Did you think it was odd that TV couples slept in separate beds? Did you ask your own parents why they did not sleep in separate beds?

LOL my parents were in the midst of a divorce in the late 50's

I grew up in the 60s. People just didn't talk about stuff like this. There was no TV show like Entertainment Tonight to drum up daily controversies about what was on the night before. TV Guide existed, but the articles were written months before, and were mostly flattering toward shows and stars. Most cities had one or two newspapers, and they'd have a TV/radio columnist who covered everything from local news ratings to new network shows. There were gossip magazines, but they were limited circulation. I think today people look through articles from maybe a dozen big newspapers sixty years ago, and they assume everyone was hanging on their every word. They weren't, and most people were completely unaware of them.

Clear Channel now owns approximately 1225 radio stations in 300 cities and dominates the audience share in 100 of 112 major markets.


These top six companies control 90% of the media in the United States. Just 37 years ago, there were 50 companies in charge of most American media. Now, 90% of the media in the United States is controlled by just six corporations: AT&T, CBS, Comcast, Disney, Newscorp and Viacom

Couples sleeping in separate beds was a convention in movies and (especially) TV shows of a certain era. It was done for the sake of propriety and decency, not being overly explicit about the marital bedroom and so forth. I don't know if kids in that era would have understood it as a visual convention or would have interpreted it literally.

The seperate bed thing wasn't exclusive to TV. Loads of movies from the 40s and 50s showed couples in twin beds. I didn't grow up in the 50s, but when I was a kid in the 80s watching nick at nite; I never thought about it. That was just how old TV and movies were. In the 21st century, too many people getting paid to give their opinions and analysis (as opposed to doing real work) have created a faux controversy over it.

I'm watching Ozzie and Harriet, which is now being released by season on DVD. Beginning with the 4th season (1955) they had a double bed, which is probably the earliest sitcom use (I know, Lucy and Ricky had twin beds which kinda sorta looked like they could easily be pushed together). The only reason the censors probably allowed O&H was that they were married in real life.

60s examples are Oliver and Lisa on Green Acres (1965), and Rob and Katie on My Three Sons (1967). That one was a switch during an episode filming.

In "The Honeymooners" The Sleepwalker (1955) Ed's bed is a double.

The separate-bed convention was never used on LITB, so far as I know. The one time we saw the inside of Ward and June's bedroom was, I believe, in "The Party Spoiler," where we see that they had a double bed.

The separate-bed convention was never used on LITB, so far as I know. The one time we saw the inside of Ward and June's bedroom was, I believe, in "The Party Spoiler," where we see that they had a double bed.

I think there were single beds shown in that episode, as well as the one with jeff, the bum.

On Little House On the Prairie, Charles and Caroline Ingalls shared a bed and that was the late 1800's.

As I recall, it was explained to me that some people are light sleepers, and don't want to be woke up by their spouse throughout the night.

And, that explanation was good enough for me until I got old enough to understand what the real deal was.

At which time I threw that deception on the same pile with Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Popeye, "Petticoat Junction got cancelled", "Ward Cleaver never went to bars", and all the other little deceptions cast upon me for my own good.

I think there were single beds shown in that episode, as well as the one with jeff, the bum.

I guess I am misremembering, then.

On Little House On the Prairie, Charles and Caroline Ingalls shared a bed and that was the late 1800's.

It was filmed after is was customary for married people to be shown in the same bed.

On Little House On the Prairie, Charles and Caroline Ingalls shared a bed and that was the late 1800's.

Was it just the fruit of Hollywood activists to portray the 3 stooges as sharing a common bed, but not The Ricardos?

Wokeness in the 1930's-50's?

This is interesting: 1960, the widower Steve Douglas sleeps alone in a double:

https://youtu.be/t83x404JZL0

I guess I am misremembering, then.

I could be, too--I'll check.

I dont know about the 1950's because I wasnt born yet, but my parents had seperate bedrooms because it was more comfortable for them. I have done the same with my wife from almost the time we were first married. We would sleep together but I would snore and she would make weird noises in her sleep and we would go back and forth on the blankets of the bed.

I and her think sleeping in the same bed is overrated. I like my own bed and not have to worry about my snoring or her habits keeping her up at night. We might and do have different schedules and she might want to stay up and me wanting to sleep. Just better having our own bed and room to do what we want and either lay with each other in the same bed before sleep or in the morning.

The separate-bed convention was never used on LITB, so far as I know. The one time we saw the inside of Ward and June's bedroom was, I believe, in "The Party Spoiler," where we see that they had a double bed.

I finally checked that episode, and they are single beds. In the early setup shot you only see a very little of the other bed (like a bedpost). In a later setup you see much more of the other bed.

I didn't check the "Bum" episode, but I'm pretty sure there are two beds in that one, too; however, the bedroom is set up differently in Party Spoiler.

Prior to the 60's +- there was an unwritten rule (or was it written) that if a couple were in a scene with 1 bed ONE of them HAD to Keep ONE Foot on the FLOOR !

Anyone else ever hear this ?

I've heard of this. So they could be ready to make a fast getaway if they broke another rule LOL

Prior to the 60's +- there was an unwritten rule (or was it written) that if a couple were in a scene with 1 bed ONE of them HAD to Keep ONE Foot on the FLOOR !

Anyone else ever hear this ?

And in "Party Spoiler," I think June actually can be seen following this rule. It's been a while since I saw the episode, but I seem to remember she is sort of lounging on the bed reading a magazine, with one foot on the floor.

Prior to the 60's +- there was an unwritten rule (or was it written) that if a couple were in a scene with 1 bed ONE of them HAD to Keep ONE Foot on the FLOOR !


Thinks to self how to get jiggy with one of you having one foot on the floor.

Maybe this is how the game Twister came about. :happyface

I have been married to my wife for over twenty years now and we stopped sleeping with each other after about three months. I was fully on board with this. For me, sleeping with someone is very overrated, and not that comfortable.

I snore, My wife makes weird noises in bed. In the winter, it is back and forth with the covers. Also, if my wife wants to stay up when I want to sleep, she turns on every light in the room which is annoying as hell. It just doesnt work.

I or her will wake up and go to each other's rooms and do whatever (yes!). For the record, my parents didnt sleep with each other either, which makes our setup less weird. To you teenagers and kids in their 20's, sleeping together seems like Heaven. It's not. Overrated. Change my mind.

It's a Wonderful Life bedroom scene Donna Reed & Jimmy Stewart - looks to me like 1 bed (?) 1946

It's a Wonderful Life bedroom scene Donna Reed & Jimmy Stewart - looks to me like 1 bed (?) 1946

Yeah, but that was a movie, not a TV show.

Green Acres 1965 had 1 bed !

bed

In the 1960s others had double beds--Bewitched, even My Three Sons, Katie and Rob. Going back further, Ozzie and Harriet had one starting around the fourth season (1955).

In addition to Oliver and Lisa Douglas of Green Acres, Darrin and Samantha Stephens sleep together from the first episode of Bewitched, as do Herman and Lily Munster, and of course the Bradys.

The Flintstones and The Jetsons sleep in the same bed sometimes, when the needed gag is helped by that staging.

Tony Nelson, perhaps suggestively, sleeps in a double bed by himself (maybe Jeannie doesn't always sleep in her bottle?).