A film blog for students of my classes at Santa Clara University. Use this blog to discuss the films we are studying, classic films, current releases or production issues you encounter while making your own films.
Sunday, February 07, 2016
The 1970s - for Comm 138A
What is relevant programming and why did it come of age in the 1970s?
Relevant programming emerged when production companies like MTM and Tandem Productions came onto the scene. Shows of the 1970s, such as Mary Tyler Moore and All in the Family, helped make the transition from surreal and bizarre sitcoms of the 1960s to the age of relevant programming. The shows featured less ideal portrayals of the family, an absent or imperfect father and an overwhelming emphasis on dialogue rather than plot lines. Utilizing the social movements of the time as inspiration, storylines covered topics such as the disappearing middle class, feminism, racial integration and the increasing generation gap. Even though shows incorporated these hot-button issues, they were unable to provide solutions. I think relevant programming came into age in the 1970s because the 1960s was full of social movements such as civil rights and women's rights. It would be a disservice if television did not reflect and provide social commentary on the pressing issues. The audience deserved a medium that was socially conscious and covered, for lack of a better word, more "relevant" topics. I think an imperfect family that deals with issues such as conflicting political ideologies, sexism and racism is much more relatable than a perfect family with traditional gender roles that dominated the television screen for far too long.
Starting with the second half of the question: even though the 1970s opened with Hollywood experiencing a financial and artistic sort of depression, the decade seemingly became a creative high point in the US film and television industry for the reason that restrictions on language, adult content and sexuality, and violence had loosened up, and these elements had gained a lot of appeal with audiences. Beyond that, the hippie movement, the civil rights movement, free love, the popularity of rock and roll, as well as changing gender roles and drug use certainly had an impact. Plus, Hollywood experienced a sort of rebirth with the earlier collapse of the studio system, and the material of a lot of new and experimental film-makers and directors/producers started coming to life within the television realm. I think its pretty evident that the counter-culture of the time had influenced Hollywood to be freer, to take more risks and to experiment with alternative, young producers and directors, while old Hollywood professionals and old-style moguls died out and a new generation moved in, I believe we talked a little bit about this in class on Thursday. A lot of the audiences and movie-makers of the late 60s had seen a glimpse of new possibilities in television, and the new story-telling techniques and more meaningful 'artistic' options, which we kind of looked at in class. So ultimately, the 70's was the perfect time for relevant programming.
And to answer the question of what is relevant programming? Relevant programming is essentially programming television in a way that is consistent with what is present in the viewing audience's lives. This is where you start to see characters like Archie Bunker, who, while "goofy" was most likely a fairly similar father-figure to what the viewing audience had at home. Real life issues that were relevant to the viewing public began to show up on television and things that were originally very controversial to show on television became more and more common. With the free love movement, civil rights and feminist movements, and rock and roll all providing a sort of counter culture, what would be a better time to start programming television to be relevant and relatable (aka not perfect and idealist) to the lives of the viewing public.
Relevant programming shifted television content away from the tired tropes of the 50s and 60s by introducing new characters and concepts that were more relatable to viewers. Television in the 1950s emphasized conservative, traditional ideals, while programming in the 1960s continued this trend, but instead displaying those traditional values in outlandish contexts. Relevant programming sought to make television content more closely resemble the real world. Sitcom fathers were no longer perfect, and their families had real problems. Sitcoms also began addressing important social issues like gender inequality, racism, and economic instability. Television dramas also started to lose their shiny, perfect veneers. They opted to replace fantastical or otherwise unrelatable concepts like westerns, in favor of more gritty, realistic shows. In these new dramas, police would be corrupt, families were troubled, wealth was an unhealthy obsession, and doctors were no longer perfect. All of these real life issues pointed to a flawed society, rather than the utopia shown on television in the 50s and 60s.
This change in programming was the result of a gradual change in society. The 1960s were a time of tremendous social upheaval, and some may argue that those changes brought about in the 60s were reflected in the television produced in the 70s. The Vietnam War also changed American society, leading people to be more critical of the government, and by extension, all authority. This led many people to be dissatisfied with the "status quo" and in turn, made them more critical of society as a whole. It is also important to recognize the gradual change that occurred in television programming leading up to this massive shift we call relevant programming. In the 1960s, shows like Star Trek and The Twilight Zone addressed social issues, but in indirect ways. These dramas were very popular at their respective peaks, which led future show creators to believe that social issues could, in fact, be addressed on TV. East Side, West Side was a pioneer in relevant programming, and in many ways blazed a trail for many of the socially-conscious dramas in the 70s. East Side, West Side addressed important social issues, starting in the early 60s. The show was eventually cancelled amidst widespread controversy about its material, but it enjoyed a large amount of support, especially from more liberal viewers. The example this show set was both showed other producers that social issues could be addressed on a prime-time drama, and the demographics that supported such a show.
The 1970s again marked a shift in television programming, as television programming moved further away from the "Fathers Knows Best" and "The Monkees" type shows of the past. Sitcoms no longer relied on idealized portrayals of families to drive high view counts. Shows like "All in the Family" has characters like Archie Bunker, who was a stark contrast to the dad of the 1950s. The shows were driven by dialogue and not plot, and storylines didn't always tie themselves up neatly at the end. People wanted to see television that they could relate to; they wanted to see TV that they could relate to their lives. After the civil rights movement and social upheaval that marked the 1960s, the 1970s emerged as a decade where tv was reawakened. Themes in shows mirrored the ongoing movements for feminism and racial equality. Television shows also focused on the disappearing middle class. The controversies that surrounded these movements were sometimes difficult to talk about, both in real life and on television. Outrageous, somewhat unrealistic characters like Archie Bunker allowed people to laugh at the social issues they faced on a daily basis while the shows also helped facilitate discussion of these issues. While these topics were sometimes hard to talk about, once they were brought up in a lighter way, people could ease into discussing them. In addition, many of the shows with outrageous characters also had characters that went against the "crazier," more controversial views. This helped viewers recognize that the view reflected by the one outlandish character are not necessarily views that should be taken seriously.
In the 1960s, television shifted from avoiding the problem to being more open to discussing the real life problems that people were facing. Since the 60s included the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement and the Women's Liberation Movement, people wanted to see content that was more lighthearted, and in a way a distraction from the real world. By the 70s however, people were more open to seeing serious plots and characters developed in television programming, because the reality of society was aligning more with the creative content of television.
Also, since demographics of television viewers were becoming more quantifiable, content could be more specific to a set of viewers instead of being a general program that the entire family could watch together. This allowed for the rise of socially conscious and relevant programming across networks. An example of this is All in the Family, where female characters like Maude face issues of abortion and speak up for gender equality. There is conflict between the bigoted father character and the liberal son-in-law, and since it is presented comedically it softens the blow of how it is absorbed by the viewers. By breaking ground in discussing issues that had never been seen in television, programming like All in the Family made television viewing more relatable and relevant for American viewers.
Relevant programming refers to the shift in television content that started addressing cultural issues in a less slapstick/absurd way. Networks also redifined success in terms of audience composition and not just headcount, leading to more specialized content. The baby boomers comprised a massive audience of young people, and the critical study/criticism of TV had grown significantly. All of these changes culminated in the 1970-71 season with shows like All in the Family and Mary Tyler Moore, showcasing cultural issues and addressing themes of feminism, racial tension, and the generation gap.
Although the early '70s did bookmark a huge shift in the TV industry, it is important not to discredit the '60s and how influential that decade was on these changes. The shift to relevant programming did appear in the '70s, but it wasn't an overnight process. NBC's use of audience composition ratings was a huge contributor to the evolution of relevant programming.
Relevant programming is exactly what it sounds like—shows that are relevant to the times, and address real issues that people watching care about. Instead of pushing family values on viewers (in shows like Father Knows Best), relevant programming was more realistic than ever before. I think this happened mainly because the audiences that grew up watching TV during the 50s/60s were getting older and potentially more involved in the TV industry. Also, households probably had more than one TV at this point, so people watched and interacted with TV in a completely new way. Another huge reason why I think relevant programming came to be during the 70’s was because of advertisers’ switch to using quality demographics, because the networks realized that they didn’t need to worry about their shows having mass appeal. Relevant programming was a great way for advertisers to reach a younger audience with more purchasing power, and also reach more specific target audiences. Another part of me kind of thinks that relevant programming just made sense for the time. People had started thinking more progressively, and the civil rights movement during the 1960’s started stirring the pot and calling real issues into question. This was what was on people’s minds during the 70’s, and TV was not a new technology anymore—it was a part of people’s lives and daily routine. It would have been weird if the content on TV was stuck in the past while the technology was rapidly advancing.
Relevant programming emerged in the 1970s as a result of the times. In the decade after, the television of the 1960s (Vietnam War/peace movements, second wave feminism, Civil Rights Movement, Free Love Movement) was largely characterized by very comedic, exaggerated slapstick, even bizarre programs. Popular series included The Monkees, The Flintstones, and the Beverly Hillbillies, among others that embraced a sense of absurd comedy. Given the craziness that was occurring in society and on the daily news, it isn’t shocking to see that the crazy TV programs were merely a reflection of the audiences’ desire to escape and question everything that was happening.
Even so, the content that viewers grew up with in the 1960s would eventually have to adapt to the times, as the youths and young adults of the free love movement eventually “grew up” and became homeowners, businesspeople, and even parents as the 1970s approached. Between 1970 and 1971, network television moved towards relevant programming. Especially since the 1970s would mark about the second decade of television’s existence in the American home, social sciences and media studies were developing around studying television critically, primarily to look at its social impact. Additionally, quality demographics helped networks pinpoint which audiences they had to target to get the greatest viewership (although numbers were often skewed or taken advantage of to make themselves look better to sponsors). For example, NBC branded their target audience as “upper educated adults, upper income,” thus the content they featured would have to reflect that sort of mindset. Thus, relevant programming came into play, and sitcoms evolved into series with less-than-ideal (even dysfunctional) families, father figures who were no longer perfect (even absent), and episodes that driven by dialogue (as a place to discuss and challenge social values). Hour-long dramas showed corrupt police and government officials, and wealth was depicted as obscene. In essence, relevant programming brought social issues to the typical American home’s TV screen.
I think the 1970's was a very crazy time for everyone. With so much going on, in regards to the culture/ Civil rights, everyone was kind of knocked back on their heels. In a time like this, when people are more hesitant and, from a producer's stand point, don't know what's right and wrong to produce (you don't want to step on anyone's toes), you usually go revert back to comedy. Comedic shows are usually done in a manner where the actors and actresses simply make fun of themselves or are shown as being really stupid or simply funny. The show "All In the Family" was done at a perfect time and flourished because of how it was made. The main character, Archie Bunker, was shown as being very racist and also harsh towards women. However, they did this in a way which always made Archie look like the dumb one and the one who was wrong. Every time they brought race or feminism into the show, Archie would say something (a lot of times what was happening in real life) but the show would make him look he was wrong and that he was so stupid to even think about this.
Relevant programming is showing what is happening in the real world, on TV. It reflects one another. Equality and Civil Rights was a problem, and was shown through "All in the Family". This was a perfect time to use relevant programming because it allowed us to look at how harsh some of us were being and how certain ideas or stances are very wrong, racist, and insincere.
Relevant programs emerged in the 1970s because of the demand for a change in television. The 60s was heavily focused on social issues to create awareness, series taking risk with examples like science fiction and just overall a something new viewers had never seen. As well, the main audience was getting older. Which encouraged to target more home owners. With all the craziness going on then, the 70s demanded for more realistic representation. The more realistic representation was what people encounter or more accustomed too in their daily life. This would be shows revolving around families or work environments. Similar to the 60s there was social issues being encorported into shows but they were not pushed upon people like the 60s. Equality was becoming a big issue so they would show this but make lite of it. "All in the Family" showed multiple ways around this. Equality in gender, in race and religion were shown in a humorous way. They showed how times had changed but still showed how it is relevant. Despite everything and all the positive change there was still a heavy emphasis on the white producers and writers. More involvement with African Americans as actors was a positive but not enough. However, slowly they help influence more involvement from the African American community in production. The 70s was definitely an enlightening era in television.
Relevant programming was a change in content after the 1970's. Network television wanted to target toward different audiences as well as include more relevant content that related to issues in society at the time. In a more indirect way, sitcoms and various television shows addressed social issues and major systemic issues. They shifted from absurdity toward more relatable content in the forms of Mary Tyler Moore and All In The Family. Instead of "escape shows" like Bonanza and Beverly Hill Billies, relevant television portrayed issues head on. The shift to relevant television changed the course of television shows in that various shows after this shift began to address more relevant, social issues of the time. Television had also been around for awhile now and television viewers were becoming more critical of the shows they were watching. The medium of television was now worthy of something to be studied and analyzed because of this. Networks now needed to focus more on the quality of their shows rather than number of viewers as well as targeting toward specific demographics.
Relevant programming came about during the 1970s as result of viewers, networks, and critics alike wanting change in television shows. Much of 1960s television was characterized as escapist, slapstick, or bizarre. CBS was the overall ratings leader in the 60s, but was constantly criticized for being the "hillbilly network" or the "Country Broadcasting System." Viewers wanted more diversity on their screens, and since TV had been around for a few decades at this point, they had grown up with it and had learned to be more critical. Therefore, CBS led the Big Three in undergoing a "rural purge," cancelling shows like The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Mayberry RFD at the onset of the 70s. In came MTM Productions and Tandem Productions, which created the hit shows The Mary Tyler Moore Show and All in the Family, respectively. These shows are relevant programming because they recognized the common social anxieties of the time period, such as the generation gap, feminism, racial integration, etc. Families and society at large were portrayed in a less than ideal fashion; the father is not perfect anymore, the police are corrupt, society is the cause of troubled families. A lot of these issues were portrayed in a way that made fun of them, but still showed that they were alive and present, such as with the bigoted character of Archie Bunker in All in the Family. These changes would define the following decade, as well as have a lasting impact on television in the decades to come.
Relevant programming was the introduction to shows that creatively addresses cultural ideas and stereotypes in a new manner than had been done so on television before. Television was getting away from the slapstick and escapist comedy shows, and diving inso shows that created more of a discussion within society, a platform and place to argue about current social issues or ideals. In relevant programming not all of the answers were there, characters were not perfect anymore, and they actually went through hardships. The nuclear family was revolutionized and a new ideal for a family was being portrayed. Shows stopped being plot driven, and instead were driven by the dialogue that was created. This perfect little world that was portrayed in television became a more realistic representation of everyday life. I believe that this came about in the 1970s because of everything that was occurring in the world at this time. We have the civil rights movement, second-wave of feminism, and the Vietnam war. People were getting involved more politically and they wanted their television to do the same. Viewers wanted to television shows to be realistic and more relatable, and so writers were more freely able to address issues unlike before.
Relevant programming put shows on the air that connected with current events, social and political issues. The 70's was a very politically charged decade and programming began to match that. Shows like East Side West Side tackled real issues and gave light to people and problems what previously had no place on tv. Relevant programming didn't mean that every show resembled 60 minutes but even sitcoms started to reflect social and economic status changes of the time. We got away from the ideal nuclear family and opened up a dialogue about every day issues like women in the workplace, race relations, and even war. Because of the transition that the 60's brought to television, there was more creative freedom and producers and writers alike were able to take more risks.
Relevant programming, in layman's terms, is the idea that television is meant to reflect the current values, issues, and imperfections of society. It ends up serving as a mirror of the various social anxieties viewers deal with on a daily basis, and thus it becomes more "relevant" to viewers, and requires less of a suspension of disbelief. This is in stark contrast to the outlandish, exaggerated shows of the 1960s, such as The Monkees and Beverly Hill Billies, that were meant to be an "escape" from thinking about tougher ongoing issues. Similarly, shows that attempted to depict what was considered "perfect" American families--white, middle-class, with Christian values and highly structured gender roles--such as Father Knows Best and Leave it to Beaver, were not representative of how we viewed our society as time went on.
This led to a huge cultural shift in programming in the 1970s. Major television programming had been around for several decades at that point, which opened it up to closer examinations of its social commentary. People were starting to become more critical of what they were watching, both in quality and applicability. Younger, more liberal audiences, the same individuals who spearheaded the anti-Vietnam efforts and Civil Rights/feminist movements back in the 1960s, were now becoming business leaders and creating an influence on television to be more socially realistic. That's why we began to see shows like All in the Family and its spinoff, the Jeffersons, that presented multi-ethnic casting and imperfect families as a more accurate reflection of the everyday dysfunctions of our households and communities. While many 70s shows were criticized for simply including but not fully addressing social issues like racism, they were an important stepping stone to groundbreaking shows to come.
15 comments:
Relevant programming emerged when production companies like MTM and Tandem Productions came onto the scene. Shows of the 1970s, such as Mary Tyler Moore and All in the Family, helped make the transition from surreal and bizarre sitcoms of the 1960s to the age of relevant programming. The shows featured less ideal portrayals of the family, an absent or imperfect father and an overwhelming emphasis on dialogue rather than plot lines. Utilizing the social movements of the time as inspiration, storylines covered topics such as the disappearing middle class, feminism, racial integration and the increasing generation gap. Even though shows incorporated these hot-button issues, they were unable to provide solutions. I think relevant programming came into age in the 1970s because the 1960s was full of social movements such as civil rights and women's rights. It would be a disservice if television did not reflect and provide social commentary on the pressing issues. The audience deserved a medium that was socially conscious and covered, for lack of a better word, more "relevant" topics. I think an imperfect family that deals with issues such as conflicting political ideologies, sexism and racism is much more relatable than a perfect family with traditional gender roles that dominated the television screen for far too long.
Starting with the second half of the question: even though the 1970s opened with Hollywood experiencing a financial and artistic sort of depression, the decade seemingly became a creative high point in the US film and television industry for the reason that restrictions on language, adult content and sexuality, and violence had loosened up, and these elements had gained a lot of appeal with audiences. Beyond that, the hippie movement, the civil rights movement, free love, the popularity of rock and roll, as well as changing gender roles and drug use certainly had an impact. Plus, Hollywood experienced a sort of rebirth with the earlier collapse of the studio system, and the material of a lot of new and experimental film-makers and directors/producers started coming to life within the television realm.
I think its pretty evident that the counter-culture of the time had influenced Hollywood to be freer, to take more risks and to experiment with alternative, young producers and directors, while old Hollywood professionals and old-style moguls died out and a new generation moved in, I believe we talked a little bit about this in class on Thursday. A lot of the audiences and movie-makers of the late 60s had seen a glimpse of new possibilities in television, and the new story-telling techniques and more meaningful 'artistic' options, which we kind of looked at in class. So ultimately, the 70's was the perfect time for relevant programming.
And to answer the question of what is relevant programming? Relevant programming is essentially programming television in a way that is consistent with what is present in the viewing audience's lives. This is where you start to see characters like Archie Bunker, who, while "goofy" was most likely a fairly similar father-figure to what the viewing audience had at home. Real life issues that were relevant to the viewing public began to show up on television and things that were originally very controversial to show on television became more and more common. With the free love movement, civil rights and feminist movements, and rock and roll all providing a sort of counter culture, what would be a better time to start programming television to be relevant and relatable (aka not perfect and idealist) to the lives of the viewing public.
Relevant programming shifted television content away from the tired tropes of the 50s and 60s by introducing new characters and concepts that were more relatable to viewers. Television in the 1950s emphasized conservative, traditional ideals, while programming in the 1960s continued this trend, but instead displaying those traditional values in outlandish contexts. Relevant programming sought to make television content more closely resemble the real world. Sitcom fathers were no longer perfect, and their families had real problems. Sitcoms also began addressing important social issues like gender inequality, racism, and economic instability. Television dramas also started to lose their shiny, perfect veneers. They opted to replace fantastical or otherwise unrelatable concepts like westerns, in favor of more gritty, realistic shows. In these new dramas, police would be corrupt, families were troubled, wealth was an unhealthy obsession, and doctors were no longer perfect. All of these real life issues pointed to a flawed society, rather than the utopia shown on television in the 50s and 60s.
This change in programming was the result of a gradual change in society. The 1960s were a time of tremendous social upheaval, and some may argue that those changes brought about in the 60s were reflected in the television produced in the 70s. The Vietnam War also changed American society, leading people to be more critical of the government, and by extension, all authority. This led many people to be dissatisfied with the "status quo" and in turn, made them more critical of society as a whole.
It is also important to recognize the gradual change that occurred in television programming leading up to this massive shift we call relevant programming. In the 1960s, shows like Star Trek and The Twilight Zone addressed social issues, but in indirect ways. These dramas were very popular at their respective peaks, which led future show creators to believe that social issues could, in fact, be addressed on TV. East Side, West Side was a pioneer in relevant programming, and in many ways blazed a trail for many of the socially-conscious dramas in the 70s. East Side, West Side addressed important social issues, starting in the early 60s. The show was eventually cancelled amidst widespread controversy about its material, but it enjoyed a large amount of support, especially from more liberal viewers. The example this show set was both showed other producers that social issues could be addressed on a prime-time drama, and the demographics that supported such a show.
The 1970s again marked a shift in television programming, as television programming moved further away from the "Fathers Knows Best" and "The Monkees" type shows of the past. Sitcoms no longer relied on idealized portrayals of families to drive high view counts. Shows like "All in the Family" has characters like Archie Bunker, who was a stark contrast to the dad of the 1950s. The shows were driven by dialogue and not plot, and storylines didn't always tie themselves up neatly at the end. People wanted to see television that they could relate to; they wanted to see TV that they could relate to their lives. After the civil rights movement and social upheaval that marked the 1960s, the 1970s emerged as a decade where tv was reawakened. Themes in shows mirrored the ongoing movements for feminism and racial equality. Television shows also focused on the disappearing middle class. The controversies that surrounded these movements were sometimes difficult to talk about, both in real life and on television. Outrageous, somewhat unrealistic characters like Archie Bunker allowed people to laugh at the social issues they faced on a daily basis while the shows also helped facilitate discussion of these issues. While these topics were sometimes hard to talk about, once they were brought up in a lighter way, people could ease into discussing them. In addition, many of the shows with outrageous characters also had characters that went against the "crazier," more controversial views. This helped viewers recognize that the view reflected by the one outlandish character are not necessarily views that should be taken seriously.
In the 1960s, television shifted from avoiding the problem to being more open to discussing the real life problems that people were facing. Since the 60s included the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement and the Women's Liberation Movement, people wanted to see content that was more lighthearted, and in a way a distraction from the real world. By the 70s however, people were more open to seeing serious plots and characters developed in television programming, because the reality of society was aligning more with the creative content of television.
Also, since demographics of television viewers were becoming more quantifiable, content could be more specific to a set of viewers instead of being a general program that the entire family could watch together. This allowed for the rise of socially conscious and relevant programming across networks. An example of this is All in the Family, where female characters like Maude face issues of abortion and speak up for gender equality. There is conflict between the bigoted father character and the liberal son-in-law, and since it is presented comedically it softens the blow of how it is absorbed by the viewers. By breaking ground in discussing issues that had never been seen in television, programming like All in the Family made television viewing more relatable and relevant for American viewers.
Relevant programming refers to the shift in television content that started addressing cultural issues in a less slapstick/absurd way. Networks also redifined success in terms of audience composition and not just headcount, leading to more specialized content. The baby boomers comprised a massive audience of young people, and the critical study/criticism of TV had grown significantly. All of these changes culminated in the 1970-71 season with shows like All in the Family and Mary Tyler Moore, showcasing cultural issues and addressing themes of feminism, racial tension, and the generation gap.
Although the early '70s did bookmark a huge shift in the TV industry, it is important not to discredit the '60s and how influential that decade was on these changes. The shift to relevant programming did appear in the '70s, but it wasn't an overnight process. NBC's use of audience composition ratings was a huge contributor to the evolution of relevant programming.
Relevant programming is exactly what it sounds like—shows that are relevant to the times, and address real issues that people watching care about. Instead of pushing family values on viewers (in shows like Father Knows Best), relevant programming was more realistic than ever before. I think this happened mainly because the audiences that grew up watching TV during the 50s/60s were getting older and potentially more involved in the TV industry. Also, households probably had more than one TV at this point, so people watched and interacted with TV in a completely new way. Another huge reason why I think relevant programming came to be during the 70’s was because of advertisers’ switch to using quality demographics, because the networks realized that they didn’t need to worry about their shows having mass appeal. Relevant programming was a great way for advertisers to reach a younger audience with more purchasing power, and also reach more specific target audiences. Another part of me kind of thinks that relevant programming just made sense for the time. People had started thinking more progressively, and the civil rights movement during the 1960’s started stirring the pot and calling real issues into question. This was what was on people’s minds during the 70’s, and TV was not a new technology anymore—it was a part of people’s lives and daily routine. It would have been weird if the content on TV was stuck in the past while the technology was rapidly advancing.
Relevant programming emerged in the 1970s as a result of the times. In the decade after, the television of the 1960s (Vietnam War/peace movements, second wave feminism, Civil Rights Movement, Free Love Movement) was largely characterized by very comedic, exaggerated slapstick, even bizarre programs. Popular series included The Monkees, The Flintstones, and the Beverly Hillbillies, among others that embraced a sense of absurd comedy. Given the craziness that was occurring in society and on the daily news, it isn’t shocking to see that the crazy TV programs were merely a reflection of the audiences’ desire to escape and question everything that was happening.
Even so, the content that viewers grew up with in the 1960s would eventually have to adapt to the times, as the youths and young adults of the free love movement eventually “grew up” and became homeowners, businesspeople, and even parents as the 1970s approached. Between 1970 and 1971, network television moved towards relevant programming. Especially since the 1970s would mark about the second decade of television’s existence in the American home, social sciences and media studies were developing around studying television critically, primarily to look at its social impact. Additionally, quality demographics helped networks pinpoint which audiences they had to target to get the greatest viewership (although numbers were often skewed or taken advantage of to make themselves look better to sponsors). For example, NBC branded their target audience as “upper educated adults, upper income,” thus the content they featured would have to reflect that sort of mindset. Thus, relevant programming came into play, and sitcoms evolved into series with less-than-ideal (even dysfunctional) families, father figures who were no longer perfect (even absent), and episodes that driven by dialogue (as a place to discuss and challenge social values). Hour-long dramas showed corrupt police and government officials, and wealth was depicted as obscene. In essence, relevant programming brought social issues to the typical American home’s TV screen.
I think the 1970's was a very crazy time for everyone. With so much going on, in regards to the culture/ Civil rights, everyone was kind of knocked back on their heels. In a time like this, when people are more hesitant and, from a producer's stand point, don't know what's right and wrong to produce (you don't want to step on anyone's toes), you usually go revert back to comedy. Comedic shows are usually done in a manner where the actors and actresses simply make fun of themselves or are shown as being really stupid or simply funny. The show "All In the Family" was done at a perfect time and flourished because of how it was made. The main character, Archie Bunker, was shown as being very racist and also harsh towards women. However, they did this in a way which always made Archie look like the dumb one and the one who was wrong. Every time they brought race or feminism into the show, Archie would say something (a lot of times what was happening in real life) but the show would make him look he was wrong and that he was so stupid to even think about this.
Relevant programming is showing what is happening in the real world, on TV. It reflects one another. Equality and Civil Rights was a problem, and was shown through "All in the Family". This was a perfect time to use relevant programming because it allowed us to look at how harsh some of us were being and how certain ideas or stances are very wrong, racist, and insincere.
Relevant programs emerged in the 1970s because of the demand for a change in television. The 60s was heavily focused on social issues to create awareness, series taking risk with examples like science fiction and just overall a something new viewers had never seen. As well, the main audience was getting older. Which encouraged to target more home owners. With all the craziness going on then, the 70s demanded for more realistic representation. The more realistic representation was what people encounter or more accustomed too in their daily life. This would be shows revolving around families or work environments. Similar to the 60s there was social issues being encorported into shows but they were not pushed upon people like the 60s. Equality was becoming a big issue so they would show this but make lite of it. "All in the Family" showed multiple ways around this. Equality in gender, in race and religion were shown in a humorous way. They showed how times had changed but still showed how it is relevant. Despite everything and all the positive change there was still a heavy emphasis on the white producers and writers. More involvement with African Americans as actors was a positive but not enough. However, slowly they help influence more involvement from the African American community in production. The 70s was definitely an enlightening era in television.
Relevant programming was a change in content after the 1970's. Network television wanted to target toward different audiences as well as include more relevant content that related to issues in society at the time. In a more indirect way, sitcoms and various television shows addressed social issues and major systemic issues. They shifted from absurdity toward more relatable content in the forms of Mary Tyler Moore and All In The Family. Instead of "escape shows" like Bonanza and Beverly Hill Billies, relevant television portrayed issues head on. The shift to relevant television changed the course of television shows in that various shows after this shift began to address more relevant, social issues of the time. Television had also been around for awhile now and television viewers were becoming more critical of the shows they were watching. The medium of television was now worthy of something to be studied and analyzed because of this. Networks now needed to focus more on the quality of their shows rather than number of viewers as well as targeting toward specific demographics.
Relevant programming came about during the 1970s as result of viewers, networks, and critics alike wanting change in television shows. Much of 1960s television was characterized as escapist, slapstick, or bizarre. CBS was the overall ratings leader in the 60s, but was constantly criticized for being the "hillbilly network" or the "Country Broadcasting System." Viewers wanted more diversity on their screens, and since TV had been around for a few decades at this point, they had grown up with it and had learned to be more critical. Therefore, CBS led the Big Three in undergoing a "rural purge," cancelling shows like The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Mayberry RFD at the onset of the 70s. In came MTM Productions and Tandem Productions, which created the hit shows The Mary Tyler Moore Show and All in the Family, respectively. These shows are relevant programming because they recognized the common social anxieties of the time period, such as the generation gap, feminism, racial integration, etc. Families and society at large were portrayed in a less than ideal fashion; the father is not perfect anymore, the police are corrupt, society is the cause of troubled families. A lot of these issues were portrayed in a way that made fun of them, but still showed that they were alive and present, such as with the bigoted character of Archie Bunker in All in the Family. These changes would define the following decade, as well as have a lasting impact on television in the decades to come.
Relevant programming was the introduction to shows that creatively addresses cultural ideas and stereotypes in a new manner than had been done so on television before. Television was getting away from the slapstick and escapist comedy shows, and diving inso shows that created more of a discussion within society, a platform and place to argue about current social issues or ideals. In relevant programming not all of the answers were there, characters were not perfect anymore, and they actually went through hardships. The nuclear family was revolutionized and a new ideal for a family was being portrayed. Shows stopped being plot driven, and instead were driven by the dialogue that was created. This perfect little world that was portrayed in television became a more realistic representation of everyday life.
I believe that this came about in the 1970s because of everything that was occurring in the world at this time. We have the civil rights movement, second-wave of feminism, and the Vietnam war. People were getting involved more politically and they wanted their television to do the same. Viewers wanted to television shows to be realistic and more relatable, and so writers were more freely able to address issues unlike before.
Relevant programming put shows on the air that connected with current events, social and political issues. The 70's was a very politically charged decade and programming began to match that. Shows like East Side West Side tackled real issues and gave light to people and problems what previously had no place on tv. Relevant programming didn't mean that every show resembled 60 minutes but even sitcoms started to reflect social and economic status changes of the time. We got away from the ideal nuclear family and opened up a dialogue about every day issues like women in the workplace, race relations, and even war. Because of the transition that the 60's brought to television, there was more creative freedom and producers and writers alike were able to take more risks.
Relevant programming, in layman's terms, is the idea that television is meant to reflect the current values, issues, and imperfections of society. It ends up serving as a mirror of the various social anxieties viewers deal with on a daily basis, and thus it becomes more "relevant" to viewers, and requires less of a suspension of disbelief. This is in stark contrast to the outlandish, exaggerated shows of the 1960s, such as The Monkees and Beverly Hill Billies, that were meant to be an "escape" from thinking about tougher ongoing issues. Similarly, shows that attempted to depict what was considered "perfect" American families--white, middle-class, with Christian values and highly structured gender roles--such as Father Knows Best and Leave it to Beaver, were not representative of how we viewed our society as time went on.
This led to a huge cultural shift in programming in the 1970s. Major television programming had been around for several decades at that point, which opened it up to closer examinations of its social commentary. People were starting to become more critical of what they were watching, both in quality and applicability. Younger, more liberal audiences, the same individuals who spearheaded the anti-Vietnam efforts and Civil Rights/feminist movements back in the 1960s, were now becoming business leaders and creating an influence on television to be more socially realistic. That's why we began to see shows like All in the Family and its spinoff, the Jeffersons, that presented multi-ethnic casting and imperfect families as a more accurate reflection of the everyday dysfunctions of our households and communities. While many 70s shows were criticized for simply including but not fully addressing social issues like racism, they were an important stepping stone to groundbreaking shows to come.
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