I grew up in the 1960s. And TV was really becoming quite a thing by that time. We didn’t watch a lot of TV, but when we did? I loved every moment.
But it seems to me that television in the 1960s did more than entertain. It was a bit of an escape. I mean, I was too young to know it, but our world had big troubles back then. The 60s was a decade marked by war, protests, assassinations, and more.
So. TV had a way of taking the edge off all of that. If nothing else, it was a distraction. It was a nice break from it all. I think that was the point, because most of the shows were wholesome and good-natured.
Sitcoms gave us humor rooted mostly in domestic life. Some of them were set in the workplace and were full of absurdities. The Dick Van Dyke Show. The Lucy Show. The Mary Tyler Moore. And so many more.
Then there were all of those Westerns. Those were all about moral clarity, big heroes, and a sense of order. Even though people were shooting each other right and left in Dodge City. You know. Gunsmoke. And then there was Bonanza. Wagon Train. And so many more.
The 1960s were also filled with fantasy shows. They provided a big escape from reality, in worlds that were magical and good. I Dream of Jeannie. Bewitched. My Favorite Martian. The Twilight Zone. And more.
All of these shows might have been saying that we all needed an escape from it all. They gave us a bit of a break. And sometimes they offered “inner” reflections. They were just plain old good. Through and through.
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“Comedy is acting out optimism.” — Robin Williams
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“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.” — Sue Monk Kidd
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“Laughter is an instant vacation.” — Milton Berle
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“Stories are a communal currency of humanity.” — Tahir Shah
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