Those of you that have been around the block a time or two can attest to the fact that televisions has changed a lot over the years.  That is probably an understatement.  When television was first invented there was one channel and even that was fuzzy.  People would hover around the set watching whatever was on.  Variety shows were big back then and other family shows.  As time went on rules about what could and could not be said and done on television appeared.  While growing up I remember seeing a lot of cops and robber shows.  You may think that was a very violent thing for a child to watch, but those shows were very different back then.  When people were shot there was not blood and guts the way there is now.  You heard, “bang!, bang!” and that bad buy would fall down holding his chest.  Television is much more graphic now in many ways.  Over the years different shows created episodes that pushed the boundaries.  Check out 10 TV shows that pushed the envelope.

1. I Love Lucy: Many consider this show one of the best shows ever made.  You had a white woman married to a Latin man just for starters.  Not to mention that Lucy wasn’t exactly the typical little woman.
2. Ozzie and Harriet: To conform to the rules of the time, married couples had to sleep in twin beds.  Ozzie and Harriet were the first couple to be shown “sleeping” in the same bed.  Considering what we see people doing in bed on television today this point seems almost comical.
3. Star Trek: The episode aired in 1968 and was the first biracial kiss.  The kiss was between Captain Kirk played by William Shatner and Lieutenant O’Hura.  Black actors were not all that common in the 60’s and there was a lot of racist people who felt that blacks and whites should stick to their own kind.  It was really pushing the envelope when we see two of the main characters in a lip lock.
4. All in the Family: A very controversial show that ran from 1971 to 1979.  The show starring Carol O’Connor as Archie Bunker tackled issues of religion, bigotry, rape, homosexuality, the Viet Nam war and many others.  It was hard to understand how such a controversial show could be rated as the number one show for five years.
5. Maude: Airing in 1972-1978 this show touched on the very sticky issue of abortion.  The show starred actress Bea Arthur and she played a 45-year-old woman who found herself pregnant later in life and opted to have an abortion.  The airing of this show preceded the landmark ruling of Roe vs. Wade legalizing abortion.
6. Thirty Something: This show about a group of people in their thirties and all of the trials and challenges they were going through at that time in their lives.  Many issues were discussed on this show, but they have the claim to fame of showing two men in a bed for the first time.  It was obvious to the viewer that they had just had sex, but nothing was shown beyond just the two men in the same bed.
7. Soap: A funny spoof on in the late 70’s includes the first reoccurring gay character on a television show; none other than Billy Crystal played the character.
8. Roseanne: Long running sit-com starring Roseanne Barr had the first reoccurring lesbian character played by Sandra Bernhard who revealed she was a lesbian on the show in 1991.
9. Northern Exposure: This drama about living in Alaska dealt with several issues facing homosexuals.  From the misunderstanding and prejudice of homosexuality overall and how people discriminate against homosexuals.  This show also aired the first gay marriage of two men.
10. Glee: Many topics important to teenagers have been addressed on this show.  Many people think it’s just a fluff show about singing, but it’s not.  They have addressed teen drinking in a very poignant way as well as sex.  One of the main characters is gay and the viewers have watched as he came out to his father, struggled with the unknowns about gay sex and on a recent episode he kissed his first boyfriend.  Teenagers have a lot of questions and this show is trying to tackle them in a non-threatening, non-preachy sort of way. I for one applaud their efforts.