Television and Television and SocietySociety

Criteria for ComedyCriteria for Comedy

Humor is an intellectual exerciseHumor is an intellectual exercise Humor is humanHumor is human Humor is mechanicalHumor is mechanical There must be an established set of There must be an established set of

human or social normshuman or social norms Humor violates those normsHumor violates those norms The audience must perceive those The audience must perceive those

violations are harmlessviolations are harmless

Humor is an Humor is an intellectual intellectual

exerciseexercise

Humor is humanHumor is human

Humor is Humor is mechanicalmechanical

There must be a There must be a set of social or set of social or human norms human norms

that the audience that the audience is intimately is intimately familiar withfamiliar with

Humor violates Humor violates the normsthe norms

The audience The audience perceives the perceives the

joke as harmlessjoke as harmless

The importance The importance of knowing all of knowing all

thisthis

Early TelevisionEarly Television

Era of ExperimentationEra of Experimentation

Used formats from radioUsed formats from radio Musical showsMusical shows Interview showsInterview shows DramasDramas Soap operasSoap operas comediescomedies

Typical showsTypical shows

Musical varietyMusical variety Talent ScoutsTalent Scouts Arthur Godfrey and His FriendsArthur Godfrey and His Friends The Fred Waring ShowThe Fred Waring Show The Frank Sinatra ShowThe Frank Sinatra Show

Small scale sportsSmall scale sports BoxingBoxing WrestlingWrestling

Live DramaLive Drama

Ford TheatreFord Theatre Philco Television PlayhousePhilco Television Playhouse Studio OneStudio One Kraft Television TheaterKraft Television Theater Armstrong Circle TheatreArmstrong Circle Theatre SponsorshipsSponsorships

12 Angry Men12 Angry Men

Leave It to BeaverLeave It to Beaver

The Donna Reed ShowThe Donna Reed Show

Father Knows BestFather Knows Best

Martin Kane, Private Eye Martin Kane, Private Eye – 1949– 1949

The Untouchables – 1958The Untouchables – 1958

Hopalong Cassidy / Roy Hopalong Cassidy / Roy Rogers / Gene AutryRogers / Gene Autry

Wyatt Earp / Bat Masterson Wyatt Earp / Bat Masterson / Cheyenne/ Cheyenne

Gunsmoke – 1955-75Gunsmoke – 1955-75

Have Gun, Will TravelHave Gun, Will Travel

Wanted – Dead or AliveWanted – Dead or Alive

The RiflemanThe Rifleman

Hotel de PareeHotel de Paree

Yancy DerringerYancy Derringer

MaverickMaverick

Bonanza – 1959-73Bonanza – 1959-73

Joe McCarthyJoe McCarthy

The 1960sThe 1960s

The Andy Griffith Show – The Andy Griffith Show – 19601960

The Beverly Hillbillies – The Beverly Hillbillies – 19621962

Petticoat Junction – 1963Petticoat Junction – 1963

Green Acres – 1965Green Acres – 1965

Bewitched – 1964Bewitched – 1964

I Dream of Jeannie – I Dream of Jeannie – 1965 1965

Dick van Dyke ShowDick van Dyke Show

Camp Runamuck / The Camp Runamuck / The Flying Nun Gilligan’s IslandFlying Nun Gilligan’s Island

My Mother the CarMy Mother the Car

The 1970sThe 1970s

The Mary Tyler Moore Show The Mary Tyler Moore Show -- 1970-- 1970

All in the Family – 1971All in the Family – 1971

M*A*S*H – 1972M*A*S*H – 1972

Walter CronkiteWalter Cronkite

The Waltons – 1972The Waltons – 1972

Three’s Company -- 1977Three’s Company -- 1977

Barney Miller – 1975Barney Miller – 1975

One Day at a Time – 1975One Day at a Time – 1975

The 1980sThe 1980s

Magnum P.I. / Buck Magnum P.I. / Buck RogersRogers

Hill Street Blues – 1981 Hill Street Blues – 1981

DallasDallas

The Cosby Show – 1984The Cosby Show – 1984

Roseanne – 1988Roseanne – 1988

Married…with Children – Married…with Children – 19871987

The Simpsons – 1989The Simpsons – 1989

The Rise of CableThe Rise of Cable

Invented by John Walson in 1948 to bring Invented by John Walson in 1948 to bring TV to places that could receive broadcast TV to places that could receive broadcast signalssignals

FCC restricted it to prevent competition FCC restricted it to prevent competition with broadcast stations until 1972with broadcast stations until 1972

HBO started in 1972 – first network to use HBO started in 1972 – first network to use satellite instead of phone lines to deliver satellite instead of phone lines to deliver contentcontent

Cable Act of 1984 – cable restrictions lifted Cable Act of 1984 – cable restrictions lifted and new networks could startand new networks could start

Sister, SisterSister, Sister

Will and Grace -- 1999Will and Grace -- 1999

Sex and the City – 1998Sex and the City – 1998

2000s2000s

Reality (really?)Reality (really?)

Itchy and ScratchyItchy and Scratchy