda's younger sister, Brenda, a sadsack single girl, was played by Julie Kavner, who later went on to her own celebrated portrayal of marital discord as the voice of Marge Simpson.
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DAYTIME SOAPS, PRIMETIME SOAPS, AND SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
The daytime drama "All My Children" (ABC, 1970) typifies soap operas, with a huge cast of characters and many interwoven plot lines. One of the most outrageous of the characters is Erica Kane Martin Brent Cudahy Chandler Roy Montgomery Montgomery Chandler Marick Marick, who has been married ten times, to eight different men. The often scandalous Erica was the first character from the daytime soaps to have an abortion. Marriage, in the soaps, is a sometime thing. Many of the lead characters in soaps have committed serial marriage, with interludes of infidelity on the part of both husbands and wives. Soap marriages often occur under very unusual circumstances, as in "General Hospital" (ABC, 1963), which drew a record number of viewers to the wedding of Laura and Luke -- the man who had raped Laura in an earlier episode. Luke and Laura were later divorced, then reunited. As evidence that soap operas are keeping up with the times, it should be noted that "The Young and the Restless" (CBS, 1973) and "Passions" (NBC, 1999) have introduced major African-American characters and have dealt with racial issues in a mature manner, within the framework of melodrama which is characteristic of soaps.
"Dallas" (CBS, 1978), "Knots Landing" (CBS, 1979), "Dynasty" (ABC, 1981), and "Falcon Crest" (CBS, 1981) brought soap opera-style plots to the evening hours, with considerable success. These shows featured the grandiose lifestyles and shocking plot twists which typify soaps, while maintaining a pretense of depicting the "folks next door." Men who would never admit to being soap fans were hooked into watching shows like "Dallas" week after week, and the nation went wild trying to guess "Who shot J.R.?" after a season-ending cliffhanger left J.R. Ewing apparently dying from a gunshot wound. In these primetime soaps, as in their daytime ancestors, marriage vows were made to be broken, and few marriages escaped the ravages of multiple infidelities.
"Thirtysomething" (ABC, 1987) broke ground as a new kind of hour-long evening drama, focusing on the domestic and professional lives of young urban professionals (two couples and their three unmarried friends). The show examined the dynamics of marriage and relationships in an intensely personal, realistic manner, without the dramatic excesses that characterized the primetime soaps. Michael Steadman, an advertising copywriter, and his wife Hope, a part-time social worker and full-time mother, are the more stable couple. The "steady" Steadmans are contrasted with Elliot and Nancy Weston, who endure numerous marital problems and a separation, with their troubles culminating in the discovery that Nancy has breast cancer. The ensemble cast is rounded out by three unmarried friends, Ellyn, Gary, and Melissa, all of whom experience joys and sorrows in various love affairs. While the emphasis on personal problems is reminiscent of soap opera, the dialogue and emotional tone is anything but melodramatic, and "Thirtysomething" stands alone as the show that most accurately took its cues from the central realities of life rather than from the extremes of male/female relationships.
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The text above has 2,464 words. The average American speaks at approximately 150 words per minute, which would put the material above at somewhat over 16 minutes in duration. Since this is more than twice the 7 minutes that you need, I hope that this material will provide enough meat to be carved down into a prime filet!
While I relied upon my memory for most of the details of these television shows, the following sites were used as references in locating information on the network premieres and other details:
All Your TV
http://www.allyourtv.com/
Jump the Shark
http://jumptheshark.com
Old TV Series
http://www.oldtvseries.com
Television History - The First 75 Years
http://www.tvhistory.tv
TV Acres
http://www.tvacres.com
TV Guide
http://www.tvguide.com
The Museum of Broadcast Communications
http://www.museum.tv
The process of narrowing many decades of television into a few minutes' narrative has been an enjoyable challenge. Thank you very much for the assignment!
Best,
pinkfreud
Can't wait to see this!!!
~Pink
I've posted your most recent message in our private Researchers' Forum, where journalist, voila, and tutuzdad will be certain to see it.
This was one of the most interesting and challenging questions I've ever worked on. Thanks again for the opportunity to be of assistance!
~Pink
I wonder if Viggo's career may have been held up by his unusual name. I wonder the same about Lolita Davidovich. In the earlier years of Hollywood, these folks would have been pressured to ditch the names, and they probably would have become "Vince Morton" and "Lita Davis."
It is so frustrating when a show with an interesting story arc gets cut off at an unsatisfying point. I still haven't forgiven the folks who axed a series in the late '60s called "Coronet Blue," in which an amnesiac (the very hunky Frank Converse) goes from place to place trying to figure out who he is, after having awakened without any memories except the words "coronet blue." The #!%@? network (CBS???) canceled the show before we learned what "coronet blue" meant or who the hero was. Arrgh. Shades of "Nowhere Man" and "John Doe." The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I love "Dead Like Me". It's tiding me over until "Six Feet Under" returns on HBO. Morbid humor hasn't been this plentiful since the days of "The Addams Family" and "The Munsters." ;-)
~Pink
A Timeline sounds like it might be better, because it can bring us up to the present. Your Famous Firsts or Breaking New Ground will then be inserted along the way. But if you think it's more dramatic to do it NON-timeline, go for it.
This can be really CASUAL, Pink. Don't sweat so much about presentation as much as getting me the actual info. You can write it the same way you're typing to me now. You don't have to be formal. In other words, you're ME, if I had the time to do it myself. I actually would love to do the research myself, but I've got so much else to do on this project and such an unreasonable deadline, I can only provide you with some of the info I've unearthed so far.
Don't focus on either negativity or positive -- focus on the substantial. Shows that have made an impact on us. If they were negative, so be it. If they were positive, so be it. We're singling them out because? There has to be a reason.
FYI, the "take" on this new series about the dysfunctional marriage is that despite their problems, it is a "hopeful" series. We are to view the themes of the show as universal, a we're-all-in-this-together, this-is-our-own-life-kind o' thing.
Does this help?
I thought I was the only person in the universe who watched "Breaking News" with Clancy Brown. I watch EVERYTHING with Clancy Brown (I even liked "Earth 2.") Why this guy isn't a major star is a mystery to me. Maybe he's too macho-looking for today's tastes. I bet Clancy would have hit it big back in the '50s when men were men, and women were wearing high heels and pearls while they vacuumed.
I'm in back-to-back meetings, so won't be able to look at this in depth 'til later. Glancing quickly, it looks good, but . . . . . I don't see "I Love Lucy," (other than mentioning the birth of the baby). And where's "All in the Family?" And other than "Mad About You," I don't see ANYTHING at all for the 1990's. Gotta have the '90s. Am I overlooking something?
I'm going to utilize some of your non-official answers that were "clarifications" because there is good stuff there...like your "overview" of each decade that began with the part about "Reagan-tinted glasses." I count that as "answer" as well as what you've posted.
FYI, interesting new fact: I called a friend at the Museum of TV & Radio to see if there are any photos of "Mary Kay & Johnny." She said no, but they were not the first couple to sleep in the same bed. That feat appears to have been achieved by Hume Cronyn & Jessica Tandy in 1954 in "The Marriage: Inside Bobby Logan," where they end up in pajamas in a single bed. Who knew?
Also I found another interesting web page that talked about how after WWII, when all the jobs went to soldiers returning home, women were discouraged from working and were pressured to stay home. Which clearly influenced all those "happy housewife" TV shows of the '50s. And then in the 1960's things began to change. . . I'll have to throw some of that in. . .which you actually did for the '80s in your "clarifications" above.
Sorry if I've not seeen it and it's all there -- I'm in a rush...
But get me the other stuff I asked for in my first paragraph and then I think I'll be pretty well set.
A "tapestry" show is usually one of those ensemble shows -- like Thirtysomething or Six Feet Under, where the plots are woven throughout like a tapestry, instead of your basic sitcom which has an "A" plot and a "B" plot. Tapestry shows are usually the one-hour dramas. But don't get distracted by the word. I see what you mean about "Julia" and "Cosby." No problem. But I'll have to include "Cosby" somehow because it was for a while the most popular show on television and can't be ingnored. Can't ignore the seminal shows.
In your travels so far are you finding that the only marriage-related drama has been Thirtysomething? I mean , until we get up into the 90s?
I'm fine about clarifying for you as much as you want before you post your answer. Your clarification questions are as helpful to me as the material you find. And if you feel you're being taken advantage of in any way (see Tudric's comment), please let me know!
Nah. If I do that, my hubby will run off with Joan Jett, as he's been hinting for several decades. ;-)
~Pink
I hope we can unearth something before "Thirtysomething." But maybe that's why it was so groundbreaking. There wasn't anything. I loved that show.
Don't you find it interesting that most of the '50s shows were the wise husband or the wise wife and they were middle class and polite, but the blue collar familes -- like The Honeymooners -- screamed and yelled and battled it out. Is this a motif to explore? I'm just free-associating. But maybe there's something to examine ...The Huxtables , the college educated, upper middle class family weren't big screamers...but Archie Bunker and Roseanne were. Is there a "class" thing to how marriage is handled on TV? For the record, this new series is about folks with $$$.
Another thought. . .Seems like we didn't get "Tapestry" shows until the 80's? Would that be right? I wonder if we can determine when comedies or dramas left things hanging...where the problems weren't "solved" each episode. Maybe that's Thirtysomething, too.
One request -- you've been good about listing the years...if you can, will you throw in the NETWORKS as well. It makes things easier to track down.
Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,42641,00.html
From the article above, this goodie:
First TV sitcom couple to get a divorce: "Rhoda," 1976
You may have noticed that these "TV firsts" involving marriages are all comedies, not dramas. There have been very few prime-time dramas which centered on marriage-related matters. "Thirtysomething," which you've mentioned, was a pioneering show in that respect.
"I Love Lucy" is surely the first TV show to depict a marriage between a Latino and an Anglo. I believe this is called an interlingual marriage.
We could disqualify "Mary Kay and Johnny" (a 15-minute show) from the running by discussing only 30-minute shows in the "sitcom" department. Then "I Love Lucy" would become the first show in which the wife becomes pregnant, and "The Munsters" would be the first show where the husband and wife share a bed (or "The Flintstones," if 'toons count.)
A question: I'm not familiar with the term "Tapestry" shows. Can you give me some examples?
Although I'm sure I can work "The Cosby Show" in, your suggestion that it depicted the first working professional Black woman isn't going to work, unless a very narrow definition of "professional" is used. "Julia" premiered in September 1968, with Diahann Carroll playing a nurse. Julia wasn't married, though, so the show won't help us.
I hope I'm not clarifying you to distraction. It helps me a lot to be able to bounce things back and forth before I reach a final structure for my answer. If you would prefer, I can go ahead and write an answer based on what you've told me, and we can clarify and refine it after I post it. Personally, I prefer to do the clarification in advance, so that my final answer, the one that appears in the "Answer" slot of the page, can be very close to what you truly want (hopefully spot-on).
I should have things pulled into shape tomorrow, and I expect to post your answer tomorrow afternoon. Then we can tweak it to perfection. ;-)
~Pink
First TV married couple to share a bed: "Mary Kay and Johnny," 1947
Snopes.com
http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/marykay.htm
First TV wife to become pregnant: "Mary Kay and Johnny," 1948
Snopes.com
http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/marykay.htm
First TV sitcom to feature a Jewish couple: "The Goldbergs," 1949
Dr. Mac's Cultural Calendar
http://www.nortexinfo.net/McDaniel/0110.htm
First TV show to depict a working show-biz couple: "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show," 1950.
Museum of Broadcast Communications
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/G/htmlG/georgeburns/gerogeburns.htm
First TV wife to have an abortion: "Maude," 1972
The Rue Crew
http://www.theruecrew.com/html/maude.html
First TV sitcom to feature an interracial couple: "The Jeffersons," 1975
Museum of Broadcast Communications
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/J/htmlJ/jeffersonst/jeffersonst.htm
-----------------------
I believe the first African-American couple to be featured on a TV sitcom was probably the Kingfish and Sapphire, in "Amos 'n' Andy," but I have not yet been able to verify this. Another not-yet-verified factoid: I think "The Brady Bunch" showed the first married couple actually kissing while in bed (what a shocker!)
Am I homing in on the type of info that you need?
I finished my show today and wanted to let you know that I put you, journalist, voila and tutuzdad in the credits! I did e-mail, as they had asked, the editors at GA on 4/24 and again on 5/7. asking if it was OK to do this, but nobody ever had the courtesy to answer me, so. . .too late now, you guys are in, baby!
This program was made to support a new series on Showtime called OUT OF ORDER, starring Eric Stoltz, Felicity Huffman, Kim Dickens, Justine Bateman, William H. Macy & Peter Bogdanovich. Segment 2 of the show is the History of TV Marriages and it's only about 6 minutes, but fun. (Legal clearances were a nigthmare.) I'll post the air dates tomorrow, when I have the complete schedule. It will air on Showtime and some selected CBS affiliates.
Would you please pass this on to your colleagues above -- I don't know how to contact them, short of posting a new question. I'd send you all a VHS copy of the show, but not sure how to do that.
call GA to discuss how to credit you & Tutuzdad in the program credits?
Or must I do it all via e-mail?
P.S. This just in! I found photos of Mary Kay & Johnny and The Marriage!
Victory!
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All in the Family
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My colleague, journalist-ga, has given an excellent capsule description of "All in the Family." The only thing I would add is that the show did a very usual thing in "killing off" one of its main characters. When actress Jean Stapleton asked to be phased out of the show, the character of Edith began to appear less frequently. The show's name was changed to "Archie Bunker's Place," and in 1980 we were told that Edith Bunker had died of a stroke. "All in the Family" was the origin of two successful spinoff series, "The Jeffersons," which featured the African-American neighbors of the Bunkers, and "Maude," which featured Edith's cousin Maude and Maude's husband Walter. "Maude," in turn, spun off "Good Times," the story of Maude's maid, Florida Evans, and her family.
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Lucy
==============
"I Love Lucy" brought TV's first "interlingual" married couple into our living rooms. While the union of Ricky Ricardo (a Cuban bandleader) and Lucy Ricardo (an Irish-American, née McGillicuddy) may seem unexceptional today, in the early 1950s a marriage between a Latino man and an Anglo woman was an eyebrow-raiser. The show helped to torpedo cultural prejudice by not making a big issue of the differences between Ricky and Lucy. Although Ricky's Cuban accent was occasionally played for laughs, he was not a figure of mockery, and the show contained remarkably few intercultural references that would make today's sensitive audiences wince.
==============
1990s
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"Life Goes On" (ABC, 1989-1993) broke new ground by introducing us to a loving couple with a mentally handicapped child. The show followed the joys and sorrows of Drew and Libby Thatcher as they raised their two children, Becca and Corky. Drew also had a daughter, Paige, from a previous marriage. The character of Corky was pivotal to the dynamics of the show. In a bold casting move, the role was filled by a young actor who, like Corky, had Down Syndrome. The marriage of Drew and Libby was depicted in a realistic fashion, without dramatic excesses. One central message of "Life Goes On" is that a marriage can be challenged by adversity, but the result of hardship may be to strengthen the marriage rather than to weaken it.
"Northern Exposure" (CBS, 1990-1995). Among the many members of this intricately-plotted show were Holling Vincoeur, a tavern owner, and his wife, Shelly-Marie, a woman some forty years his junior. Their May-December marriage was portrayed with good humor and insight. Other marriages on the show were also a bit offbeat. The innkeepers Ron and Erick tied the knot onscreen, becoming primetime TV's first gay marriage. The network nixed a kiss between the two, however. An eccentric back-to-nature couple named Adam and Eve provided some comic moments in this show, which ventured from slapstick to tragedy and back again.
"Home Improvement" (ABC, 1991-1999) introduced us to Tim and Jill Taylor and their three sons. Tim was the host of a cable home improvement show called "Tool Time" which featured a gorgeous starlet called "The Tool Time Girl." At home, Tim was often anything but handy around the house: his "fix-it" skills sometimes went so disastrously awry that the fire department had to be called. Tim and Jill maintained a well-balanced marriage, negotiating through such potential marital pitfalls as child-rearing disputes, in-law problems, Jill's aspirations to get a job, and the rocky relationships of their friends.
"The Sopranos" (HBO, 1999-present). The multiple story arcs of "The Sopranos" have pivoted around the volatile Mafia marriage of Tony and Carmela Soprano, culminating in Carmela's decision to leave Tony. The plotline has included numerous instances of Tony's infidelities; Carmela, on the other hand, was tempted to stray more than once, and did not do so. Never has a television series dealt so bluntly with the consequences of adultery, the erosion of trust within a marriage, and the agonies of deceit.
==============
Here is a site which lists the top 20 shows of the 1990s, by year. As you can see, marriage-related shows were not plentiful during this decade. Unmarried characters dominated both sitcoms ("Murphy Brown," "Designing Women," and "The Golden Girls") and dramas ("In the Heat of the Night," "Murder, She Wrote," "Matlock.")
1990s Flashback
http://www.1990sflashback.com/1990/TV.asp
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I hope this addendum to my answer will help.
Many, many thanks to my friends in the community of Google Answers Researchers for their assistance. The spirit of teamwork in the service of our customers is one of the things that makes Google Answers thrive.
~Pink
I'm working on a behind-the-scenes show about a new ensemble drama series about a "dysfunctional" marriage. It's not a comedy. It does have humor, but overall it's quite serious, sophisticated and features innovative cinematic techniques. As part of my mandate for this behind-the-scenes thingie, I need to put in a segment about how television has portrayed marriage over the years. Because of the tone, I know they're going to make me limit my sitcom discussions to a cursory "passing thru the decades" type thing, which you have a good start on...and/or to sitcoms that actually broke new ground.
I know they definitely want "I Love Lucy" in there. And what was the FIRST "marriage" show? The Honeymooners?? And stuff like "The Cosby Show." Wasn't the wife the first professional working black woman? Or maybe it was the first show where couples had real problems? That sort of thing we need to find. "Roseanne" really was a seminal show in TV history, or at least that's what critics have said. Maybe because sometimes Dan & Roseanne went to bed angry? WHY was it?
The most important thing is I need you to find FIRSTS and WHY's and IMPACTS. And especially more focus on dramas. "Thirtysomething" is one they really really really really want in there. And onward and upward...especially, as I mentioned earlier, if the show has some stylistic filmmaking techniques.
And of course, when we've completed our little strolls -- or rather, jog -- thru TV history, we'll have to conclude with ...ta da! this NEW groundbreaking show has joined the ranks of the others. See what I mean? Does this help a little more? Keep asking. I'm around ALLLLLLL weekend and will check back regularly. In short, we must be entertaining, knowledgeable, serious, but never solemn.
For you and pink, journalist, voila and tutuzdad--here's the tune in info. There are 3 versions of the show and only ONE has full credits, alas -- but ALL do have the infamous segment #2 with TV marriages.
On CBS/UPN affiliates, the show is called HOLLYWOOD COUPLES: THE MAKING OF OUT OF ORDER. For those who like nudity, what little there is of it is "blurred." Sorry about that. CBS standards and practices -- although when you see what time it airs, who would know?
THURSDAY, MAY 29: Philadelphia (WPSG)2:30 a.m
FRIDAY, MAY 30:
Los Angeles: KCBS at 1:50 am
Chicago: WBBM at 1:07 a.m.
Dallas: KXTA at 2:30 am
Denver: KCNC at 12:55 am
SATURDAY, MAY 31:
New York: WCBS at 12:30 am
Philadelphia: KYW at 2:30 am
San Francisco: KBHK: 1:00 am
Boston: WSBK at 1:00
Detroit: WWJ at 2:30 am
Baltimore: WJZ at 12:35
On SHOWTIME, the show is called I DO. I DON'T: THE MAKING OF OUT OF ORDER. Some airings have the blurred stuff and no credits. But THREE should have the unblurred stuff AND PINK, JOURNALIST, VOILA, TUTUZDAD and GA displayed in the credits. And ALL have the Segment #2 History of TV marriage.
Sunday, May 25 (This sunday)4 pm
Tuesday, May 27 12:30 pm
Wednesday, May 28 7:35 pm
Thursday, May 29 5:30 pm
Friday, May 30th at 12:30 am (*** this one has the credits)
Saturday, May 31 at 2 a.m. (*** I THINK this one has the credits)
Sunday, June 1 at 7:29 pm
Saturday, June 7 at 4 pm
Tuesday, June 10 at 12 am (*** this one has the credits)
Again, if there's "legal" way to to send you all copies for your own archives,I'm happy to do it.
Pink -- I definitely hope you get to take a look to see what Mary Kay & Johnny look like! This really was such a tough project. Something as simple as using an 8 x 10 glossy of "Married with Children" was a no no. Who knew Ed O'Neill now wants to disassociate himself from the show and will not allow his image to be used. Tons of stories like this. And you won't believe what everything cost. I'm amazed we were able to do as much as we did.
I have Showtime, so I'll set my VCR for this! Even if it weren't for the personal mention, it sounds like a must-see show. And the series will be on my list, too. I just love William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman. To be able to see these real-life married folks working together is gonna be a treat!
~Pink
I didn't realize "Barefoot in the Park" was a series -- but it sounds like it's Neil Simon's play/movie turned into a series with a change of race. It's probably too little a blip on the timeline for a mention in the show, but sure, it's fine to log it anyway. I don't want to censor you. In my book, you can never be too rich or too thin -- or have too much research!
"United States" I vaguely remember -- and again, since it failed, we won't want to spend any time on it, especially since there's the implication in that that OUR show might fail, know what I mean? BUT...you've given me an idea . . maybe LARRY GELBART would be a great "expert" to interview. Certainly he is one of the legendary figures of televison -- going back to his early days of writing for "Your Show of Shows."
I've also a thought on how to get around the "Mary Kay & Johnny" lack of images. We're going to have on on-camera host for this program. Maybe I can write something for him where he brings up "Mary Kay & Johnny" and says, "Sorry, all the photos and kinescopes have been lost," but here are some OTHER shows blah blah blah" -- throwing to the narration and the images we CAN find. That might work.
Have you come across anything general about how SOAP OPERAS have viewed marriage? Again, no need to dwell on this -- maybe it's just a few sentences. Erica Kane's been married 97 times, but most soap operas view marriage as sacred or oppty to cheat or , etc. etc.? I'm cluelsss about the soaps.
Glad you're OK about this assignment. I'm always in awe of how you guys give your all, even when it's a $2.00 question. That's true dedication!
Hi, Pink --
Wanted to let you know that I finally finished my show today and put you, journalist, voila and tutuzdad in the credits --by NAME. I mean by handle. I did as you had told me and wrote to the editors at GA on 4/24 and again on 5/7 to see if this was OK. But nobody has had the courtesy to answer me, so too late! It's done. YOu're in.
I will post the air dates tomorrow, when I have the full schedule. This is a program to support a new series coming up on SHOWTIME called "OUT OF ORDER," starring Eric Stoltz, Felicity Huffman, Kim Dickens, Justine Bateman, William H. Macy and Peter Bogdanovich. Segment 2 of my show is the history of TV Marriage. It turned out to be a legal nightmare to do, and last only about 6 minutes, but it's fun and you'll be pleased to see your hard work reflected in it. This show will air on both Showtime and some CBS affiliates. If I had a way to send you guys a copy, I'd do it, but not sure how that could be arranged here. Would you please pass this message on to journalist, voila and tutuzdad, since I don't know how to do it, other than post a new question here. More later. Stay tuned!
Yes, of course you have 'til Tuesday. In fact, if you're not better by Tuesday, so be it. You have 'til WHENEVER. Get some rest and don't worry. And no watching "Nick at Night" until your temp is 98.6.
Yeah, Clancy Brown never took off, I don't know why. I first was aware of him in "Blue Steel," with Jamie Lee Curtis. And here's another guy who has made a zillion movies, mostly all bombs, but is now starting to rise: VIGGO MORTENSON. But you'd think he would have been bigger a long time ago. Take a look at the trailer for the upcoming HILDAGO. it's on Apple Trailers.com. or maybe you have to type "Hildago Trailer" in google first. Anyway, Viggo's looking SO adorable and sexy. . .this may be his year. And he's not that young. 43.
nude, myself. I wish we ALL could be!
~Pink
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