The '7. 0s: When TV finally woke up to reality. Story highlights. David Bianculli: TV in the Seventies became topical, polarizing across every genre.
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Talk and variety shows took on cultural, political debate. He says Norman Lear shows marked pivotal transformation of sitcom to what we see today. And Roots brought race front and center. David Bianculli is founder and editor of TVWorth. Watching. com and teaches TV and film at Rowan University in New Jersey. He also is TV critic and guest host for NPR's . The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author.
The '7. 0s were a bridge decade - - delivering us into an era of what we think of as . Without the advancements of the '7. The Carter campaign against incumbent President Gerald Ford ushered in a new post- Watergate approach in political coverage in TV news. Reports became more forceful and more openly questioned political authority. And the ongoing hostage crisis in Iran, which wasn't resolved until the day Ronald Reagan assumed the presidency in 1. TV viewers not only a hard look at the long- term ramifications of American foreign policy, but also gave birth to ABC's .
The same CBS executives who fired variety show hosts the Smothers brothers from their self- titled show at the end of the '6. Vietnam war - - turned around, at the start of the '7. It was the viewers themselves, who signified - - by showing up in giant viewing blocks - - that they not only accepted entertainment content that meant something, they were hungry for it: The feminist heroine of . Guest host Richard Pryor on . The miniseries . Talk shows became more significant in the '7. Johnny Carson, while ruling late night for decades, used his clout in the '7.
By intentionally probing and showcasing sensitive topics and hot- button issues, from racism to abortion, . It positioned itself as an anti- war comedy at a time when the United States itself was mired in an increasingly unpopular war in Vietnam. The miniseries truly exploded in the '7. Divx Xvid Movies Lowriders (2017). PBS import of . TV households.
That translates to 1. In . It became the most popular scripted TV program shown to that point, and opened a dialogue, about race and racism that is far from over.
It also led, quite quickly, in the early '8. We had the launch of HBO, and the nascent rise of cable television networks, whose original programming and uncensored product would both challenge traditional broadcast television and force another metamorphosis.
The result: the landmark NBC drama series.
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