Proud as a Peacock

Review by Mike Gange

Brought to You in Living Color

by Marc Robinson

Wiley, $77.50, 236 pages

One of media guru Marshall McLuhan’s famous quotes says a fish does not recognize it is in water until the water changes. McLuhan’s colourful metaphor would very aptly apply to television today; we don’t realize how much the medium has changed until we look back on where it has been.

Brought to you in Living Color

by Marc Robinson is an ostentatious retrospective of programmes broadcast on the NBC network over its 75 year history, but it is also a good indicator of how many of today’s programmes are rooted in the past. For example, the voice over at the beginning of Law and Order saying “In the criminal justice system the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups…” is an updated version of the monotone opening of Dragnet that said “This is the city. I work here. I carry a badge. My name’s Friday.” The impertinent “You are the weakest link, good-bye” from host Anne Robinson is no less shattering or insensitive than Chuck Barris’ boisterous verdict delivered on The Gong Show. And the sophomoric humour on Late Night with Conan O’Brien mirrors Steve Allen’s intellect and audience interaction the old The Tonight Show.

 

 

In brief two and four page vignettes and thousands of photos, Robinson chronicles hundreds of NBC’s shows and stars. Many have been unparalleled success stories, like Seinfeld and Cheers, both of which ended their series while in the Neilson Top Ten. Other little items make for interesting reading, too. In April 1992, for instance, The Cosby Show almost did not go to air for its finale, because of the previous day’s acquittal of four white police officers in the Rodney King beating. Bill Cosby even taped a public service announcement that aired immediately after the show, asking viewers “to pray for a better tomorrow, which starts today.”

According to Robinson, several NBC comedies have become cultural icons for whole generation of fans. Saturday Night Live debuted in 1975, hit great heights, fell out of favour, and became a hit once again, favorite viewing for a hip, urban, edgy audience, the first TV generation, he says. Frasier similarly made a connection with viewers faced with caring for their aging parents, trying to recover from divorce or launching a new career. It proved to be genius to have Frasier, the oddball intellectual on a show about barflies, the character to be spun-off from Cheers.

Although out of favour with viewers now, the mythology of the tough-guy cowboy is explored by Robinson, too. Like the burning map in the opening credits, the show Bonanza burned its way into North American consciousness as the Cartwrights did their weekly civic duty. On many occasions, Bonanza scripts went beyond good versus evil, as the show explored issues like alcoholism and racism. Bonanza is largely credited with helping to establish the credibility of colour television; Sunday night viewers were told for 14 years that “Bonanza was brought to you in living colour.” Over the years, NBC also had its share of other cowboy shows, including The Virginian, Tales of Wells Fargo, Laramie and Wagon Train. While this list seems long, it is really only a fair part of the westerns on TV at that time, for during the 1958-59 TV season alone, there were 31 westerns on TV.

Brought to you in Living Color

is unabashedly American – it is NBC, after all. But it is also a merry historical ride. And for once, here’s ammunition against those who say there is nothing good on TV today and everything was better in the good old days. They would be wrong on both counts.

 

 

 

Mike Gange teaches media studies and journalism at Fredericton High.

 

 

 

 

Tags: Bonanza, Cheers, Cosby Show, Living Color, Marc Robinson, McLuhan, NBC TV, Review by Mike Gange, Saturday Night Live, Wiley books