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Methuselah 
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| What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 6:00 am)
if we break it down by decades, I'd have to say for me it's probably the 2000-2010 decade. The advent of original series on cable (basic and premium) seemed to set off a boom in creativeness. You had things like The Sopranos and BSG on cable, the networks responded somewhat with things like Lost. For comedies Friends was still going and many people like HIMYM. Heck even some of the very early reality stuff like the first seasons of Survivor and Big Brother were good.
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Blind Boy Grunt
LSU Fan
Member since Mar 2013
210 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 6:43 am to Methuselah)
It's a Generational Thing: For me it was Lucy, Skelton, Twilight Zone, Cronkite, etc. Doesn't seem so "Golden", now . . .
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nevilletiger79
LSU Fan
Monroe
Member since Jan 2009
10083 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 6:46 am to Blind Boy Grunt)
As long as all these reality shows are on now this will never be golden era.
Mid 60's to mid 70's is mine
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elprez00 
New Orleans Saints Fan
Hammond, LA
Member since Sep 2011
6202 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 7:57 am to Methuselah)
Mine is the 90s. The networks were killing it. 90s brought you Seinfeld, Friends, Rosanne, Home Improvement, saved by the Bell, full house, etc. Oh, and don't forget TGIF.
You had some solid dramas in Melrose place, Law And Order, NYPD Blue.
I could go on and on.
EDIT: Oh, lets not forget the Simpsons, Fresh Prince, X Files, Star Trek TNG, Twin Peaks, and some of the more memorable and quality casts on SNL.
Double EDIT:
/thread
This post was edited on 3/20 at 8:03 am
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lordguill 
LA-Lafayette Fan
Member since Dec 2005
16713 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 8:03 am to elprez00)
The 90s and 2000s were solid. There are some great shows out there now, but they are overshadowed by all the reality crap.
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elprez00
New Orleans Saints Fan
Hammond, LA
Member since Sep 2011
6202 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 8:09 am to lordguill)
Honestly, I think the 2000's have been a horrible decade for TV. The networks sold out to the cheap and un-creative reality crap. Really, anything that pushed the envelope a little and did something different wasn't even given a chance if it wasnt an instant ratings success. (Firefly, Chuck, Family Guy the first time, etc)
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TigerinATL
New Orleans Saints Fan
Member since Feb 2005
26174 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 8:19 am to Methuselah)
quote:
The advent of original series on cable (basic and premium) seemed to set off a boom in creativeness
You can thank the 90's for that. The Simpsons and Married with Children helped mainstream being "edgy". Yes that sounds ridiculous because those shows are pretty tame by today's standards, but I remember when Bart Simpson saying Sucks was considered shocking.
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Baloo
LSU Fan
Formerly MDGeaux
Member since Sep 2003
41135 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 8:22 am to TigerinATL)
I don't see how anyone can say anything but the 00s. There will always be bad TV, but niche programming has allowed some truly stellar shows on the air, and the medium has been able to attract far better talent than it could in the 70s, when it was seen as the ghetto for people who couldn't cut it in movies.
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Freauxzen 
Wisc-Milwaukee Fan
Louisiana
Member since Feb 2006
16897 posts
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| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 8:24 am to Baloo)
quote:
I don't see how anyone can say anything but the 00s. There will always be bad TV, but niche programming has allowed some truly stellar shows on the air, and the medium has been able to attract far better talent than it could in the 70s, when it was seen as the ghetto for people who couldn't cut it in movies.
But there was a lot of creativity in the 80s and 90s. Sure it wasn't bug budget, and none of it has aged particularly well, but they tried really hard to do different things.
I still think any list, best half hours and best hour longs, would be made up of mostly shows from that time span.
I'd argue though that the 2000s have been quite stellar so far.
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MrFreakinMiyagi 
Alabama Fan
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Member since Feb 2007
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| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 8:37 am to Methuselah)
quote:
For comedies Friends was still going and many people like HIMYM.
To make an argument for the 2000-2010 decade, I would use shows that are/were good. Ya know, like The Office, Frasier, and South Park. These are good comedies.
Friends was bad. HIMYM might be the least funny "comedy" in the last 20 years, other than That 70's Show.
quote:
Heck even some of the very early reality stuff like the first seasons of Survivor and Big Brother were good.
No.
New =/= good, and these shows are the same every season.
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elprez00
New Orleans Saints Fan
Hammond, LA
Member since Sep 2011
6202 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 8:40 am to MrFreakinMiyagi)
quote:
To make an argument for the 2000-2010 decade, I would use shows that are/were good. Ya know, like The Office, Frasier, and South Park. These are good comedies.
You can count those on one hand. I could make a whole thread on the quality comedies on TV from 90-95. There will always be a hit here and there.
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MetryTyger
LSU Fan
Metairie, LA
Member since Jan 2004
5931 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 9:30 am to Methuselah)
1950-1970
Uncle Milty
Calvalcade of Stars
I Love Lucy
Wagontrain
Have Gun Will Travel
Liberace
Red Skelton Show
The Honeymooners
Leave it to Beaver
Father Knows Best
Davy Crockett
Make Room for Daddy
Twilight Zone
Alfred Hitchcock
Bonanza
Ed Sullivan
Gunsmoke
The Rifleman
Mr. Ed
McHale's Navy
Andy Griffith
Dick Van Dyke
Car 54 Where Are You?
Outer Limits
My Three Sons
Gilligan's Island
I Dream of Jeannie
Daniel Boone
Bewitched
F Troop
Gomer Pyle
Beverly Hillbillies
Petticoat Junction
Green Acres
Lost In Space
The Invaders
Star Trek
Addams Family
The Munsters
Brady Bunch
Garrison's Guerillas
Lassie
Gentle Ben
Captain Kangaroo
American Bandstand
Jonny Quest
Flintstones
Jetsons
Jackie Gleason Show
Dean Martin Show
Andy Williams Show
The Tonight Show
FBI
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Mission Impossible
Hawaii 5-0
Time Tunnel
Land of the Giants
Adam 12
Rat Patrol
Mannix
Dragnet
Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In
Room 222
Mary Tyler Moore
Night Gallery
The Sixth Sense
Carol Burnett Show
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Baloo
LSU Fan
Formerly MDGeaux
Member since Sep 2003
41135 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 9:32 am to Freauxzen)
quote:
But there was a lot of creativity in the 80s and 90s. Sure it wasn't bug budget, and none of it has aged particularly well, but they tried really hard to do different things.
They definitely built the foundation for the Golden Age, but even the best shows of that generation were still pretty formulaic and designed primarily to get into syndication, so the plot could never really advance. There's a few exceptions, and it's why Twin Peaks was such a game-changer, but even ambitious TV back then wasn't TOO ambitious. I think the best shows from that era were still ones that relied heavily on tropes and passive viewing.
I love Homicide and think it's one of the best things ever on TV, but it still did its best to reset after every episode. It's descendent is The Wire, which blows it away.
I will say that the 90s were a goldmine for the anti-sitcom. Probably the best era for that: Married with Children, Roseanne, and The Simpsons are probably the cream of the 80/90s crop. I will admit that it was the Golden Era for sitcoms.
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elprez00
New Orleans Saints Fan
Hammond, LA
Member since Sep 2011
6202 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 9:37 am to Baloo)
quote:
Homicide
Forgot about this one. Great show.
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Freauxzen
Wisc-Milwaukee Fan
Louisiana
Member since Feb 2006
16897 posts
Online
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 9:40 am to Baloo)
quote:
They definitely built the foundation for the Golden Age, but even the best shows of that generation were still pretty formulaic and designed primarily to get into syndication, so the plot could never really advance. There's a few exceptions, and it's why Twin Peaks was such a game-changer, but even ambitious TV back then wasn't TOO ambitious. I think the best shows from that era were still ones that relied heavily on tropes and passive viewing.
I'll agree with this. Good point.
quote:
I love Homicide and think it's one of the best things ever on TV, but it still did its best to reset after every episode. It's descendent is The Wire, which blows it away.
And this.
quote:
I will say that the 90s were a goldmine for the anti-sitcom. Probably the best era for that: Married with Children, Roseanne, and The Simpsons are probably the cream of the 80/90s crop. I will admit that it was the Golden Era for sitcoms.
And this.
Dammit Baloo!
Sitcoms in the 80s-90s, hour-longs in the 2000s, hard to argue with that.
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Zamoro10
Member since Jul 2008
10676 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 9:42 am to Methuselah)
'78-'94 - The Prime of all the great shows of all time.
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Baloo
LSU Fan
Formerly MDGeaux
Member since Sep 2003
41135 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 9:43 am to Freauxzen)
Sorry, Freaux. We almost disagreed on something other than Drive.
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Buddy Garrity 
Penn Fan
Dillon, Texas
Member since Mar 2013
1367 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 9:50 am to Methuselah)
add the first season or so of Friday Night Lights to the 2000s
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davesdawgs 
Georgia Fan
Georgia
Member since Oct 2008
10999 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 10:05 am to Methuselah)
It's hard to compare going back within my generation because there are just so many more shows now. Overall I think the quality of TV in the 2000's is not as good but considering there is limited time for even the most avid TV fan, today there a more good shows to watch in the cream of the crop. Here I'm thinking about the Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning shows like LOST, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Battlestar Galactica, Deadwood, Justified, Dexter, CSI, 24, House, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, The Shield, The West Wing, Six Feet Under, etc.; it's a long list. And for clarification, what I mean by the 2000's is shows starting anywhere from year 2000 to present which is why I included Game of Thrones and Justified which began in 2011 and 2010 respectively.
This post was edited on 3/20 at 10:15 am
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alajones
LSU Fan
Barksdale AFB
Member since Oct 2005
19284 posts
| re: What do you consider the "golden age" for television (Posted on 3/20/13 at 10:12 am to Methuselah)
Depends. I'd say the 80's and 90's was the Golden Age for sitcoms.
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