1950's

In the United States, the 1950’s have often been described as the “Age of Conformity”. There was a strong element of conservatism circulating in society, and this was reflected in many of the television shows airing at the time. Men were expected to work and bring home the money, and women were relegated to caring for the children and the home. Television at the time largely reflected the conservative attitudes, values, and beliefs of the population as a whole.

Millions of young men were able to pursue a college education in the fifties because of the GI Bill, something that for many of them never would have been feasible otherwise. It also enabled many young men to start businesses and buy their first homes. Thus the idea of the American Dream in the 1950’s was pervasive and very real.

At this time planned communities known as suburbs also began to emerge, first in Levittown, New York and then elsewhere across the country. The suburbs would become a popular setting for family oriented television shows that wanted to depict traditional gender roles for men and women within the nuclear family.

Most of the television shows that aired during the fifties reflected the conservative attitudes, values and beliefs of the populations as a whole.

Some popular television shows in the 1950’s included Leave it to Beaver, the Honeymooners, I Love Lassie, Father Knows Best, and the Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.