Category Archives: TV

Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In

“Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In (often simply referred to as Laugh-In) is an American sketch comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBCtelevision network, hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick … Continue reading

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Wayback Machine (Peabody’s Improbable History)

“The Wayback Machine or WABAC Machine is a fictional time machine from the segment ‘Peabody’s Improbable History’, a recurring feature of the 1960s cartoon series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. The Wayback Machine is a plot device used to transport … Continue reading

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60 Minutes

“60 Minutes is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style of … Continue reading

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Marcuse and the 1960s ‘New Left’: the politics of impatience

Herbert Marcuse May 2021: “At the beginning of the 1960s, the protracted post-war economic boom gave the illusion that capitalism had resolved all its boom-slump problems of the past, and had now reached the pinnacle of civilised development. In the … Continue reading

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Ayn Rand in America’s Living Rooms: The Tonight Show, 1967

“‘I’m chronically happy,’ said Ayn Rand to Johnny Carson. It was December 13, 1967, and Rand had just sat down for her third interview with the popular late-night host. Her comment was a response to Carson’s observation that other people … Continue reading

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Shindig!

“Shindig! is an American musical variety series which aired on ABC from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966. The show was hosted by Jimmy O’Neill, a disc jockey in Los Angeles, who also created the show along with his … Continue reading

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Twilight Zone Dispatch: The Last Stop and the Book of Revelation

“Clarence Larkin’s commentary on THE BOOK OF REVELATION is written LIKE THIS, crafted with occasional capitalizations to emphasize IMAGES and TERMS. Reading it doesn’t feel like being shouted at but rather kind and intimate, as though he’s DIRECTING our attention … Continue reading

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Spy film

From Russia with Love (1963) “The spy film genre, also known sometimes as an espionage film, deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of John le Carré) or as a basis … Continue reading

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Perry Mason (TV series)

“Perry Mason is an American legal drama series originally broadcast on CBS television from September 21, 1957, to May 22, 1966. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer who originally appeared in detective … Continue reading

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Laugh track

Charles “Charley” Douglass “A laugh track (or laughter track) is a separate soundtrack for a recorded comedy show containing the sound of audience laughter. In some productions, the laughter is a live audience response instead; in the United States, where … Continue reading

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The Prisoner (1967)

“The Prisoner is a 1967 British avant-garde social science fiction television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors try to find out why he abruptly resigned from … Continue reading

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Hunter S. Thompson vs. To Tell the Truth (1967)

“… In what is perhaps the most gloriously absurd author/game show crossover, a contractually-obligated (?) Hunter S. Thompson and his two impostors tread the boards before perennial To Tell the Truth panelists Peggy Cass, Kitty Carlisle, and Tom Poston. … … Continue reading

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Soupy Sales

“Milton Supman (January 8, 1926 – October 22, 2009), known professionally as Soupy Sales, was an American comedian, actor, radio/television personality, and jazz aficionado. He was best known for his local and network children’s television show Lunch with Soupy Sales … Continue reading

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Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner

“Wile E. Coyote (also known simply as ‘the Coyote’) and the Road Runner are a duo of cartoon characters from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. In each episode, the Coyote repeatedly attempts to catch and subsequently … Continue reading

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The Twilight Zone

“The Twilight Zone (marketed as Twilight Zone for its final two seasons) is an American anthology television series created and presented by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. Each episode presents a stand-alone … Continue reading

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Batman (TV)

“Batman is a 1960s American live action television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Bruce Wayne / Batman and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson / Robin – two crime-fighting … Continue reading

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Steve Allen

“Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television personality, radio personality, musician, composer, actor, comedian, writer, and advocate of scientific skepticism. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-creator and first host … Continue reading

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Peyton Place (TV series)

“Peyton Place is an American prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964, to June 2, 1969. Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by … Continue reading

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Star Trek: The Original Series

“Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) to distinguish the show … Continue reading

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5 surprising things that 1960s TV changed

By 1960, television was firmly entrenched as America’s new hearth. Close to 90% of households had a TV, making the device almost ubiquitous. The ensuing decade would see the medium grow in both importance and range. “… And oh yeah, … Continue reading

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The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends

“The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends is the blanket title for an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964, on the ABC and NBC television networks. … Produced by Jay … Continue reading

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