Raised on Television
- Episode aired Mar 31, 2016
- 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
204
YOUR RATING
VCRs, remote controls, family sitcoms, adult dramas, and prime-time soaps all changed TV enjoyment.VCRs, remote controls, family sitcoms, adult dramas, and prime-time soaps all changed TV enjoyment.VCRs, remote controls, family sitcoms, adult dramas, and prime-time soaps all changed TV enjoyment.
Photos
Willie Aames
- Self
- (archive footage)
Garth Ancier
- Self - President of Entertainment, Fox
- (archive footage)
Harry Anderson
- Self
- (archive footage)
Scott Baio
- Self
- (archive footage)
James Baker III
- Self - Former White House Chief of Staff
- (as James A. Baker III)
John Barbour
- Self - Host, 'Real People'
- (archive footage)
David Bianculli
- Self - Television Critic, 'Fresh Air'
- (as David Bianculi)
Larry Bird
- Self
- (archive footage)
Linda Bloodworth-Thomason
- Self - Creator, 'Designing Woman'
- (archive footage)
Björn Borg
- Self
- (archive footage)
Tom Brokaw
- Self - NBC News
- (archive footage)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAfter mentioning the fact that the 1983-4 season had no sitcoms in the Top 10 (true) they go on to speak as if shows like Cheers (1982) were a response to fill that void. The fact is that Cheers was in its second season at that time (finishing #35, after being #74 the first season).
- ConnectionsFeatures The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)
Featured review
A modest (but not boring) first step into the '80s
And here I'd thought I'd seen my fair share of TV shows in the '80s; evidently not the important ones. 'Raised on Television' covers everything from even TV ("Who Shot JR?" and the M*A*S*H finale) to the rebirth of the sitcom to the daytime talk show explosion (the material on both Donahue and Oprah was enlightening, and Morton Downey Jr. was a trip). The time devoted to "Miami Vice" was a pleasant surprise, but the other adult dramas were also interesting ("Hill Street Blues", "St. Elsewhere", etc).
I see now why they chopped this into two parts; it's a wealth of material.
To that end, the second half proves even more interesting. In discussing the retirement of trustworthy Walter Conkite (giving way to a younger generation of newscasters) there's a great talking head quote:
"The '80s may have been the last time where people watching the media liked and trusted the media"
It's a very relevant statement, which funnily enough precedes the segment on the birth of CNN (ugh, cable news; tell me that's not a pivot point in media history). But the episode also highlights how television started going in different directions during the '80s. I haven't seen a lot of the shows profiled here, so it made for a curious history lesson. It's interesting how you can trace our thirst for celebrity culture back to the premiere of "Entertainment Tonight".
7/10
I see now why they chopped this into two parts; it's a wealth of material.
To that end, the second half proves even more interesting. In discussing the retirement of trustworthy Walter Conkite (giving way to a younger generation of newscasters) there's a great talking head quote:
"The '80s may have been the last time where people watching the media liked and trusted the media"
It's a very relevant statement, which funnily enough precedes the segment on the birth of CNN (ugh, cable news; tell me that's not a pivot point in media history). But the episode also highlights how television started going in different directions during the '80s. I haven't seen a lot of the shows profiled here, so it made for a curious history lesson. It's interesting how you can trace our thirst for celebrity culture back to the premiere of "Entertainment Tonight".
7/10
helpful•20
- Mr-Fusion
- Mar 13, 2017
Details
- Runtime1 hour 37 minutes
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What is the broadcast (satellite or terrestrial TV) release date of Raised on Television (2016) in Australia?
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