So many old tv shows can’t be re-shown in the UK because they were a product of their time and were either directly fascist (The Black and White Minstrel Show) or were comedies based on the premise of racial stereotyping - Love Thy Neighbour, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, Mind Your Language - to name but three. As a society we’ve come a long way since these shows were aired in the 60’s and 70’s - thankfully.
Of course we'd have to add to the list all of the many variety shows that aired on network TV from the 50s through the 70s. They'll mostly all remain buried because of music rights. Some, like CAROL BURNETT will leak through as edited versions with only the comedy portions remaining. I'm thinking of shows like THE DANNY KAYE SHOW, THE GARRY MOORE SHOW, etc.
Thank you for this interesting post. I took a little time just now to read up a bit on all the programs you listed, and I had been totally ignorant of them (I'm Canadian). It's absolutely fascinating. In Canada, when I was young (90s, say), we definitely had the impression that Britain in general was far less 'politically correct' than we were, and more prone to outright stereotyping in the mainstream. These shows are all well before the 90s, but they do conform to that impression! (Can't believe 'The Black and White Minstrel Show' ran to 1978...!) But it was very interesting to see that 'Mind Your Language' was so popular and was imitated in many other countries in different forms. As a language instructor (formerly in Canada, akin to the protagonist of 'Mind...' and now at a university in Japan), I find this premise fascinating and I'm already thinking to do a study about this....
I must be thinking of a different Doc. The one I remember starred Barnard Hughes and aired in mid-70's.
Thank you too. As I’m sure you know, Mind Your Language worked on the basis of stereotyping certain national characteristics so that the characters were caricatures for the most part. It merely helped to reinforce certain prejudices of foreign people. Interesting that blacking up is now seen as overtly racist in the UK but this is not necessarily the case in Spain where they celebrate the historical exploits of Moors v Christians with many of the locals blacking up to represent the Moors. This does not sit well with many UK expats for obvious reasons but the locals think there is nothing wrong in celebrating their cultural identity in this way.
I guess the two can sometimes be connected. Of course Lenny Henry began his TV career on the Black and White Minstrels show, the only real black person on it... 'Blacking up' does not seem right these days but of course it comes from a long tradition of theatrical performances, from Othello through Al Jolson. It seems obvious today that if you want to portray Othello as a black man then employ a black actor. Otherwise portray him as whatever color, ethnic background the actor is. Back then of course this was looked at differently.
That's the "DOC" I thought of too. It ran for a season and a few episodes into a second. It was an MTM production and ran on CBS. It tried to fit into the MARY TYLER MOORE, BOB NEWHART SHOW juggernaut, but wasn't nearly as successful. Barnard Hughes was the titular doctor. His wife was Elizabeth Wilson, and Mary Wickes was his nurse.
Yes, I undoubtedly remember this show because CBS ran it on Saturday night, right between All In the Family and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. For years, CBS had a great thing going on Saturday night, with All In The Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show and The Carol Burnett Show. They always seemed to have trouble finding something that stuck in that 8:30ET slot though. M*A*S*H ran there for a season before it got moved to a different night. Otherwise they were fiddling around with things like Doc, Bridget Loves Bernie and The Paul Sand Show.
Farmer's Daughter hasn't run since the mid-80s on CBN. Antenna wanted to pick it up but it was never transferred to tape. The Nurses ran for 3 seasons and 98 episodes and has never been rerun since leaving the air in 1965.
Would love to watch Archie again. I doubt it would make Cable TV anymore. There'd be too much to sensor.......