Since the first TV broadcast in 1926, television has evolved a lot. In the 1950s, when TV first entered many homes, certain things were not allowed to be said or done because they were considered too risque. Talking about death, sharing a bed or pregnancy were all unacceptable. How things have changed. We look at some television firsts that, while they may not seem controversial today, were certainly controversial when they happened.
- First Birth
On the popular American television show “I Love Lucy”, the first birth story was told. In January 1953, it was a historic event and over 70% of households with TVs tuned in to watch the story.
- First big death
The Danny Thomas Show is a rebranded version of Make Room for Daddy. The producers were in a quandary when the lead actress quit over disagreements regarding her character. Divorce was a controversial topic in the 1950s. The decision was made to kill off the character.
- The first couple to share one bed
Mary Kay and Johnny Show showed a couple jumping in the same bed ten years earlier, before the first toilet scene created such a sensation!
- First interracial kiss
Star Trek is the first TV show to feature a kiss between two characters of different races. In 1968, Lt. Uhura kissed Captain Kirk on the show. While the Captain had many romantic stories, this was the very first kiss between two characters of different races. You can probably guess that some southern American channels refused to broadcast the episode. Don’t miss your favourite shows due to poor reception. For TV aerial repair Bristol, go to aerial-installations-bristol.co.uk/
- First TV commercial
As soon as TV was invented, companies began to figure out ways to make money with it. In 1941, the first commercial was broadcast. It was a 10-second advertisement for Bulova watches. The commercial was shown at a baseball match between the Philadelphia Phillies vs. Brooklyn Dodgers.
- First scripted swear word
You can’t be sure that everyone on live TV will behave properly, but what about the very first scripted swear word? The first recorded instance of this was in 1999, when Mark Harmon uttered the phrase ‘s**t happens during an episode of Chicago Hope.
- First appearance of the belly button
Cher has set many records over the course of her career, but this is one that stands out. She was the very first performer to ever show her belly button in a TV commercial. Before, network producers prohibited the display of belly buttons on TV, particularly in the show “I Dream of Jeannie”. In episodes of Gilligan’s Island female stars had to cover their midriffs by wearing shorts.