of work to do and this bench needs to go over there. but we just moved it over here. don t question my authority, thanks! we talk about race and culture in serious ways. that is important. discussing these things in a sitcom, you are not offensive. you are able to take in new ideas. the family was doing something that nobody had ever done. we are talking about having one of the biggest bigots in america and having a black man coming to his house. you see my daughter gloria standing over there and her husband mike? it was electrifying! i was tangling the whole time. he is sitting there going you are watching kind of a master class in reflecting humanity. it was revolutionary in a lot of ways. all in the family change the way we think about society. that s the picture of sammy davis. to archie bunker, the whitest guy i know. you realize that norman lear is taking us into a whole new realm of comedy. my father used to tell my mother, jeanette, it
ralph: baby, you re the greatest. sara k. eskridge: we like to think of ourselves as a classless society. and in postwar america, that was more true than ever. but at the same time, there are all of these little tells. there s obviously your job. what kind of house you live in. what kind of clothes you wear. what kind of car you drive. opie: hey gomer! gomer: hey o! sara k. eskridge: but one of the biggest tells for class was actually a southern accent. opie: can i use your hose? gomer: help yourself, what s in there is free, we do make a charge for gas though. daniel de vise: and that north south divide became an inspiration for all of these rural sitcoms. [whistling] daniel de vise: the whistled theme, of the andy griffith show, coupled with that bucolic image of andy and opie makes you think of small-town americana in a simpler time. aunt bea: anybody ready for some lunch? andy and barney: we sure are.
elizabeth meriwether: but the characters were caricatures of rural people and it became very hokey. marsha: you looking at people sitting in their, high rise offices in new york. showing the north, what they thought people in the south were. daniel de vise: they all had pretty high ratings and cbs became known as the country broadcasting system. sara k. eskridge: but in the late 60s. the ratings and demographic tools improve significantly. and networks were able to see the ages, the education level. what kinds of jobs, ah, the people who were viewing the shows have. jennifer keishin armstrong: so, the more they could refine that, the more the advertisers wanted young, professional, wealthy people. jim mckairnes: in 1970, cbs begins what is both affectionately and derogatorily known as the rural purge. jeff garlin: they canceled all those shows that had huge ratings on cbs.
levy: the premise itself was so funny and smart. the first thing you know, ol d jed s a millionaire. the kin folk said jed move away from there, said california is the place you oughta be. so, they loaded up the truck and they moved to beverly. drysdale: well, here we are. i hope you re going to like this place i picked out for you. cedric: like hitting the lottery, it s like that idea that we all kind of wish life would happen for us. jethro: uncle jed. guess what? there is a whole other house up here. valerie bertinelli: absolutely love the beverly hillbillies. it was, you know, the typical fish out of water. jethro: granny? when we s done washing, can i go swim in the cement pond? sara k. eskridge: the beverly hillbillies is a commentary on upward mobility and the consumerism that comes with it. jed: yes sir, mr. drysdale, i finally took your advice and put some of my money into stock. sara k. eskridge: these hillbillies, even though they might come across as lower c
what they thought people in the south were. daniel de vise: they all had pretty high ratings and cbs became known as the country broadcasting system. sara k. eskridge: but in the late 60s. the ratings and demographic tools improve significantly. and networks were able to see the ages, the education level. what kinds of jobs, ah, the people who were viewing the shows have. jennifer keishin armstrong: so, the more they could refine that, the more the advertisers wanted young, professional, wealthy people. jim mckairnes: in 1970, cbs begins what is both affectionately and derogatorily known as the rural purge. jeff garlin: they canceled all those shows that had huge ratings on cbs. daniel de vise: and norman lear, arrived to take their place with realistic shows about working class people, in the big city. edith: your father lost his job today.