The Sitcom Turns 60! (in November)

[Adamantium]

On November 18, 2007 it will be the 60th anniversary of the debut of “Mary Kay and Johnny.” The show, debuted in the year 1947. It was the very first sitcom, which means, the sitcom genre turns 60 on November 18th!

Let’s take this thread to talk about important moments in sitcom history, from 1947 to 2007.

I’ll list a couple, and let others list more. I don’t want to hog this thread, lol.

“I Love Lucy” debuts on October 15, 1951. This show was groundbreaking for many reasons. It was the first sitcom to have an interracial married couple. It was the first sitcom to do the three cameras/live studio audience (thanks to Desi Arnaz!) and it was the first really big hit. When Lucy got pregnant in real life, they wrote it into the show. It wasn’t as simple as that, though. And even when they were okay to do the pregnancy storyline, they weren’t allowed to say the word “Pregnant.” They had to say “expecting,” lol. The sitcom would be very different today if Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had never gotten together to work on their show and joined with William Frawley and Vivian Vance to make “I Love Lucy,” quite possibly the most popular sitcom ever.

“All in the Family” debuts on January 12, 1971. This show changed the course of sitcoms for good or bad. There was no turning back. Of course, because of it’s popularity, CBS got rid of such shows as “Green Acres,” “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Mayberry, R.F.D.” But this show, in my opinion is the most groundbreaking sitcom ever. The character of Archie Bunker remained on television for 13 seasons, outlasting the original players (Edith, Mike and Gloria).

Okay, now, let's celebrate the sitcom!

[JT]

Great thread!

Off the top of my head, one important moment was the "Maude" episode in which Maude called Walter a "son of a bitch," the first time that word was used in primetime.

[Adamantium]

Originally Posted by JT

Great thread!

Off the top of my head, one important moment was the "Maude" episode in which Maude called Walter a "son of a bitch," the first time that word was used in primetime.

I didn't know that. I'm learning stuff from this thread already, lol.

[tvfan0101]

Originally Posted by Adamantium

When Lucy got pregnant in real life, they wrote it into the show. It wasn’t as simple as that, though. And even when they were okay to do the pregnancy storyline, they weren’t allowed to say the word “Pregnant.” They had to say “expecting,” lol.

Ah, but Mary Kay and Johnny had already done that, writing Mary Kay Stearns' pregnancy into the storyline of the series, and her son (with co-star and real-life husband Johnny) would later appear on the series as well. The one episode I have seen, at the Paley Center for Television, only referred to Christopher (the baby boy) off-screen.

[Mikado]

CBS was known for groudbreaking sitcoms in the 70s...For instance, although I don't believe they ever USED the word, M*A*S*H was the first sitcom to show a couple having an affair ( Frank and HotLips.....Twenty years earlier on the same network, married couple Lucy and Desi couldnt even sleep in the same bed together! ) and a transvestite in a regular role.
The Mary Tyler Moore show presented the world of the working woman, and woman's "lib" in a way that made it non-threatening to men, and I am SURE had something to do with modern attitudes about working women. ( I know it did on myself )
Good times showed a black family, as a family, only a handful of years before, the only families blacks had on TV, were the white families they worked for, as domestics.
And of course The Jeffersons poked fun at black and white "roles" in monetary and mixed marriage terms. ( Unfortunately, after a promissing begining, this show became more slapstick comedy, than a serious discussion of race issues...mores the pitty )

[TJL]

For better or worse, the sitcom is still here, thank goodness.

Always evolving, but still retaining the core elements that have defined it.

Let's see the "reality" TV genre try to make it to 60!

[JT]

"The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" could be considered special not only for its extremely long history on radio and television, but also for the unusual fact that not only did the Nelson family all play themselves, but when each other boys got married in real life, their wives joined the cast of the show as well, playing themselves. Not to mention that the exterior used for the Nelsons' home was their actual home and the soundstage created for the TV home was a replica of the actual house.

[tbswatcher]

Married with Children was a big one because it reveloutionized the sitcom since no other networks at the time were take that much risk with story plots. The plots for the show in that time were considered unfit for tv but, now every show is like it. I guess time has changed what they think is acceptable. This helped change things for the better back in 1987.

[JulieSomoski]

The seventies was definitely the most groundbreaking era for TV. Not only did we have all the shows on CBS, like MTM and All in the Family. ABC also gave us Three's Company, which we saw nothing else like at the time.

It seems like every era reminds me of something different. The 50's were the simple, black and white shows that really had no continuing storylines. The 60's to me was the urban era, because we had shows like Green Acres. The 70's was the groundbreaking era, then the 80's brought us family sitcoms like Cosby and Family Ties. The 90's seemed to focus on working families and more raunchy shows. Then, today's sitcom is the downfall.

[Adamantium]

Originally Posted by tvobscurities

Ah, but Mary Kay and Johnny had already done that, writing Mary Kay Stearns' pregnancy into the storyline of the series, and her son (with co-star and real-life husband Johnny) would later appear on the series as well. The one episode I have seen, at the Paley Center for Television, only referred to Christopher (the baby boy) off-screen.

I forgot, that's right. Heck, they even let Mary Kay and Johnny sleep in the same bed (or so I hear). For some reason after this show, married couples went to twin beds. I believe the first sitcom to have a married couple in the same bed (after Mary Kay and Johnny) was "Bewitched."

So it seems that after "Mary Kay and Johnny" they took a step back.

[Adamantium]

And before anyone corrects me, when I say 60 years, I'm referring to television. I know that through radio, sitcoms have been around longer. Many of the early sitcoms came from radio shows. Amos 'N' Andy, for one.

[Mikado]

I didnt know that They showed Ozzie and Harriet's actual house.....a nice place but, not TOO showy...more Hollywood types could have learned from their example

[treky]

Originally Posted by Adamantium

I forgot, that's right. Heck, they even let Mary Kay and Johnny sleep in the same bed (or so I hear). For some reason after this show, married couples went to twin beds. I believe the first sitcom to have a married couple in the same bed (after Mary Kay and Johnny) was "Bewitched."

So it seems that after "Mary Kay and Johnny" they took a step back.

the resoan sitcoms "took a step back" with the beds after "MARY KAYE AND JOHNNY" was because; after the show went off; people complained about them sleeping in the same bed; so in 1951 the F.C.C. (Federal Communications Commision-the "boss" of TV) formed the "TELEVISION CODE"; a set of rules that broadcasters had to follow that forbid them showing married couples sleeping in the same bed, people using the word "pregnant", and I don't know what else.
However; I've always been puzzled by the bed rule-you're right; "BEWITCHED" was the first show to show a married couple in the same bed; according to most people. But some people say it was "THE FLINTSTONES" but other people say don't count that since that show was animated (guess they think animated couples don't have sex ) while some other people say it was Fred and Ethel on a 1954 episode of "I LOVE LUCY"-whatever; I've always wondered why Rob and Laura Petrie always slept in single beds right up until the end of "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" in 1966. And ontvobscurities.com the guy who runs it told me once that he seems to remember Ozzie & Harriet Nelson in the same bed once on an episode of their show.

[treky]

Originally Posted by Adamantium

On November 18, 2007 it will be the 60th anniversary of the debut of “Mary Kay and Johnny.” The show, debuted in the year 1947. It was the very first sitcom, which means, the sitcom genre turns 60 on November 18th!

Let’s take this thread to talk about important moments in sitcom history, from 1947 to 2007.

I’ll list a couple, and let others list more. I don’t want to hog this thread, lol.

“I Love Lucy” debuts on October 15, 1951. This show was groundbreaking for many reasons. It was the first sitcom to have an interracial married couple. It was the first sitcom to do the three cameras/live studio audience (thanks to Desi Arnaz!) and it was the first really big hit. When Lucy got pregnant in real life, they wrote it into the show. It wasn’t as simple as that, though. And even when they were okay to do the pregnancy storyline, they weren’t allowed to say the word “Pregnant.” They had to say “expecting,” lol. The sitcom would be very different today if Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had never gotten together to work on their show and joined with William Frawley and Vivian Vance to make “I Love Lucy,” quite possibly the most popular sitcom ever.

“All in the Family” debuts on January 12, 1971. This show changed the course of sitcoms for good or bad. There was no turning back. Of course, because of it’s popularity, CBS got rid of such shows as “Green Acres,” “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Mayberry, R.F.D.” But this show, in my opinion is the most groundbreaking sitcom ever. The character of Archie Bunker remained on television for 13 seasons, outlasting the original players (Edith, Mike and Gloria).

Okay, now, let's celebrate the sitcom!

you're wrong about a couple things. CBS got rid of all those "rural" shows because they were starting to become known as "the rural network". However; I've also heard it was because they wanted to start showing more "adult" comedies like "ALL IN THE FAMILY", "THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW", etc.-which would explain why they also cannceled "THE JACKIE GLEASON SHOW" & "THE RED SKELTON SHOW" that same year.

Also, "I LOVE LUCY" was also the first show to show reruns. When Lucy was pregnant and couldn't work a full schedule they had no choice but to repeat some episodes.

[treky]

Originally Posted by JT

Great thread!

Off the top of my head, one important moment was the "Maude" episode in which Maude called Walter a "son of a bitch," the first time that word was used in primetime.

I never knew that about "MAUDE". I think it was also groundbreaking in another way, too. It was the first sitcom to show a character openly discussing having an abortion (when Maude became pregnant) and was the first sitcom to deal with a late-in-life pregnancy.