Radio Paradise

Posted: Apr 19, 2009 - 4:52pm
winter wrote: I think Ward Cleaver was some kind of assassin. It would explain a LOT. You just wanted to say ass sassin'...

winter

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Location: in exile, as always
Gender: Male

Posted: Apr 19, 2009 - 4:50pm

Proclivities wrote:

I watched a bit of "The Andy Griffith Show" earlier today and something had occurred to me, something I had thought about before but never got a satisfactory answer to. Why did the story lines of so many TV programs have widower fathers or surrogate fathers (looking after children whose parents had died) as the main character? I can think of several off the top of my head.
• My Three Sons
• The Andy Griffith Show
• The Brady Bunch
• The Courtship of Eddie's Father
• Bachelor Father
• Family Affair
• Flipper
• The Rifleman
I know that television writers often pattern their plot lines after certain demographic groups and target those groups as viewers, but were there really that many orphans or widowers back in those days? Maybe it was more acceptable back then to write in a dead mother or dead parents than it was to write in a divorced father. Maybe part of it is to show the struggles of being a single parent, but it wasn't until the 1970's that a program featured a single mother, and she was divorced, not widowed. The other thing is that only on "Andy Griffith" and "Eddie's Father" did the child ever ask about his deceased mother. Maybe it happened on other shows, but I didn't watch all of them (I particularly disliked The Brady Bunch, even as a child). Anyhow, it's just one of things I've wondered about. One other thing is: What the hell did Ward Cleaver do for a living? He always went "to the office" in his suit and tie, but he never spoke much about what he did. Though I didn't watch that show too much either.

I think it was a way to show the man was stable and family-friendly (not one of those creepy guys who isn't married and making babies by 25) but still leave him free to have romantic adventures. Couldn't be a divorced dad, couldn't be a single dad, but a widower? Sure.

I think Ward Cleaver was some kind of assassin. It would explain a LOT.

Proclivities

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Location: Paris of the Piedmont
Gender: Male

Posted: Apr 19, 2009 - 4:35pm
JrzyTmata wrote: There was the show Julia in 1968. she was a young African-American woman working as a nurse. She is also a widow (her husband died in Vietnam) trying to raise a young son alone. In Courtship of Eddie's Father, I remember them talking about the mom. I don't remember what happened to her. Oh yeah. I forgot that show. It was considered "groundbreaking" in its time.

JrzyTmata

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Posted: Apr 19, 2009 - 4:34pm

Proclivities wrote:

I watched a bit of "The Andy Griffith Show" earlier today and something had occurred to me, something I had thought about before but never got a satisfactory answer to. Why did the story lines of so many TV programs have widower fathers or surrogate fathers (looking after children whose parents had died) as the main character? I can think of several off the top of my head.
• My Three Sons
• The Andy Griffith Show
• The Brady Bunch
• The Courtship of Eddie's Father
• Bachelor Father
• Family Affair
• Flipper
• The Rifleman
I know that television writers often pattern their plot lines after certain demographic groups and target those groups as viewers, but were there really that many orphans or widowers back in those days? Maybe it was more acceptable back then to write in a dead mother or dead parents than it was to write in a divorced father. Maybe part of it is to show the struggles of being a single parent, but it wasn't until the 1970's that a program featured a single mother, and she was divorced, not widowed. The other thing is that only on "Andy Griffith" and "Eddie's Father" did the child ever ask about his deceased mother. Maybe it happened on other shows, but I didn't watch all of them (I particularly disliked The Brady Bunch, even as a child). Anyhow, it's just one of things I've wondered about. One other thing is: What the hell did Ward Cleaver do for a living? He always went "to the office" in his suit and tie, but he never spoke much about what he did. Though I didn't watch that show too much either.

There was the show Julia in 1968. she was a young African-American woman working as a nurse. She is also a widow (her husband died in Vietnam) trying to raise a young son alone.

In Courtship of Eddie's Father, I remember them talking about the mom. I don't remember what happened to her.

Proclivities

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Location: Paris of the Piedmont
Gender: Male

Posted: Apr 19, 2009 - 4:14pm
oldviolin wrote: Don't forget Rin Tin Tin. Oh, yeah, "Rin Tin Tin, and how could I have forgotten "Bonanza" too. What were they trying to tell us back then?

katzendogs

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Location: Pasadena ,Texas
Gender: Male

Posted: Apr 19, 2009 - 4:13pm
oldviolin wrote: Don't forget Rin Tin Tin. and Sky King...i think.

oldviolin

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Location: esse quam videri
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Posted: Apr 19, 2009 - 4:11pm

Proclivities wrote:

Don't forget Rin Tin Tin.

katzendogs

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Location: Pasadena ,Texas
Gender: Male

Posted: Apr 19, 2009 - 4:11pm

Proclivities wrote:

bonanza?

musik_knut

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Location: Third Stone From The Sun
Gender: Male

Posted: Apr 19, 2009 - 4:07pm

Proclivities wrote:

I think Ward sold insurance. That would account for his lack of humor.

Proclivities

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Location: Paris of the Piedmont
Gender: Male

Posted: Apr 19, 2009 - 3:48pm

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