Television is an ever growing media outlet, but where did it begin? Television was created in the 1920’s but did not become popular until the 1950’s. A very popular show created at this time was “I Love Lucy.” When television became popular it started out as more of an experiment for producers and creators to showcase all of their ideas. They could see what did and didn’t work. Their audience was no longer limited and they had the opportunity to reach millions. Many producers and actors/actresses were overwhelmed with it all. In the documentary an actress spoke of the production as “thrilling and invigorating,” she said it gave a sense of danger. There was nothing relaxing about being on the set of a television show.

Television is a delivery device for consumerism, meaning that the main use for television is to provide the audience with information and advertisements to target potential buyers. The main goal is to reach the consumers. Advertisements have been a part of television since its creation. TV was the first outlet that gave advertisers the opportunity to reach so many people simultaneously. In the past there had been movies and radio that reached just a fraction of the people that television now can.

Rod Sterling was a major influencer during the time when TV was new. I had not heard his name before I watched the documentary in class, but I had heard of The Twilight Zone, which he is most well known for to many. I did not know much about the series or its history but I had the idea that it was somewhat SciFi and exploratory of mankind. What I found so surprising was the doubt that Sterling had for his own work. He did not think his work was worthy and was constantly questioning his ideas. He had a tough past, being a veteran, but I believe this is what led to his brilliant ideas in producing series such as The Twilight Zone. the pressure was on to create great work because that was hi work previously and he had to continue to show up and prove himself. He always felt as if he was in an uphill battle. Hearing Sterling’s experience gave me a taste of what it was like to be a producer during this time in television.

The 1970’s were full of new television series. After doing some research i found that many of the shows that were created during this time were family friendly. The shows were able to be watched by all ages which made them very popular. Families could sit down and watch a show together without the fear of the show being inappropriate for the children. Shows such as Happy Days, The Brady Bunch, Good Times, and The Jeffersons were made. There was always a worry that shows could cause offense or bring criticism. This was a time when African Americans were still not fully accepted into society and there was tension. Shows that had an African American cast and created a plot that could be found offensive created much controversy. The main focus for these shows during the time was to focus on issues in society that people could relate to but was family friendly to enjoy with their families.