1. Television as
Entertainment

2. Television
• Regular programming begins in 1947
•2 networks
-NBC (NY); CBS (LA)
• Huge profits – 30-35% return on investment
• ‘48 – less than 2 million homes with TVs
• by ‘60 – 90% had sets
• by ’93 - 98% had set; 64% multiple sets
Effects
• Early stars were from radio/vaudeville
• Prime time TV becomes social focus
of family life in 50’s

3. Genres
• Sitcoms – “I Love Lucy”; “Gilligan’s Island”
• Dramas
-Westerns – “Gunsmoke”; “Have Gun Will Travel”
-Crime – “Hawaii Five-O”; “CSI”
• Variety – “Ed Sullivan”; “Texaco Comedy Hour”
• Game Shows – “Twenty-One” ;“$64,000 Question”
-scandals – players given answers
• Soap Operas – “As the World Turns”
• Children’s – “Sesame Street”; “Mr. Rodgers”
• Reality – “Cops”

4. Sports
• Early events – 1 camera
-Roller Derby; Wrestling
• ’47 World Series
• ‘58 NFL Championship Game
-power of live sports on TV
• ‘63 Army-Navy football game
-1st instant replay
• ‘79 – ESPN begins programming

5. Early Values Reinforced
• Portrayed inner life of white suburbia
• Women shown in domestic settings
• Gov’t never questioned
• Minorities rarely appeared
-when they did, as stereotypes

6. Breakthroughs
• Prime Time cartoons
-”Flintstones”(‘60); “Simpsons” (’89)
• Shows challenge taboo themes
-”All in the Family”; “M*A*S*H”; “The
Jeffersons”; “Sanford & Son”
• ‘77 – TV is a $7.5 billion industry
• MTV – ’81 – music television
• by ‘86 - 60% of homes have VCR
-up from 4% in ‘82
• DVDs introduced in 2000

7. Effects
• Some call TV a cultural wasteland &
a corruptor of youth
• by end of 50’s
-2/3 of nation’s 60 million homes
watch 6 hours per day
• today – the average person will spend
9 years watching television