TVCC
Family TV shows by decade
Starting off with the 1960's, Most of the sitcom shows contain the same core themes. The 1960's were still concerned with the nuclear family unit, white suburban middle class, and the traditional patriarch of the 1950's. Society was also slowly moving away from these cornerstones of social behavior. 'My Three Sons' is a show that started in 1960, featuring a single father with three boys. The family platform here clearly lacks a mother. A single father raising 3 children deviates from the nuclear family concept, but it is acceptable because the father, Steve Douglas, is a widowed aircraft engineer. The family theme here shows that he did his due diligence by having a job that can support his family and being married. The show begins with the wife already removed from the situation. The generalized concept of the show is that this single father still pursues traditional family values and teachings even though the traditional nuclear family is different. Steve Douglas's father helps to raise the children, which allows for the opportunity of a grandfathers wisdom and oversight typically sought after in a family with good values. All three of the sons go on to be in happy marriages and have socially acceptable lifestyles with their own families. Although family life can have its struggles, it is typically accepted that a single father can raise a family well. A single mother as a parent would be considered much more difficult, since the perceptions of men having well paying jobs instead of women. The Andy Griffin show was aired between 1960 and 1968. It also features a single father and a son, with the family unit lacking a mother, therefore showing the family platform differently than previous decades. The father role is largely responsible for instilling good moral values and socially acceptable behavior, which is easily seen in the role of Andy Griffin being the straight shooting sheriff of a small