56. “Camp Cartoon Star ‘Is Not Gay’,” BBC.co.uk, Oct. 9, 2002.
57. “SpongeBob Isn’t Gay or Straight, Creator Says,” Reuters, Jan. 29, 2005.
58. Interview with Andy Heyward, June 12, 2009.
HOW TO FIX TV
1. Interview with Carlton Cuse, May 12, 2009.
2. Interview with Susan Harris, May 4, 2009.
3. Interview with Mark Burnett, May 11, 2009.
4. Interview with John Langley, May 8, 2009.
5. Interview with Gene Reynolds, May 7, 2009.
6. Interview with Carlton Cuse, May 12, 2009.
7. Interview with Michael Nankin, June 3, 2009.
8. Interview with Don Bellisario, June 10, 2009.
9. Interview with George Schlatter, Apr. 21, 2009.
10. Interview with Larry Gelbart, Apr. 20, 2009.
11. Interview with Fred Silverman, May 11, 2009.
12. Interview with Allan Burns, May 26, 2009.
13. Interview with Michael Brandman, June 8, 2009.
14. Robin Marantz Henig, “What Is It About 20-Somethings?” New York Times, Aug. 18, 2010.
15. “About the Alliance,” ANA.net, www.ana.net/content/show/id/afe-about.
16. “Advertisers Earmark $10 Million for Family-Friendly TV,” LATimes.com, June 22, 2010.
17. Ibid.
18. Interview with Carlton Cuse, May 12, 2009.
19. Interview with Michael Nankin, June 3, 2009.
20. Interview with Don Bellisario, June 10, 2009.
THE BEST CONSERVATIVE SHOWS IN TELEVISION HISTORY
1. Alex Leo, “Matt Stone & Trey Parker Are Not Your Political Allies (No Matter What You Believe),” HuffingtonPost.com, Feb. 25, 2010, www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/25/matt-stone-trey-parker-ar_n_475744.html.
2. Interview with Don Bellisario, June 10, 2009.
Index
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ABC, ix, xv, 20–23, 27, 28, 33, 34, 39, 51, 61, 62, 97, 118–21, 133, 186, 192, 195, 196, 213, 265, 274–76, 291, 337; advertisers and, 236–45; censors, 266, 273, 274, 275; The Day After and, 192–95; Disney and, 51, 53, 248; Eisner and, 179; Goldberg and, xvi, 33–34, 241; Goldenson and, 20–21, 33, 172–73, 193, 237; Iger and, 51; Kintner and, 22; Pierce and, 62, 225; sex and violence on, 20–23, 27, 32, 33, 39, 284; Silverman and, 38–39, 179, 181; Stoddard and, 45, 49, 133, 196, 225, 251; young, urban viewers and, 23, 33, 38, 48, 172, 237–38, 240–42. See also specific shows
ABC Family, 53, 82–83, 248, 289, 328, 329
abortion issue, xi, 3, 46, 61, 73, 74, 107, 118–19, 139, 142, 182, 192, 209, 216–17, 219, 222
Adorno, Theodor, 5, 239, 262
Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, 329
advertisers, xii, 6, 21–22, 25, 41, 45, 53, 54, 94, 232, 261; audience numbers and, 231, 236–45; family programming and, 345; market argument and, 9–13; programming content and, 27, 94, 120, 121, 164, 184, 228, 231, 251, 260, 278, 345–47; young, urban viewers and, 9–12, 244, 334
ageism, 77–78
Alda, Alan, 112, 211
Allen, Woody, 23, 90, 141, 197
Alliance for Family Entertainment, 329, 345–46, 347
All in the Family, 11, 12, 16, 36, 37–38, 41, 42, 44, 57, 80, 87–88, 90, 93, 103–7, 108, 115, 116, 122, 125, 127, 129, 134, 137, 138, 159, 174, 175, 176, 189, 227, 242, 244, 245, 251, 253, 255, 269, 274, 276, 277, 287, 339
All My Children, 183
Ally McBeal, 58, 67, 199, 212
Amazing Race, The, 76, 255
American Dad, 154, 331
American Idol, 255, 344
America’s Most Wanted, 271
And the Band Played On, 179
anti-Semitism, 104, 118, 164, 165
artists, 3–4, 14, 24, 71, 143; conservative writers, 71–72; Jewish community and, 24, 90–91
anti-war/pacifism, 14, 31, 34, 36, 105–6, 111–14, 135, 165–66, 170–71, 179, 192–95, 271, 272, 275, 286
Arthur, 323
Arthur, Bea, 118–19
Asner, Ed, 110, 183–86
A-Team, The, 46, 70, 252
atheism, 38, 50, 61, 168–69, 216, 217
Aubrey, James, 28–29, 30, 264
audiences, 5–6, 22, 229, 235–36, 344; advertisers and, 236–45; family viewing, 11, 12, 236, 276–78, 329; market myth and, 227–28; narrowcasting, 10, 11, 43–44, 52, 231, 236, 244, 337, 344; regionalism, 8–9, 10, 18, 28, 35; young, urban, xiv–xv, 9–12, 23, 34, 33, 38–39, 83, 97, 138, 142, 240–43, 254, 334
Avengers, The, 32
Bachelor, The, 255
Balcer, René, 203, 311
Baldwin, Adam, 73
Ball, Alan, 57–58, 213
Barney & Friends, 322
Barney Miller, 186, 277
Barr, Roseanne, 132–34
Barry, Mike, 306
Beavis and Butt-Head, 351–52
Beck, Glenn, 100, 220, 223, 255, 309
Belkin, Gary, 90–91
Bellisardo, Don, 44, 73, 74, 201, 336, 347, 354
Bennett, William, 136
Bergen, Candice, 139, 140–41
Berle, Milton, 23, 91, 92
Bernstein, Lewis, 319
Beverly Hillbillies, 29, 35, 83, 104, 236, 243
Bewitched, 33, 138
Bewkes, Jeffrey, 249
Bickley, Bill, 41, 115, 116, 118
Big Bang Theory, 57, 155, 156, 255
Biggest Loser, 60, 271
big government, 4, 20, 280–81, 282–83, 334
Big Love, 53, 61
Bing, Stephen, 106–7
Bionic Woman, The, 39
Black, Carol, 149, 150
Blueprint, 53
Blye, Allan, 98
bobo (bohemian bourgeois), 4, 143, 153, 187, 196–98, 215, 275
Bobos in Paradise (Brooks), 4
Bochco, Steven, 45, 49, 51, 58, 186–89, 198, 201, 202, 212, 250–51
Bogart, Paul, 107
Bonanza, 31, 34, 98
Bones, 271
Born Innocent, 276
Boston Legal, 199, 198–201, 310
Boxer, Barbara, 67, 124, 340
Bozell, L. Brent, 291
Bradbury, Ray, 71, 339
Braga, Brannon, 169
Brand, Joshua, 45, 83–84, 190–91, 225, 228
Brandman, Michael, 41, 58, 64, 80, 289, 303, 336–37
Bravo, 53, 247
Breaking Bad, 53, 256
Brennan, Ian, 220, 221
Bright, Kevin, 57
Brooks, David, 4, 197
Brooks, James L., 45, 57, 102, 108, 109–10, 126, 135, 184
Brooks, Mel, 23, 32, 90, 95–97
Brothers & Sisters, 255
Brown, Thad H., 261
Bruckheimer, Jerry, 76
Bunim, Mary-Ellis, 206
Burch, Dean, 274
Burnett, Mark, 52, 335
Burnett, Rob, 306
Burns, Allan, 37, 45, 71, 102, 108–10, 126, 152, 184, 185, 201, 336
Burrows, Abe, 56–57, 121
Burrows, James, 56, 121, 122, 150
Bush, George H. W., 136, 298, 306
Bush, George W., 3, 70, 72, 99, 203, 214, 288, 290–92, 300, 301, 307, 308, 309, 314, 326, 354–55
Bush, Laura, 214
Bus Stop, 27
cable TV, 41–43, 51, 52, 53, 72, 247–49, 291, 296–300, 336, 342
Cablevision, 299–300
Caesar, Sid, 23, 89–90, 93, 95
Captain Kangaroo, 316–17, 321
Captain Planet, 58, 332
Carlin, George, 41
Caroline in the City, 49
Carsey, Marcy, 39, 46, 57, 64, 84, 88, 120–21, 129–30, 132, 135, 155, 251, 253, 324
Carter, Jimmy, 42, 159, 177, 183, 211, 288, 306
Cartoon Network, 247, 325
Carvey, Dana, 306
Castle Rock Entertainment, 247
CBS, xvi, xvii, 19–20, 21, 23, 28, 36, 37, 49, 50, 62, 72, 94, 97–99, 104, 110, 138, 184–85, 190, 229, 237, 248, 260, 261, 262, 264, 267, 296, 337; Aubrey and, 28–29, 30; censors, 276, 291; conservatism and, 44, 50, 279; Family Hour and, 276–77; Moonves and, 50, 52–53, 61, 245; older viewers and, 244, 245; Paley and, 19–20, 22, 34–36, 49, 97–98, 174, 175–76, 236, 241–43, 285; programming shift, 241–45; ratings, 21, 22, 29, 36, 38, 40, 50, 241; rural demographic and programming, 18, 28, 29, 35, 44, 174, 241, 242–43; Silverman and, 35, 174; Tinker and, 184–85; Tisch and, 49, 50; Wood and, 35, 251; young, urban audience and, 241–45. See also specific shows
CBTV, 278, 279
Celluloid Triangle, 12, 256, 257–81
censorship, xiii, 26, 34, 41, 95, 98, 133, 169–70, 187, 252, 253, 274, 343; advertisers and, 278; Clinton and, 69, 70; Family Hour and, 275–78; FCC and, 291–92; interest groups and, 155, 265–71; network, 261–64, 266, 273, 274, 276–77; sex and violence, 271–78, 290, 291; standards upheld by, 260–61; Television Code, 261, 276; V-chip, 148, 227, 290. See also specific shows
Chambers, Ernest, 98
Charles, Les and Glen, 121–22
Charlie’s Angels, xvi, 39, 178–81, 186
Cheers, 46, 49, 56, 121–24, 125, 128, 134, 208
Cherry, Marc, 52, 74, 80, 84, 119, 213–15
Chetwynd, Dan, 67–69, 72
Chetwynd, Lionel, 194
Chicago Hope, 58, 59, 71, 199, 207, 311, 336, 347
children’s television, 313–33
Family Hour and, 275–78
Children’s Television Workshop, 317
Chuck, 53, 73, 271
Chulack, Chris, 58, 79, 144, 207–9, 229
Cleveland Show, The, 154
Clinton, Bill, 69, 70, 107, 134, 207, 209, 211, 289–96, 304, 306
Clinton, Hillary, 307
Clooney, George, 207, 303, 305
CNN, 42, 247, 321, 330
Coffey, Vanessa, 324
Colbert, Stephen, 64, 307, 308, 309, 310
Comcast, 247, 249, 296
Comedy Central, 9, 52, 53, 64, 84, 246, 248, 252, 254, 296, 307, 309, 351
communism, 16, 19, 20, 22, 24, 30, 62, 98, 163, 166–67, 184, 197, 287, 325, 338, 350
Community, 255, 271
conservatism (Republican), xii, xiii–xiv, xiv, xv, 74, 76, 99–100, 144, 146, 159, 258, 289, 340–43; Boston Legal and, 200–201; CBS and, 44, 50; Cherry and, 52, 213, 214; children’s TV and, 332–33; favorite/best shows, 6–7, 125–31, 155–56, 174, 201, 203–4, 255, 349–55; Hollywood bias and, xv–xix, 3, 13, 14, 61–78, 191, 224, 229, 258, 280, 291, 335, 338–41; programming opposed, 257–71; Religious Right, 278–80; right-wing interest groups, 278–80; Tea Party, 74–75, 158, 204, 309; on violence, 272
Cooney, Joan Ganz, 318
Coppola, Francis Ford, 14, 57, 161
Cops, 204–5, 335
Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 314
Cosby, Bill, 46, 47, 130, 337
Cosby Show, The, 39, 46, 48, 49, 84, 120, 121, 128, 129–32, 134, 205, 208, 337, 354; Obamas and, 131
Coulter, Ann, 100, 220, 223
counterculture, 32–33, 37, 42, 57, 98–99, 135, 136, 172, 196, 275, 353
Cramer, Jim, 309
Crane, David, 57, 144, 145, 147
Crichton, Michael, 208
crime, 7, 52, 131, 172, 176, 181, 186, 188, 203, 204–5, 273, 290, 353
Criminal Minds, 72, 271
Cronin, Mark, 292
Crystal, Billy, 120, 121, 289
CSI, 50, 203–4, 271, 304, 338
Cuse, Carlton, 58–59, 302, 335, 336, 347, 350
CW, 11, 53, 247, 248, 337
Dallas, 16, 44, 46, 196, 226, 274
Damages, 162, 255
Dancing with the Stars, 255
Dann, Mike, 29–30, 34–36, 87, 99, 229, 241–42, 243, 253, 317
Danny Thomas Show, 263
Danson, Ted, 122
Dauman, Philippe P., 249
Davey and Goliath, 315–16
Davi, Robert, 72
David, Larry, 141–44
Davis, Evelyn, 317–18
Day After, The, 45, 62, 192–95, 303
Day One, 179
Defenders, The, 28, 162, 198
DeGeneres, Ellen, 84, 149–50, 305
Democrats, 3, 5, 13, 28–29, 36, 50, 60, 61, 64, 67, 106–7, 115, 124, 134, 284–85; 1968 DNC, 98–99; 2010 presidential election, 301–11; EIF and, 270–71; favorite shows, 255–56; Hollywood, government, and, 282–312; Obama and TV, 292–96, 301–11; sex and, 272–73; TV Nation Day, 50; The West Wing and, 211
Dennis Miller Show, The, 150
Designing Women, 139
Desperate Housewives, 52, 53, 74, 119, 212–15, 255, 271
DeVito, Danny, 115
Dexter, 255
DiBona, Vin, 62, 195–96, 201
Dick Van Dyke Show, x, 32, 90, 93–95, 129, 137
Diller, Barry, 34, 60, 179, 293
Disney, ix, 51, 53, 82, 248, 289, 295, 296
Disney Channel, 220, 248, 315, 327–29
Dodd, Jimmie, 315
Dodd, Thomas, 273
Dragnet, 162, 173, 186, 202, 353
Dyke, Jim, 292
Dynasty, 178, 180, 196
Dyson, Michael Eric, 131–32
Early Frost, An, 192
East Side/West Side, 28, 96, 253
EIF (Entertainment Industry Foundation), 269–71
Eisenhower, Dwight D., 19, 25, 163, 165, 284, 285
Eisner, Michael, 34, 40, 129, 179, 326–27
Ellen, 51, 149–50, 151
Ellerbee, Linda, 325–26
Emanuel, Rahm, 295
English, Diane, 57, 138–41, 152
environmentalism, 53, 61, 169, 271, 293–94, 332
ER, 49, 50, 58, 79, 162, 207–9, 210, 212, 271, 303
ESPN, 51, 231, 246, 248
euthanasia, 28, 217, 219
Everwood, xi
Everyone Loves Raymond, 11, 12, 50, 255, 337–38, 351
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, 255
Falchuk, Brad, 220–21
Falco, Edie, 304
Falsey, John, 191
Falwell, Jerry, 44, 278, 279, 280, 291, 330, 331
Family, xvi, 178, 197, 266
Family Guy, 52, 87, 154–55, 310, 331, 339
Family Matters, 41, 51, 115
Family Ties, 46, 80, 121, 123–29, 134, 159, 196, 200, 208, 225, 227, 303
family values, 7, 10–12, 73, 109, 130, 138–41, 144, 146, 177; children’s TV and, 318–20, 326, 329; family-friendly programming, 337–38, 345–46; family roles undermined, 11, 88, 168
fatherhood, 11–12, 47, 88, 130, 134, 137–38, 159
Father Knows Best, 11, 137, 260, 263, 351
Fawcett, Farrah, 178, 180
FCC (Federal Communications Commission), xii, 5, 12, 15–16, 19, 20, 41, 246, 247, 259, 261, 262, 271–78, 280, 285–86, 290, 291, 296–300, 343–44; Bush and, 291, 292; Fin-Syn rules, 48, 51, 288–89; Obama and, 292–93
feminism, 4, 36, 38, 108–12, 118, 122–24, 139–41, 151–53, 159, 178–82
Fey, Tina, 53, 157–58, 310
Fisher, Barbara, 15, 63, 72, 80, 85, 253, 302
Foley Square, 138–39
Fontana, Tom, 64, 78, 191, 192
Ford,
Gerald, 288, 306
Fox, xviii, 8, 47–49, 61, 135, 154, 219, 227, 248, 269, 291, 299–300, 337, 346; Michael Moore pilot, 50; News, 176, 248, 321; Obama and, 296
Fox, Michael J., 46, 125–29, 200
Frankenheimer, John, 163
free speech (First Amendment), xiii, xiv, 12, 277, 283, 299
French, Leigh, 98
Freston, Tom, 227
Friday Night Lights, 256
Friedman, Paul, 294
Friends, x, xi, 9, 12, 16, 49, 50, 57, 86, 135, 144–48, 198, 227, 255, 331
Fugitive, The, 33
FX Network, 327, 337
Ganeless, Michele, 9, 64, 84, 254, 309
Garofalo, Janeane, 12, 356
Garson, Willie, 151
Gaspin, Jeff, 60
GE (General Electric), 247, 248, 290, 293–94, 296
Geffen, David, 289, 304
Gelbart, Larry, 23, 30, 37, 58, 88, 89, 90, 91, 103, 111–14, 115, 117, 141, 201, 224–25, 226, 228, 254, 275, 277, 336
Genachowski, Julius, 293
General Hospital, 84, 181–83
Gentile, Pat, 329
Get Smart, 32, 80, 90, 91, 95–97, 109, 242
Ghost and Mrs. Muir, 79
Gifford, Dan, 67
Gilligan’s Island, 29, 264
Gitlin, Todd, 59, 187, 266, 267
Gleason, Jackie, 24, 32
Glee, 219–22, 267–68, 331
Glenn Martin, DDS, 326
Glickman, Dan, 291
Goldberg, Gary David, 41, 45, 46–47, 80, 124–29, 225, 228, 303, 307
Goldberg, Leonard, xvi–xvii, 27, 33–34, 62–63, 178–79, 197, 241, 244–45
Golden Girls, 46, 49, 58, 119, 213, 225
Goldenson, Leonard, 20–23, 25, 33, 35, 120, 172–73, 193, 237, 266, 284–85, 335
Goldstein, Marc, 346
Goldstein, Patrick, 74–75, 76–77
Goodman, John, 134, 142
Good Wife, The, xvii, 255
Gore, Al, 72, 250, 271, 290, 297–98, 351
government and television, 12, 13, 257–63, 335, 343; 2010 presidential election, 301–11; cable TV as oligarchy, 296–300; children’s TV and, 313; Hollywood and, 281, 282–312; Obama and TV, 294–96, 301–5; “public interest,” 259–60, 262; TV and presidents, 283–96. See also big government; FCC
Grace Under Fire, 39, 58, 135, 155
Graham, Gary, 67
Grammer, Kelsey, 66–67
Greek, 53, 329
Green, Michelle, 199
Green Acres, 29, 83, 97, 243
Grey’s Anatomy, 53, 218–19, 271
Griffin, Kathy, 66
Griffiths, Edgar, 40