Click on any entry in Barry Bradford’s Speaking Schedule for full details.

Loading Events

« All Events

  • This event has passed.

TV By The Decades: Television in the 1960s

June 23, 2022 @ 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore

TV in the 1960s

The 1960s were definitely one of TV’s oddest decades! The 1960s began with Westerns dominating the ratings! The old West soap opera Bonanza became the most popular show on the air. One after another competing show was vanquished by the old-time sensibilities of an old-fashioned Western.

All you really need to know about the diverse nature of TV in the 1960s is found in the answer to the question: “What show finally was able to compete with Bonanza in the ratings?” The answer was a liberal, modern, and very controversial challenger: The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. This bastion of the hip, cutting edge liberal comedy gave young viewers quite a stark alternative to the Ponderosa! (Trivia! Bonanza, like Dragnet, had their stars wear the exact same clothes every week. It saved money on costumes and allowed the producers to reuse old shots from previous episodes!

So the 1960s were the era of Gunsmoke and Wagon Train, Gilligan’s Island and The Beverly Hillbillies and Laugh-In and The Smothers Brothers! We will talk about how TV grew and changed as viewers who had enjoyed Combat began tuning in to Hogan’s Heroes. You won’t want to miss this fast-paced multimedia presentation!

IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – LIST YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW OF THE 1960s!

 

Details

Date:
June 23, 2022
Time:
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Event Category:
Event Tags:
, , , , ,

Organizer

Rolling Meadows Library
Phone
847-259-6050
View Organizer Website

Venue

Rolling Meadows Library
3110 Martin Lane
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 United States
+ Google Map
Phone
847-259-6050
View Venue Website