Introductions to TV Shows 1940s

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1 1. The Little Rascals Introductions to TV Shows 1940s The series, one of the best-known and most successful in cinema history, is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively natural way. While child actors are often groomed to imitate adult acting styles, steal scenes, or deliver "cute" performances, Hal Roach and original director Robert F. McGowan worked to film the unaffected, raw nuances apparent in regular kids. Our Gang also notably put boys, girls, whites, and blacks together in a group as equals, something that "broke new ground," according to film historian Leonard Maltin. Such a thing had never been done before in cinema, but was commonplace after the success of Our Gang. 2. Mickey Mouse In 1928, when Walt Disney took a five-day train trip with his wife Lillian, that he came up with the idea of a cartoon mouse named Mortimer. His wife rejected the name of the mouse, and Disney ended up changing it from Mortimer to Mickey. The first two Mickey shorts drew no attention, but then came Steamboat Willie, the first animation to feature synchronized music and sound effects, hit the screen. The film premiered in New York on Nov. 18, 1928 and was an instant hit. It is interesting to note that Mickey Mouse started out as a mischievous character. He performed many nasty little tasks and tricks. This image was soon changed, though, in order that he would appeal to a much wider audience. One of the most noticeable physical differences between the first Mickey Mouse and his modern day appearance include the addition of white gloves on his hands. There were many other changes as he evolved over the years, though. Today, Mickey Mouse is normally dressed in red shorts with two buttons on the front, large yellow shoes, and his trademark white gloves. The only similarities he has to a real mouse are his large mouse ears, and his long, skinny tail. Mickey's character has changed too, as today, he represents a childlike goodness, and he is well known for his innocent charm. Mickey would never be caught doing anything that was nasty or mischievous now, as he did in his earlier days. Mickey soon acquired a girlfriend, a mouse named Minnie, and two nephews named Morty and Freddie, and a dog named Pluto was also added to the family.

2 Reaction Paper TV in the 1940s Name: Date: Block: 1. The Little Rascals is one of the best-known and most successful programs in the early years of television mostly because it featured children behaving in this way: a. On screen, they behaved in a well-rehearsed way, like young adult actors. b. On screen, they behaved naturally, just like average children. 2. According to historians, The Little Rascals broke new ground because boys, girls, black, and whites were. a. Treated as equals, despite some common stereotypes from that time period b. Segregated on screen to follow the social customs from that time period. 3. Beside the fact that now TV shows are in color (not filmed in black and white), what is another difference that you notice from The Little Rascals vs. how children act or are portrayed in today s TV shows? (Answer in a complete sentence.) 4. Although it was the third Mickey cartoon produced, was the first to find a distributor, and thus has been cited as Mickey s debut. This cartoon featured changes to Mickey s appearance that established his look for later cartoons. a. Plane Crazy b. The Mickey Mouse Club c. Mickey and the Seal d. Steamboat Willie 5. Although we know Mickey as a sweet and loveable mouse today, he actually started out as a. a. Female character b. Mischievous character

3 3. I Love Lucy Introductions to TV Shows 1950s Arguably the most popular TV situation comedy in the known world (and possibly a few worlds beyond that!), I Love Lucy has never stopped playing in rerun form since it originally aired over CBS from October 15, 1951, through June 24, Every episode opens with a plausible situation that goes crazy due to Lucy s exaggerated absurdity. It can be said without much fear of contradiction that everyone -- yes, everyone -- loves Lucy...and Ricky? and Fred? and Ethel. The first sitcom to be filmed with three cameras before a live audience, I Love Lucy starred real-life husband and wife Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, who throughout most of the series lived in a modest New York apartment house managed by their best friends, Fred and Ethel Mertz. Cuban-born Ricky was the bandleader at the Tropicana Club; redheaded Lucy was a housewife who yearned to break into show business -- or, failing that, to become fabulously wealthy through some hairbrained get-rich-quick scheme or other, usually hatched in collaboration with her partner in crime, Ethel -- much to the dismay of the easily excitable Ricky and the eternally crotchety Fred. To call Lucy "zany" would be putting it mildly; there seemed to be no end to the ridiculous situations she could get herself into, nor any limit on the wild plans she cooked up on her own or with Ethel. But no matter how crazy things got, Ricky and Lucy invariably ended up in each other's arms, Ricky declaring his undying love and (at least temporary) forgiveness.

4 Name: Date: Block: Reaction Paper TV in the 1950s 1. In I Love Lucy each episode opens with a plausible situation that goes crazy due to: a. Lucy s exaggerated absurdity (silliness, comedic antics) b. Ricky s misunderstanding c. Ethel and Fred s interference 2. I Love Lucy was the first TV program to use: a. Jolts b. Three cameras simultaneously filming with a live audience c. Laugh tracks 3. In Lucy and the Loving Cup what is the conflict? (Use a complete sentence.) 4. Describe a jolt in I Love Lucy. (Use a complete sentence).

5 Introduction to TV Shows 1960s 1. The Ed Sullivan Show The Ed Sullivan Show is an American television variety show that ran from 1946 to years! The show featured all types of entertainment from belly dancers, to circus acts, to opera singers. But it is most known for introducing America to some legendary music groups such as Elvis, the Beatles, the Jackson 5, The Supremes and well, the list goes on! 2. Get Smart Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirized the secret agent genre that was popular in this decade. It ran from 1965 to 1970, with a total of 138 episodes. It won seven Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes. The show was filled with satire Satire is the use of sarcasm, wit or irony to make fun of something - in this case, spies. The shows star is secret agent Maxwell Smart, also known as Agent 86. Why 86? To 86 something means that it is useless, it should be thrown away! His partner, and later, his wife, is Agent 99. To add an element of mystery, her name was never revealed on the show. Agent 86 and Agent 99 work for CONTROL a fictional government agency based on Washington, D.C. They spy on KAOS (chaos). By the way CONTROL and KAOS are not acronyms like FBI or CIA they don t stand for anything, another part of the humor. 3. The Flinstones The Flinstones was an animated television series created for adults it was the first prime time cartoon created for adults to enjoy in the evening, not Saturday mornings! Its first sponsor was Winston Cigarettes, and Fred and Barney appeared in the commercials! It was also the first series to be televised in COLOR! The Flinstones also used a laugh track, which was commonly used in sitcoms, but not in cartoons. It ran from The show was set in the town of Bedrock, during the Stone Age era, but featured technology from the 20 th century, but with some prehistoric twist. For example, the characters drove cars made out of stone and wood, but powered by their feet! This is called suspension of disbelief we know that people of this era didn t have these inventions we suspend our knowledge to enjoy the show! The animals that assisted in the technology often broke the 4 th wall spoke directly to the camera / audience. The series took full advantage of the stone age. There were endless puns and gags involving rocks, including names of celebrities who were featured in the shows. Today you will see Tony Curtis (Stony Curtis) or Ann-Margaret (Ann-Margrock). Also listen to Barney s voice it is the same man who did the voice of Bugs Bunny, Mel Blanc. 4. Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny joins Mickey Mouse as an the greatest cartoon characters of all time. He was created in Brooklyn, NY in 1940, and you will notice that he speaks with a Bronx / Brooklyn dialect. His name was an old-fashioned nickname that means crazy as in you re bugging me. Mel Blanc provided the voice for Bugs Bunny for 49 years! Read Question #5 on your reaction paper. In the 1960s a study found that cartoon contained six times as many violent acts as prime time shows. In one cartoon, Daffy Duck did a magic act that was considered to be so dangerous that some TV stations decided to edit out this portion of the cartoon for fear that young children might try to imitate it! Use a tally mark system to record the number of violent acts that you witness in this cartoon.

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7 Reaction Paper TV in the 1960s Name: Date: Block: 1. The Ed Sullivan Show is perhaps best known by today s generation for airing breakthrough performances by such legendary musicians as: and 2. Get Smart was an American comedy television series that satirized the secret agent genre. Satire is the use of sarcasm, wit or irony to make fun of a subject. Describe a moment in this show when satire is used. (use complete sentences.) 3. In this Get Smart episode, what is the conflict? (Use complete sentences.) 4. The Flinstones was the first prime time cartoon that was created for adults. It was also ABC s first series to be televised with: a. color b. a laugh track c. a sponsor 5. Between 1952 and 1964, the number of violent incidents on TV shows rose by 90 percent! Since crime was rising in America during this time period, some analysts concluded that media was responsible, while other concluded that media was just reflecting our society. Cartoons were found to be the most violent of all programs. One 1968 study found that they contained six times as many violent acts as prime-time shows! Use a tally mark system to record the number of violent acts that you witness in this 1960s Bugs Bunny cartoon.

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9 Introduction to TV Shows 1970s 1. The Brady Bunch ( ; 5 seasons and 117 episodes). Created by Sherwood Schwartz ( Gilligan s Island ) after he read an article in the Los Angeles Times that stated 40% of marriages have at least one or more children from a previous marriage. The 70s was an era of freedom and living in the moment. Ideals of marriage were changing, as were the everexpanding boundaries which people set for themselves. Episodes in the first season feature a family trying to adjust to its new circumstances and become one family, as well as typical childhood problems, such as dating, rivalries, and family squabbles. 2. The Mary Tyler Moore Show Ran for seven years from The 1970s was the beginning of a new era for women. Women were no longer embarrassed to be single as in previous decades, but rather embraced their independence! The Mary Tyler Moore Show was the first TV show to feature an independent career woman as the central character. (She was not widowed, divorced, or seeking a man to support her!) It has been cited as one of the most acclaimed TV programs ever produced in US television history. It won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series three years in a row 75, 76 and 77. It won a total of 29 Emmy Awards, setting a new record that was not broken until Frazier won its 30 th Emmy in Watch the opening title sequence in the final shot, Mary cheerfully tosses her had in the air in the middle of the street. (Symbolism for her freedom and independence.) Entertainment Weekly listed it as the second greatest moment in TV history. Travel to Minneapolis, where the scene was filmed to see a bronze statue of Mary s Hat Toss! 3. Good Times ran for 5 years, from The series was set in Chicago and based on the creator s childhood memories. The characters and subject matter were TV firsts. It was the first time that a weekly series featured an African-American family living in such impoverished conditions. James Evan, Sr. (played by John Amos) is frequently cited as the first realistic depiction of an African-American father in TV history. The family rented their apartment and the father was often unemployed, and sometimes he worked two jobs, many of them temporary such as a dishwasher or car washer. In 2006, the fourth Annual TV Land Awards gave Good Times the Impact Award for being a show that offered both entertainment and enlightenment, striving for both humor and humanity, with comedy that reflected reality.

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11 Reaction Paper TV in the 1970s Name: Date: Block: 1. The Brady Bunch rand from It was created in 1965 after Sherwood Schwartz read an article in the Los Angeles Times that contained a new surprising statistic. It stated that 40% of marriages in the United States have a child or children from a previous marriage. Write a complete sentence that describes how this TV program reflects some of the changes in the U.S. during the 1970s. 2. The Mary Tyler Moore show ran from It was the first TV show to feature and independent woman as the central character. Write a complete sentence that describes how this TV program reflects some of the changes in the U.S. during the 1970s. 3. Good Times ran from It won the Impact Award at the 4 th Annual TV Land Awards in 2006 for being a show that offered both entertainment and enlightenment as a comedy that reflected reality. It is credited as the first realistic depiction of an African-American father in TV history. It was also the first to show an African American family living under impoverished conditions. Write a complete sentence that describes how this TV program reflects some of the changes in the U.S. during the 1970s.

12 Introduction to TV Shows 1980s The Cosby Show (1984) The Cosby Show, one of the biggest surprise hits in American television history, dominated Thursday evenings from 1984 to Focusing on the everyday adventures of an upper-middle-class black family, the series revived a television genre (situation comedy), saved a struggling network (NBC), and sparked controversy about race and class in America. Set and taped before a studio audience in Brooklyn, New York, The Cosby Show revolved around the day-to-day situations faced by Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair Huxtable and their five children. This family was unlike other African-American families previously seen on television in that the family was upper-middle-class. The Huxtables lived in a fashionable brownstone (townhome), the father was a respected doctor, and the mother a successful attorney. Theo, the only son, was something of an underachiever who enjoyed a special relationship with his father. The oldest daughter, Sondra, was a college student at prestigious Princeton University. The next daughter in age, Denise, tested her parents' patience with rather eccentric, new-age preoccupations. She left the series after the third season to attend the fictitious, historically black Hillman College. The two younger daughters, Rudy and Vanessa, were cute preteens who served admirably as foils to Cosby's hilarious child-rearing routines. Secure in a cocoon of loving parents and wealth, the Huxtable kids steered clear of trouble as they grew up over the series' eight-year run. For many observers, The Cosby Show was unique in other ways as well. For example, unlike many situation comedies, the program avoided one-liners, slapstick comedy and other standard tactics designed to win laughs. Instead, series writers remained true to Cosby's vision of finding humor in realistic family situations. Several observers described the result as "classy." In many respects, The Cosby Show and its "classy" aura were designed to address a long history of negative portrayals of African-American families on television. One Boston Globe reporter wrote, Until The Cosby Show, the primary image of black family life on TV was the Evans family of the 1970s sitcom Good Times. Certainly, the Evanses were just as loving as the Huxtables. Yet James, Florida, and their three children lived in a Chicago tenement and struggled mightily every day, whether they were trying to keep food on the table or protecting their kids from street gangs infesting the projects. Especially during the early seasons of Good Times, the show was a kind of tribute to the resilience of low-income folks determined to be better than their circumstances, and it fostered the notion that while one might live in the ghetto, the ghetto need not live within them. The Huxtables were the anti-evanses. Without ever saying so, here was the golden result of the civil rights movement and the fight for racial equality.

13 Reaction Paper TV in the 1980s 1. The Cosby Show was groundbreaking and controversial because it: a. Finally portrayed an African-America family as upper-middle-class b. Portrayed a family using slapstick comedy. 2. The 1980s was a decade of decadence and wealth. It is a decade following the civil rights movement and the fight for equality for all races. Describe how portraying an African-American family as uppermiddle class is a reflection of some of the changes in the 1980s. (Use complete sentences). 3. What is the conflict in this episode of The Cosby Show? 4. What lesson does the viewer learn from this episode?

14 Introduction to TV Shows QUIZ Name: Block: 1. In your own words, explain why The Little Rascals was such a groundbreaking television show. 2. I Love Lucy started out as a a. Broadway Play b. Radio Show c. Opera Performance 3. When I Love Lucy made the transition to TV, Lucille Ball insisted on bringing this person with her as her on-air husband. a. Landlord b. Next-door neighbor c. Real-life husband 4. List two (2) acts/bands the Ed Sullivan Show is famous for having launched. a. b. 5. The Flinstones was set in the Stone Age, but used modern technology. For the audience to understand why this occurred, they had to use this: (hint: they have to suspend their knowledge to enjoy the show!) 6. The Brady Bunch ran for seasons. 7. In your own words, explain why The Mary Tyler Moore Show was so influential for American women. 8. Explain why Good Times was a sitcom of TV firsts. 9. How was The Cosby Show a television show designed to address a long history of negative portrayals of African-American families on television?

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