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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 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.
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 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.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 5, 2020
RATING: 3.5 STARS
Okay, I will admit I picked up this book solely based on the cover. It features The Golden Girls, so I have to read it. After reading the synopsis, I thought I would read a few of the essays (probably the shows I had watched) and not even rate or review this book. As I sat down to read, I found myself reading about I Love Lucy, and then going back to Amos & Andy. I maybe skipped a couple of shows, but read 95% 0f the brief essays. I rated this book 3.5 stars because each essay was quite short and read more like an outline of an essay. I think Robinson got his point of why each sitcom impacted America, but didn't provide much other than that. I would recommend this one to those that love sitcoms and history.
Okay, I will admit I picked up this book solely based on the cover. It features The Golden Girls, so I have to read it. After reading the synopsis, I thought I would read a few of the essays (probably the shows I had watched) and not even rate or review this book. As I sat down to read, I found myself reading about I Love Lucy, and then going back to Amos & Andy. I maybe skipped a couple of shows, but read 95% 0f the brief essays. I rated this book 3.5 stars because each essay was quite short and read more like an outline of an essay. I think Robinson got his point of why each sitcom impacted America, but didn't provide much other than that. I would recommend this one to those that love sitcoms and history.
November 17, 2022
1.5 stars, rounded down to 1 for repeated use of the phrase “illegal aliens” being the last straw 🙄
Sparse and shallow essays, poor editing (not catching the incorrect naming of a top-billed character?), and often a dismissive/flippant tone (as well as lack of attention to and serious review of) regarding depictions of marginalized characters and viewers. As someone else said, many of the pieces felt more like outlines than full essays, to the point where I honestly don’t believe the author even watched some of the shows.
I love TV and I love reading about TV, and the is was a big disappointment. Suggestion for better books are welcome.
Sparse and shallow essays, poor editing (not catching the incorrect naming of a top-billed character?), and often a dismissive/flippant tone (as well as lack of attention to and serious review of) regarding depictions of marginalized characters and viewers. As someone else said, many of the pieces felt more like outlines than full essays, to the point where I honestly don’t believe the author even watched some of the shows.
I love TV and I love reading about TV, and the is was a big disappointment. Suggestion for better books are welcome.
October 18, 2021
This book is good and fast/light enough, although it feels more like a scavenger hunt than deep analysis. It was good enough for being brief, but sometimes there was unnecessary focus given to some parts of a show, which either took away from the entire chapter, or could have gone to another show. There were a few instances where a show had some special episode plots not brought up in favor of 'softer' plots, like body image issues.
I think there was too much focus on nonnuclear family sitcoms. While it made me think about how these shows maybe were controversial at the time, including all of The Brady Bunch, Diff'rnt Strokes, Who's The Boss, Kate & Allie, Valerie, and Full House felt a little silly.
Since this book was finished in 2019, I admire the author bringing up the Cosby Show and Roseanne's legacies in recent years, even if it was more of a disclaimer than anything. I also liked the Murphy Brown reboot paragraph.
The book goes from Will & Grace to Modern family (it's in chronological order), which makes sense because of the state of sitcoms in the new millennium, but I wish the author could have offered some thoughts on why (topical) sitcoms dwindled. That said, I appreciate the new '10s' shows. I liked the appendix for shows which were cancelled too soon, and shows that are too premature to include.
If I had to shuffle around some shows, I would include the 1950's sitcom The Goldbergs, A Different World, and Life Goes On (with Patti Lupone).
Overall, if you're someone who gets their life to Over the Air channels, this book is good.
I think there was too much focus on nonnuclear family sitcoms. While it made me think about how these shows maybe were controversial at the time, including all of The Brady Bunch, Diff'rnt Strokes, Who's The Boss, Kate & Allie, Valerie, and Full House felt a little silly.
Since this book was finished in 2019, I admire the author bringing up the Cosby Show and Roseanne's legacies in recent years, even if it was more of a disclaimer than anything. I also liked the Murphy Brown reboot paragraph.
The book goes from Will & Grace to Modern family (it's in chronological order), which makes sense because of the state of sitcoms in the new millennium, but I wish the author could have offered some thoughts on why (topical) sitcoms dwindled. That said, I appreciate the new '10s' shows. I liked the appendix for shows which were cancelled too soon, and shows that are too premature to include.
If I had to shuffle around some shows, I would include the 1950's sitcom The Goldbergs, A Different World, and Life Goes On (with Patti Lupone).
Overall, if you're someone who gets their life to Over the Air channels, this book is good.
March 2, 2020
This is a poorly written/edited book. The author asserts he has watched lots of television, especially in the 70's and 80's but sorry to say he doesn't seem quite expert enough to talk about comedies that changed America. The book is heavily biased toward his favorite eras, and it leaves me questioning his authority. These sitcoms didn't change America just because he says so. It is lightly researched and footnoted. There are typos and at least one factual error. I didn't bother reading all the entries.
If he had presented his material as "one man's opinion" this would be a different review. This is not an authoritative work.
If he had presented his material as "one man's opinion" this would be a different review. This is not an authoritative work.
March 22, 2020
This book was a delight to read if you were a sitcom fan in the 1960's going forward. I guess that describes me as I had watched many of these TV comedies. I loved the back story on the shows, how the longer-running shows evolved, how hit shows spawned other shows, and why the shows ultimately went off the air. Each show has at least one photo of cast members.
Recommended if you ever laughed at a sitcom or, if you are young, want to read about some TV history.
Recommended if you ever laughed at a sitcom or, if you are young, want to read about some TV history.
September 17, 2022
I read this book in print. I checked it out using my community library card at a local community college.
This was a very enjoyable read. The author has selected certain situation comedies on television that he feels have offered some kind of progress in the portrayal of social issues or of minority groups or issues. As such, this is not a comprehensive work.
I appreciated how in each entry the author would cite a particular season and episode number for an episode highlighting a particular issue. This makes it easier if one owns or rents the series on DVD or when streaming to find the particular episode.
One photo is included for each series. These try to be comprehensive in portraying most of the cast but this is not always the case. For series which I have watched and liked, these brought back fond memories.
The book goes into the late 2010's. An appendix is included with some shows that had brief runs that also filled the criteria for this book's inclusion.
Each entry includes a synopsis of the program's subject as well as an introduction of the main characters. The main characters are referred to by their names on the show in the synopsis; no parentheses are added to name the actor portraying them. You have to go to the top of the entry where the show's run dates, network, and cast (both character name and the actor who portrayed them) are listed. I found this to be an inconvenience, but it is a minor quibble.
The commentary by and large is insightful. For programs, such as "Who's the boss," which I have not watched, it provided me a new insight into the value of these shows.
One of the early issues in TV which was brought up was the idea of married couples having to have separate beds. Believe it or not, there was a very early show in the late 40's that showed a couple having one bed.
Another intriguing point was the fact that no one commented on the possibility of Laverne and Shirley being lesbian, since they shared an apartment, or Lenny and Squiggy being gay in the 70's. But when "Kate and Allie" premiered in the 1980's, the idea that they were possibly lesbians caused concern. The author speculates that this was because the U.S. was now in the AIDS era, and so consciousness about the issue had risen.
All in all, a most interesting and fun read. Plus it was short at less than 250 pages.
This was a very enjoyable read. The author has selected certain situation comedies on television that he feels have offered some kind of progress in the portrayal of social issues or of minority groups or issues. As such, this is not a comprehensive work.
I appreciated how in each entry the author would cite a particular season and episode number for an episode highlighting a particular issue. This makes it easier if one owns or rents the series on DVD or when streaming to find the particular episode.
One photo is included for each series. These try to be comprehensive in portraying most of the cast but this is not always the case. For series which I have watched and liked, these brought back fond memories.
The book goes into the late 2010's. An appendix is included with some shows that had brief runs that also filled the criteria for this book's inclusion.
Each entry includes a synopsis of the program's subject as well as an introduction of the main characters. The main characters are referred to by their names on the show in the synopsis; no parentheses are added to name the actor portraying them. You have to go to the top of the entry where the show's run dates, network, and cast (both character name and the actor who portrayed them) are listed. I found this to be an inconvenience, but it is a minor quibble.
The commentary by and large is insightful. For programs, such as "Who's the boss," which I have not watched, it provided me a new insight into the value of these shows.
One of the early issues in TV which was brought up was the idea of married couples having to have separate beds. Believe it or not, there was a very early show in the late 40's that showed a couple having one bed.
Another intriguing point was the fact that no one commented on the possibility of Laverne and Shirley being lesbian, since they shared an apartment, or Lenny and Squiggy being gay in the 70's. But when "Kate and Allie" premiered in the 1980's, the idea that they were possibly lesbians caused concern. The author speculates that this was because the U.S. was now in the AIDS era, and so consciousness about the issue had risen.
All in all, a most interesting and fun read. Plus it was short at less than 250 pages.
February 28, 2022
Why would anyone want to write an utterly humorless book about sitcoms?
Sitcommentary is an attempt to view the sitcom purely as a vehicle for or mirror to social change, with its ostensible actual purpose—to amuse or entertain—relegated to unpersuasive asides (“…while simultaneously inviting us to laugh” (Maude); “outrageously funny while simultaneously…” (Mom)).
I don’t mean to complain about that, since it is, after all, the premise of the book. It’s a particularly joyless way to view the art form, but that would be passable if it were an interesting, stimulating, or revealing way.
Turns out it’s not. Turns out reducing programs to an exercise in “groundbreaking” leaves them devoid of interest or merit and encourages a lack of analysis, a reliance on trite and even fake overgeneralizations to establish the “ground” that is about to be “broken.”
To make my meaning clearer, I quote the opening to this book’s chapter on Golden Girls:
“Until 1985, television had represented grandmothers mostly as bespectacled blue hairs in housecoats and matronly dresses, limping around on canes, baking pies…[etc]”
This is so transparently false that when the Simpsons introduced an actual bumbling old character in 1990, it was viewed as a subversive act. What cane-walking pie-baking grandmas are Robinson thinking of? He already covered Who’s the Boss? in the previous chapter, so he knows Mona doesn’t fit this description. Cora from Mork & Mindy? Pearl from 227?
For me the locus classicus of the actual way sitcoms presented grandmas would be Imogene Coca’s turn as “Jan’s Aunt Jenny” in the 1972 Brady Bunch episode of the same name. Jenny is not a grandma, being childless, but she’s of Jan’s grandparents generation, and did she mention that she plays jazz with the King of Siam? Don’t worry, she will! No one can stop Aunt Jenny! (Probably for others the locus classicus would be Maude from Harold and Maude, but that’s not a sitcom; anyway, make your own pick.)
Sure, these old ladies were “playing against type,” but so many old ladies had played against type that they had become themselves a type, and the type they played against was soon obsolescent if not extinct.
The point is Robinson’s entire opening sentence is false! Worse, it’s a banality, a false banality, and a banality that obscures that fact that Golden Girls really was revolutionary in the way it portrayed an age bracket. Maybe we could talk about that! But we can’t because we’re mired in cliches.
How deep in the mire? Not to harp on one chapter, but here’s the closing statement on the Golden Girls.
“The Golden Girls reminded us that you are only as old as you feel and the you should never let society’s estimation of your worth be the barriers by which you live. This is arguably—and most assuredly—why the show continues to resonate.”
There’s a reason why Golden Girls remains a cultural touchstone and Empty Nest does not, and it’s not because of a string of cliches, it’s because Golden Girls was well-written, funny, and had a dynamite cast. I understand that such things are not the subject of the book, but ignoring them leaves us arguably—and most assuredly (ugh)—falling back on the comforting crutch of embroidered-pillow bromides.
Sitcommentary is an attempt to view the sitcom purely as a vehicle for or mirror to social change, with its ostensible actual purpose—to amuse or entertain—relegated to unpersuasive asides (“…while simultaneously inviting us to laugh” (Maude); “outrageously funny while simultaneously…” (Mom)).
I don’t mean to complain about that, since it is, after all, the premise of the book. It’s a particularly joyless way to view the art form, but that would be passable if it were an interesting, stimulating, or revealing way.
Turns out it’s not. Turns out reducing programs to an exercise in “groundbreaking” leaves them devoid of interest or merit and encourages a lack of analysis, a reliance on trite and even fake overgeneralizations to establish the “ground” that is about to be “broken.”
To make my meaning clearer, I quote the opening to this book’s chapter on Golden Girls:
“Until 1985, television had represented grandmothers mostly as bespectacled blue hairs in housecoats and matronly dresses, limping around on canes, baking pies…[etc]”
This is so transparently false that when the Simpsons introduced an actual bumbling old character in 1990, it was viewed as a subversive act. What cane-walking pie-baking grandmas are Robinson thinking of? He already covered Who’s the Boss? in the previous chapter, so he knows Mona doesn’t fit this description. Cora from Mork & Mindy? Pearl from 227?
For me the locus classicus of the actual way sitcoms presented grandmas would be Imogene Coca’s turn as “Jan’s Aunt Jenny” in the 1972 Brady Bunch episode of the same name. Jenny is not a grandma, being childless, but she’s of Jan’s grandparents generation, and did she mention that she plays jazz with the King of Siam? Don’t worry, she will! No one can stop Aunt Jenny! (Probably for others the locus classicus would be Maude from Harold and Maude, but that’s not a sitcom; anyway, make your own pick.)
Sure, these old ladies were “playing against type,” but so many old ladies had played against type that they had become themselves a type, and the type they played against was soon obsolescent if not extinct.
The point is Robinson’s entire opening sentence is false! Worse, it’s a banality, a false banality, and a banality that obscures that fact that Golden Girls really was revolutionary in the way it portrayed an age bracket. Maybe we could talk about that! But we can’t because we’re mired in cliches.
How deep in the mire? Not to harp on one chapter, but here’s the closing statement on the Golden Girls.
“The Golden Girls reminded us that you are only as old as you feel and the you should never let society’s estimation of your worth be the barriers by which you live. This is arguably—and most assuredly—why the show continues to resonate.”
There’s a reason why Golden Girls remains a cultural touchstone and Empty Nest does not, and it’s not because of a string of cliches, it’s because Golden Girls was well-written, funny, and had a dynamite cast. I understand that such things are not the subject of the book, but ignoring them leaves us arguably—and most assuredly (ugh)—falling back on the comforting crutch of embroidered-pillow bromides.
June 2, 2023
I was surprised to see so many negative reviews of this book on here. It really seems like standard TV history fare to me. The quick essays about each show reminded me of the CNN decades series (which I love), and I thought it was a great way to introduce a bunch of shows while explaining why they were important in a larger cultural context.
December 23, 2019
A year-by-year, event-based look at sitcom television's contribution to changing American attitudes and mores. Good insights and interesting trivia abound, and you'll leave knowing exactly which episodes to watch. Essential for anyone concerned with TV history.
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February 28, 2021Very interesting, though there were some shows that I was kinda surprised weren't included. But it made me want to go look for some of the noted episodes (watched a couple of Maude episodes last night).
August 5, 2021
Interesting and entertaining recap of groundbreaking sitcoms, especially the older ones. Many of them were on while I was growing up, so it’s interesting to read an adult perspective that I didn’t have at the time.
November 18, 2019
I absolutely love reading books about sitcoms and this is a great one!
December 17, 2020
GOOD BOOK ABOUT SITCOMS i LOVE.
November 10, 2019
Comedy has been a staple of television since its inception, with situation comedies drawing families together around an ever-expanding 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.
Library Journal. Sep2019, Vol. 144 Issue 8, p74
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.
Library Journal. Sep2019, Vol. 144 Issue 8, p74
January 15, 2020
A trip down memory lane in a lot of ways. Also sparked new ways of seeing how sitcoms handled social issues.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews