Sitcommentary: Television Comedies That Changed America

From I Love Lucy to Black-ish, sitcoms have often paved the way for social change. Television comedy has long been on the frontline in how America evolves on social issues. There is something about comedy that makes difficult issues more palatable—with humor an effective device for presenting ideas that lead to social change. From I Love Lucy which introduced the first television pregnancy to Will & Grace, which normalized gay characters, the situation comedy has challenged the public to revisit social mores and reshape how we think about the world in which we live. In Sitcommentary: Television Comedies That Changed America, Mark A. Robinson looks at more than three dozen programs that have tackled social issues, from the 1940s to the present. The author examines shows that frequently addressed hot-button topics throughout their runs—such as All in the Family, Maude, and Black-ish—as well as programs with special episodes that grappled with a societal concern like ageism, class, gender, race, or sexual orientation. Among the important sitcoms discussed in this volume are such beloved shows as The Brady Bunch, A Different World, The Facts of Life, The Golden Girls, Good Times, The Jeffersons, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, M*A*S*H, Modern Family, Murphy Brown, One Day at a Time, Roseanne, and Soap. Each has broken down barriers and facilitated discussion, debate, and social evolution in America. Arranged in chronological order, these TV shows have influenced the masses by tackling tough topics or shining a spotlight on taboo subjects. With discussions of some of the most popular shows of all time, Sitcommentary will appeal to fans of these shows as well as anyone interested in the cultural history of America and American television.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Mary Kay and Johnny Amos ’n’ Andy I Love Lucy The Dick Van Dyke Show That Girl Julia The Courtship of Eddie’s Father The Brady Bunch The Mary Tyler Moore Show All in the Family Sanford and Son Maude Bridget Loves Bernie M*A*S*H Good Times The Jeffersons Welcome Back, Kotter One Day at a Time Laverne & Shirley Three’s Company Soap Diff’rent Strokes The Facts of Life Kate & Allie The Cosby Show Who’s the Boss? The Golden Girls Valerie / Valerie’s Family / The Hogan Family Head of the Class Designing Women Full House Roseanne Murphy Brown Ellen All-American Girl Will & Grace Modern Family Mom Black-ish One Day at a Time Conclusion Appendix: The Series That Tried and the Series That Might Notes Bibliography Index About the Author

About the Author :
Mark A. Robinson is a writer for several theatre websites, including BroadwayDirect.com, Showtickets.com, and Playbill.com. He is the author of The Encyclopedia of Television Theme Songs (2007) and The World of Musicals: An Encyclopedia of Stage, Screen, and Song (2014). Robinson is also the coauthor of The Disney Song Encyclopedia (Scarecrow Press, 2012).

Review :
Robinson describes how the series' reflect their zeitgeist and tackle issues that range from married couples' sharing the same bed (which is today innocuousness) to gender roles, body issues, experiences of black Americans, substance abuse, racism, single parenting, and so on. Portrayals of these issues were quite revolutionary if not downright shocking during their time. Though this is not a scholarly book, Robinson offers some balanced and impressively insightful commentary. . . . Most useful for those studying or interested in television, comedy, or popular culture in general. Robinson delves into the social and cultural changes that have stemmed from 40 influential sitcoms in this solid history. This compendium uncovers how fictional characters changed American’s perspectives on serious topics— sex, race, politics, depression, war, gender roles—through humor. Coverage of each show, from 1950s and ’60s classic such as I Love Lucy and The Dick Van Dyke Show to today’s Modern Family and Black-ish, runs around half a dozen pages, so these aren’t comprehensive histories or analyses. Instead, Robinson focuses on the element of each show that made it groundbreaking, such as in 1968’s Julie, which “centered around a black widowed female who juggled parenthood and a career.” In other cases, Robinson touches on smaller aspects such as the concern that the pants Mary Tyler Moore wore on The Dick Van Dyke Show “wouldn’t create any panty lines or noticeable crevices or creases in the wrong places”; the show—one of the first to show women wearing pants—sparked a trend in pedal pushers. . . . Robinson’s astute history of groundbreaking sitcoms will likely have readers searching out reruns. Comedy has been a staple of television since its inception, with situation comedies drawing families together around an everexpanding TV screen. Robinson (The World of Musicals) highlights 40 sitcoms that demonstrate that TV can be more than just escapist entertainment—viewers of these shows witnessed America’s evolution on social issues set to a laugh track. Organized chronologically, the book spotlights groundbreaking series: the taboos they broke, the controversies they generated, and the reception they received. Readers can easily skip to their favorite programs or dig into some of the lesser-known offerings, but those who read the volume straight through will be rewarded with a narrative that shows how we moved from The Amos ’n’ Andy Show to Black-ish, from All in the Family to Modern Family, and from One Day at a Time (1975) to One Day at a Time (2017). Robinson’s encyclopedic knowledge of television history and enthusiasm shines through but don’t prevent him from addressing problematic elements of the shows (or troubling behavior by their casts). VERDICT A useful and readable guide to social issues as seen through sitcoms. Beyond its scholarly use, this book will be appreciated by nostalgic readers. Robinson takes a look at the social relevance and progressivism of popular sitcoms airing over the last 70 years, beginning with Mary Kay and Johnny in 1947, which starred a real-life married couple and took the big step of showing them in bed together. Other early pioneers pushed boundaries by showing a pregnant woman (I Love Lucy), a woman wearing pants (The Dick Van Dyke Show), and a blended family (The Brady Bunch). While many of these examples seem quaint by today's standards, others are remain timely, such as when All in the Family depicted a harrowing attempted rape or when, in Maude, the titular character made the difficult decision to have an abortion. Robinson looks at progressive contemporary sitcoms, including Black-ish, which addresses the issue of racism against Black Americans, from police brutality to a lack of representation in children's toys; and Mom, which follows characters grappling with alcohol addiction and other substance abuse. With short, pithy chapters, this is an excellent, pointed look at the impact and relevance of popular entertainment.