Tuesday

With war, think
escapist television

During Vietnam, we had 'The Beverly Hillbillies'

By Ed Robertson

With war seeming so close, we can anticipate that Americans will be spending long hours watching cable news. But if history tells us anything, in their non-news hours they'll be searching out escapist fare of the most escapist kind.
That’s the way it was in the ‘60s during the Vietnam War.
    It was the era of witches and genies, Martians and Munsters, Maxwell Smart and Napoleon Solo, 99 and No. 6, the Movie Star and Mary Ann. Audiences turned to heroes with pointy ears (“Star Trek”), tight pants (“Wild, Wild West”) or pointy ears and tights (“Batman”).
   While we'll never see those shows again, we can certainly look to them to anticipate the sorts of fall shows the networks will be cooking up if the war in Iraq is still dragging on.
In times of upheaval, hot shows transport viewers to far more imaginary worlds, rather than the almost-real worlds -- the sitcoms -- that are popular during less stressful times.
   Westerns remained in vogue throughout the ‘60s, led by “Bonanza.” Also hot: the hokey “Lost in Space.”
   but also popular then were folksy, sentimental, remembering-America-as-it-never was sitcoms. Top sitcoms during Vietnam were “The Beverly Hillbillies,” an ode to the “strike it rich” great American fantasy, and “The Andy Griffith Show.” Other top 10 shows of the decade included “Gomer Pyle,” a GI comedy, and country-themed “Green Acres” and “Petticoat Junction.”
   These shows all shared the same themes, centering around family and everyday situations viewers could relate to.
   Look at the top comedies in the Gulf War era, and a similar pattern emerges. The simple, laid-back pace of “Northern Exposure” harkened back to the serenity of “Andy Griffith.”
   ABC’s lineup brimmed with “Roseanne,” “Home Improvement,” “Family Matters” and other comedies centered around family.
   Audiences in recent months have likewise favored the familiar and familial. “Friends” received a ratings boost in the months following 9/11. “Bernie Mac,” “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter” and, based on its early returns, “My Big Fat Greek Life” continue to breathe new life in the traditional family comedy.
   That would suggest more of the same in the months to come.
    Finally, television viewers look for certainty in times of uncertainty. That accounts for the staying power of cop shows against the backdrop of Vietnam, Watergate, the Gulf War and a reeling economy.
    Few things in life are more satisfying than forgetting your problems for an hour and watching a well-fashioned morality play, with clearly defined good guys and bad guys. The country may be at war, and you may be out of a job, but at least you know that Mannix, Rockford and Columbo will still get their man.
   Similarly, “Law and Order,” “NYPD Blue” and “Walker, Texas Ranger” all began their lengthy network runs amidst the recession of the early ‘90s. “CSI” has ushered in a new wave of police procedurals in the months following 9/11, including “Boomtown,” “Without a Trace” and the new “Dragnet.”
   Not surprisingly, the networks have more gumshoes in the works, including two shows that each have a familiar ring. Danny Glover is filming “The Henry Lee Project,” a pilot about an ex-cop who emerges as an private eye after 18 months in the slammer (think “Rockford Files” set in Oakland), while comedienne Brett Butler, of all people, is slated to star in an update of “McCloud.”
   Traditionally, May is the month when the networks announce their new lineups for the coming fall season. By that time, we may well be in the middle of another war.
   Assuming that’s the case, let’s see if the networks take their cue from history as they make their final choices.

-Ed Robertson is a writer from the San Francisco Bay Area who covers television.

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