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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by treky

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]

Originally Posted by wkomorow

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'! "