Sitcom Firsts

[littletydramon]

I was wondering if we could gather a list of "Sitcom Firsts" such as "First sitcom where a couple shared a bed" "first sitcom where the word pregnant was used" "first sitcom with a mixed marriage" etc. Anyone know a few? I'm curious to the pregnant one for sure because it suprised me when I heard that on an episode of Bewitched.

[tv star collector]

O.K. Suppose we start with ...

The Very First Sitcom: Mary Kay and Johnny(1947). This live
series ran for three seasons and starred Mary Kay Stevens and Joseph Stearns. They played themselves, a pair of young New York newlyweds. When
Mary Kay gave birth to a baby boy in 1948, the child was worked into the
show (years before I Love Lucy). The show aired on the Dumont
network (1947-1948), NBC (1948-1949), CBS (1949), and NBC (1940-1950).
The show's popularity surprised its sponsor--Anacin--which got a barrage of
requests for a free mirror, promised to the first 200 viewers who wrote in.
Some 8900 letters were received.

[THE GREAT TV SITCOM BOOK, by Rick Mitz; TV GUIDE GUIDE TO TV]

By the way, no, I haven't seen the show myself. It was before my time. But
I thought it was an interesting piece of TV trivia.

[friendsfan77]

The Hogan Family was the first sitcom where the word "condom" was used.

[GSU2004]

Moesha was the first successful sitcom on the now defunct UPN network. It premiered in Jan 1996 and lasted until May 2001.

Married with Children was the first sitcom to highlight the dysfunctional family. It opened the doors for more series such as Roseanne. The show was also the first official sitcom on the FOX network to be successful.

I think Roseanne was the first sitcom to focus on gay living. I could be mistaken.

[megamanj2004]

MTM - Was the first sitcom w/ a single woman making it on her own.

Good Times - was one of the first sitcoms where you saw a parental advisory warning at the beginning of the show and of the episodes - the one where James Sr. died is one in particular.

[Kristen]

And wasn't MTM the first "workplace sitcom"? I can't really think of a show before it that had a similar format. So I guess you could say if not for that, we wouldn't have shows like Murphy Brown, Wings, Newsradio, etc.

[comedyfreak]

I Love Lucy was the first sitcom to write a pregnancy into the storyline.
All In The Family was the first to deal with serious situations he even said the G.D. word once.
Maude was the first to be pregnant at 47 and get an abortion, she also called Walter an S.O.B my parents were shocked.
Dick Van Dyke Laura Petrie was the first sitcom wife to wear Capri slacks instead of a dress.
Bewitched first sitcom to show a married couple in the same bed.

[PlayOn]

If I'm not mistaken, and somebody correct me if I'm wrong, All in the Family was the first sitcom to use politics.

[treky]

I Love Lucy was the first sitcom to write a pregnancy into the storyline.
All In The Family was the first to deal with serious situations he even said the G.D. word once.
Maude was the first to be pregnant at 47 and get an abortion, she also called Walter an S.O.B my parents were shocked.
Dick Van Dyke Laura Petrie was the first sitcom wife to wear Capri slacks instead of a dress.
Bewitched first sitcom to show a married couple in the same bed.
wrong; "MARY KAYE & JOHNNY" was the first sitcom to write a pregnacy into the story line; and they did it years before "I LOVE LUCY"-read the above post.

And, some people say "I LOVE LUCY" was the first sitcom to show a married couple in the same bed-in a 1954 episode they showed Fred and Ethel sharing a bed.

[treky]

"ALL IN THE FAMILY" was the first sitcom to show a family realisticly. They used to have people say things like "it's just like they put a camera down in my living room and started filming".

[treky]

MTM - Was the first sitcom w/ a single woman making it on her own.

Good Times - was one of the first sitcoms where you saw a parental advisory warning at the beginning of the show and of the episodes - the one where James Sr. died is one in particular.
no; I think "THAT GIRL" was the first sitcom to show a single woman living and working on her own. In fact, they first wanted to have Ann living with an Aunt or someone, and having occasionel disagreements with her parents, but Marlo Thomas insisted they don't do it that way.
And I think MTM took it a step further, though-showing that she didn't "need" a man in her life.

[tv star collector]

And wasn't MTM the first "workplace sitcom"? I can't really think of a show before it that had a similar format. So I guess you could say if not for that, we wouldn't have shows like Murphy Brown, Wings, Newsradio, etc.

Actually, there were many "workplace sitcoms" decades before The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which debuted in 1970, including at least five from the
1950s:
Mr. Peepers (a school teacher)
Our Miss Brooks (another school teacher)
Dear Phoebe (a newspaper columnist)
The Soldiers (the first service comedy)
The Phil Silvers Show (the second--and better known--service comedy)

[wkomorow]

no; I think "THAT GIRL" was the first sitcom to show a single woman living and working on her own. In fact, they first wanted to have Ann living with an Aunt or someone, and having occasionel disagreements with her parents, but Marlo Thomas insisted they don't do it that way.
And I think MTM took it a step further, though-showing that she didn't "need" a man in her life.

It may be a matter of semantics, but Our Miss Brooks was one of the first sitcoms depicting a single woman making it on her own. She lived in a boarding house, but had an independent income.

Julia also predates MTM and may have been one of the first shows featuring a single mother. Also one of the first shows depicting a professional single black woman raising a son.

Since we are in a first female theme - Boss Lady was one of the first sitcoms featuring a woman as a CEO in a construction firm.

Family Genus was the first US sitcom about a child protegy.

What was the first sticom primarily set at a military base? Phil Silvers Show?

[tv star collector]

It may be a matter of semantics, but Our Miss Brooks was one of the first sitcoms depicting a single woman making it on her own. She lived in a boarding house, but had an independent income.

Julia also predates MTM and may have been one of the first shows featuring a single mother. Also one of the first shows depicting a professional single black woman raising a son.

Since we are in a first female theme - Boss Lady was one of the first sitcoms featuring a woman as a CEO in a construction firm.

Family Genus was the first US sitcom about a child protegy.

What was the first sticom primarily set at a military base? Phil Silvers Show?

Although it only lasted one summer on NBC (June 25, 1955-Sept. 3, 1955),
The Soldiers, starring Hal March and Tom D'Andrea, does predate The
Phil Silvers Show, which ran on CBS from Sept. 20, 1955-Sept. 11, 1959.
The former was a live sitcom about two Army privates. Actually, March and
D'Andrea had often teamed up on variety shows playing two trouble-prone
GIs even before then. So NBC decided to give them their own summer series.
March is probably best remembered as emcee on the quiz program The
$64,000 Question, while D'Andrea is better known as next-door neighbor
Jim Gillis on The Life of Riley.

[treky]

and I think I read somewhere that "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" was the first sitcom to show the husbands life at work and at home.
As Carl Riener says "the first one to show what the husband does before he walks in the front door and says 'Hi honey, I'm home'! "

[tv star collector]

First fantasy sitcom: Topper (1953)
First sitcom based on a comic strip: Blondie (1956)
First rural sitcom: The Real McCoys (1957)
First animated sitcom: The Flintstones (1960)
First cop comedy: Car 54, Where Are You? (1961)
First comedy western: F Troop (1965)

[Coffeecup]

I always wondered if Vivian Vances characther Vivian Bagley( of the Lucy Show early 1960's ) was the first divorce. I didn't watch tv in the 1950's so there might have been one earlier.

[JulieSomoski]

Wasn't Julia the first African American sitcom on television? If not, it's still the first show ever to show a single African American woman raising a child.

[tv star collector]

Wasn't Julia the first African American sitcom on television? If not, it's still the first show ever to show a single African American woman raising a child.

There were two such series way back in 1950: the infamous Amos 'n' Andy and the lesser-known Beulah. Both were withdrawn from syndication in the sixties due to NAACP protests. By the way, Beulah
began life as a character on radio's Fibber McGee and Molly, in 1944.
She even got her own radio series. Three actresses played the role on
television: Ethel Waters, Hattie McDaniel, and Louise Beavers. The show ran
for three seasons, on CBS.

But, Julia was the first sitcom since Amos 'n' Andy back in the early
fifties that featured a black person--who wasn't a domestic (Beulah was a maid)--
playing a central character--and she was the first widowed mother of her race on TV.

[JulieSomoski]

There were two such series way back in 1950: the infamous Amos 'n' Andy and the lesser-known Beulah. Both were withdrawn from syndication in the sixties due to NAACP protests. By the way, Beulah
began life as a character on radio's Fibber McGee and Molly, in 1944.
She even got her own radio series. Three actresses played the role on
television: Ethel Waters, Hattie McDaniel, and Louise Beavers. The show ran
for three seasons, on CBS.

But, Julia was the first sitcom since Amos 'n' Andy back in the early
fifties that featured a black person--who wasn't a domestic (Beulah was a maid)--
playing a central character--and she was the first widowed mother of her race on TV.

Widowed mother . . . I thought she was divorced. But, I haven't seen it last since the late 70's when I was still a child. Too bad it probably won't be on DVD for awhile.

[treky]

There were two such series way back in 1950: the infamous Amos 'n' Andy and the lesser-known Beulah. Both were withdrawn from syndication in the sixties due to NAACP protests. By the way, Beulah
began life as a character on radio's Fibber McGee and Molly, in 1944.
She even got her own radio series. Three actresses played the role on
television: Ethel Waters, Hattie McDaniel, and Louise Beavers. The show ran
for three seasons, on CBS.

But, Julia was the first sitcom since Amos 'n' Andy back in the early
fifties that featured a black person--who wasn't a domestic (Beulah was a maid)--
playing a central character--and she was the first widowed mother of her race on TV.
however, "AMOS N' ANDY" is avalible on VHS and DVD-and has been for a while- if you want to see why some black people don't like it.
I don't know about "BEHULA" though.

[tv star collector]

Widowed mother . . . I thought she was divorced. But, I haven't seen it last since the late 70's when I was still a child. Too bad it probably won't be on DVD for awhile.

According to Rick Mitz's The Great TV Sitcom Book, Julia Baker's husband was killed in Vietnam (this happened before the first episode).
She had become a nurse with the Astrospace Industries (an industrial-health
office). Her boss, Dr. Morton Chegley, was played by veteran actor Lloyd
Nolan.

Some sample dialogue from the pilot, in which Julia and her soon-to-be boss
have a pre-job interview conversation by telephone:

JULIA: I'm colored. I'm a Negro.
DR. CHEGLEY: Have you always been a Negro, or are you just trying to be
fashionable?

[JulieSomoski]

According to Rick Mitz's The Great TV Sitcom Book, Julia Baker's husband was killed in Vietnam (this happened before the first episode).
She had become a nurse with the Astrospace Industries (an industrial-health
office). Her boss, Dr. Morton Chegley, was played by veteran actor Lloyd
Nolan.

Some sample dialogue from the pilot, in which Julia and her soon-to-be boss
have a pre-job interview conversation by telephone:

JULIA: I'm colored. I'm a Negro.
DR. CHEGLEY: Have you always been a Negro, or are you just trying to be
fashionable?

It was way ahead of it's time when it premiered. But, I believe Julia later paved the way for other liberal shows focusing on single women, like Mary Tyler Moore, Maude, One Day at a Time, and Murphy Brown.

[tv star collector]

It was way ahead of it's time when it premiered. But, I believe Julia later paved the way for other liberal shows focusing on single women, like Mary Tyler Moore, Maude, One Day at a Time, and Murphy Brown.

I absolutely agree with you. Her show--along with Marlo Thomas' That Girl (which debuted two years before)--paved the way for later shows like
those you mentioned.

[vlis]

I think One Day at a Time was the first sitcom about a divorced person.

[treky]

"ALL IN THE FAMILY" was the first sitcom to use a toilet flush for a laugh; and I think the first show where you heard a toilet flush.

[Dean Winchester]

Tom and Helen on The Jeffersons were television's first interracial couple

[megamanj2004]

Good Times - was one of the 1st sitcoms to deal w/ strugglng w/ poverty andone of the 1st shows to have a normal-sized emsemble African-American family cast w/ more than just two people.

[Kristen]

Wasn't Rhoda the first show to have a major character divorce during the series? I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere.

[treky]

"MAUDE" was the first show to have someone say "son of a bitch".

According to Norman Lear, when the network first saw that, he got a call from Standards and Practices (the network censors) and they said "C'mon Norman! You can't have someone say that"! "Can't you have them say something else that means the same"? And he said "OK Bill, I'll tell you what. You find something else, and tell me and I'll put it in". Then, he got a call from them a day later, and they said "Goddamn, Norman, I can't find anything else". So, they left in "son of a bitch" and the show was broadcast-and nothing happened:lol: The sky didn't open up, with thunder raing down, or anything. It was like people didn't even notice.

[treky]

I think "MAUDE" was also the first show to have someone have an abortion.

[Rosslover]

Will and Grace was the first network sitcom to have gay characters...following the Ellen fiasco... in the regular cast

FRIENDS was the first to have a gay wedding on tv...but i could be wrong

[PlayOn]

wasn't FRIENDS the first hit for all 6 people?

[Overdose]

FRIENDS was the first to have a gay wedding on tv...but i could be wrong
"Roseanne" had a gay wedding in the 1995-1996 season. Did "Friends" have theirs before or after that?

Speaking of "Roseanne", it was the first family sitcom to show a woman in charge of the house (modern feminism), and it was the first to have re-occurring gay characters, plus the first lesbian kiss.

You could also say "Roseanne" was the first to show the working class from a liberal/progressive/feminist point-of-view, unlike "All In The Family", which showed it from a male, conservative point-of-view.

And it was one of the first sitcoms to show children going through controversial issues such teen sex and substance abuse.

[clj2]

Which was the first sitcom to use the word "ass?" I know 'jackass' has been used for a long time (even the 60s, I believe), but was wondering when the word was first used by itself.

[treky]

I think "LEAVE IT TO BEAVER" was the first sitcom to show a toilet.

[megamanj2004]

What was the 1st sitcom where a character occasionally did a lot of cross-dressing?

The only one I can think of off the top of my head is M*A*S*H, b/c Klinger often did a lot of cross-dressing to get out of the war.

One of the 1st sitcoms to feature an openly-gay character would probably have to be "Soap," b/c of Jodie Dallas.

[megamanj2004]

What was the 1st show where two actors shared a interracial love scene?

[littletydramon]

Which was the first sitcom to use the word "ass?" I know 'jackass' has been used for a long time (even the 60s, I believe), but was wondering when the word was first used by itself.

I'd like to know this too if anyone knows..