At the start of the ‘60s, there were over 52 million TV sets in households across the US, and its influence only continued to grow from there. This decade also marked a period of transition from black and white television to color. This technological shift would slowly inspire a new wave of TV programming for years to come. For many people, television became a source of political enlightenment. It was a prominent time for TV as people we're no longer using it as just a source of entertainment. In fact, 1960 was the year that the first-ever televised presidential debate aired nationwide. The 1960s was a transformative decade for both viewers and producers, one that paved the way for massive advancements in the years to come.
Multiple directors worked on this American anthology television series, but the whole concept was created and presented by Rod Serling. The Twilight Zone ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. Every episode depicts a different story that stands-alone from the others. The one thing in common about these stories is that the characters are often dealing with unusual, supernatural, and usually disturbing events. Despite the show airing predominantly science-fiction episodes, some also had paranormal or Kafkaesque qualities.
The Twilight Zone won three Primetime Emmy Awards for categories like Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama (1960 and 1961), and Best TV Producer/Director in 1963.
Take a peek at one of the most famous episodes from The Twilight Zone:
The Andy Griffith Show is a CBS American sitcom that aired from October 3, 1960 to April 1, 1968. The show had a total of 249 half-hour episode that spanned over eight seasons. The action centered around Andy Taylor, a widowed sheriff of Mayberry, North Carolina (a fictional town of 2,000 people). The cast was filled with temperamental girlfriends and eccentric townspeople.
Take a peek at one of the most famous episodes from The Andy Griffith Show:
The Beverly Hillbillies was created by Paul Henning and was produced by Al Simon and Martin Ransohoff. CBS broadcast the American sitcom from 1962 to 1987. The show’s ensemble cast featured Irene Ryan, Buddy Ebsen, Max Baer Junior, and Donna Douglas as members of a poor backwoods family. Hailing from the Ozarks region, the Clampetts family move to a posh neighborhood in Beverly Hills, California, soon after striking oil on their property.
The series ranked as part of the top 20 most-watched programs on Television for eight out of nine seasons. Some of its episodes ranked number one in the most-watched television episodes in history — the show accumulated seven Emmy nominations during its run.
Take a peek at the first episode from The Beverly Hillbillies:
Gene Roddenberry created this American science fiction television series which follows the crew of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701). Little did the Star Trek creator know, but his sci-fi filled imagination was about to spawn a giant media franchise that would still be going strong years after it first aired on NBC September 8, 1966.
The series would become insanely popular, achieving classic cult status and having an influence on pop culture that is still felt today. Roddenberry’s franchise has spawned six TV series, numerous books, thirteen feature films, toys, games, and a reputation as one of the most influential shows of all time.
Take a peek at one of the most famous episodes from Star Trek:
Created and produced by David Dortort along with fellow producers Mark Roberts and Fred Hamilton, Bonanza was a successful American western television series. It aired on NBC from 1959 to 1973, with over 14 seasons and 431 episodes. This show is the longest-running western series on NBC.
The plot revolves around the wealthy Cartwright family who resides in the vicinity of Virginia City, Nevada near Lake Tahoe in the 1860s. But what made Bonanza such a huge hit was the fact that it presented pressing moral issues that no other series did at the time.
Most American households had a television set by 1960, the year that Nixon and Kennedy took part in the very first televised presidential debate. John F. Kennedy immediately agreed to a chance to enter into debate with his political opponent on TV. Kennedy remained calm throughout the discussion, but Nixon started sweating. This led people to doubt his trustworthiness. The debate greatly influenced John F. Kennedy's win in the presidential race. At this point, everyone realized just how compelling television could be.
Television was a significant source of entertainment back in the ‘60s, but it wasn't until Kennedy won the presidential race that journalism saw its potential. Soon, everyone relied on TV news to inform them about current events. Citizens across the US could now feel significant occurrences all at the same time. Important events like the space race, civil rights developments, and the JFK assassination all unfolded on TV.
By the mid’1960s, TVs had become the center of every household, despite only having three channels: CBS, ABC, and NBC. TV commercials proved to be the best advertising media. Businesses started changing their budget and allocating some to TV advertisements. It significantly improved the economy.
People who lived through the '60s knows how much of a hit variety shows were at the time. Imagine only having three networks but over 18 variety shows. TV back then was variety show crazy! Sunday night meant people would be treated with Ed Sullivan, Dean Martin, Danny Kaye, Danny Thomas, and Carol Burnet.
Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone was bold in bringing issues of fascism and racism to light, showing the horrific ramifications such actions have in the long term. Star Trek also showed viewers a world where prejudice and bias had been eradicated by social evolution. It even featured the very first interracial kiss on TV.