Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The Golden Age of Television
The "golden age" of TV often references the period from the early 50s to the 60s, when television was becoming a fixture in American culture and there were popular and critically acclaimed shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and featured live productions of famous plays and films. Although this period was essential in shaping the television medium, I believe that we are in the midst of the golden age of television and I believe that it is right now that the best shows in history are being made. The number of shows on today and recently that are of high quality is unprecedented. Shows on broadcast television from Lost to ER to The Office to Friends have all pushed the boundaries of TV forward to the point where it seems wrong to call it the small screen anymore. More recently, cable has released some of the best dramas ever seen on television with shows on AMC like Mad Men and Breaking Bad and premium cable shows like The Sopranos and Dexter. These are just a few examples of what is truly a great lineup of shows today and recently. The reasons behind this I think can be explained by not only multiple televisions being in about every home in America, but also cable becoming more widespread and profitable. All of this leads to advertisers willing to spend more on ad space which gives networks more money to invest in some more expensive and ambitious shows. I hope that this trend of shows being made better in terms not only of technology, but also acting and writing because I for one am enjoying every minute of it. I'm just going to need a bigger TiVo...
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We obviously cannot relate to the television programs that were on the air years ago during this supposed "Golden Age." Today however, I feel like most people can connect to at least one show on the air. We can now flip on the television and see representations of ourself in a truthful light. People that come home from the office of an incompetent boss can watch The Office and know their not alone in their struggles at work. Someone of color that wants to be in the entertainment industry can watch Lopez Tonight or commercials featuring Freido Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire star) and know that they don't have to be a specific mold to become a star. Today's entertainment gives us hope and comfort for our growth as a culture.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely agree on Ash with this one. The so called Golden Age of television didn't have accurate or even close representations of most minorities and sub groups in America at the time. The clip we saw in the wiki's of Mr. Bojangles in a 1940's t.v. show serves as a perfect example.
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