by Pete Langenfeld

Created on: May 28, 2009   Last Updated: May 29, 2009

People call the 1950s the golden age of television because that's what they want to believe, not necessarily because it's true. People want to think that things were better back then. It's all in the perception of the viewer.

While some may argue that "Bonanza" and "Howdy Doody" can't be beaten for quality television and that t.v. today lacks the greatness of shows gone by, some would call that shortsighted.

I believe that, if by nothing more than sheer volume, television today is leaps and bounds ahead of the programming from other eras. It is hard to argue with the writing of shows like "Rescue Me" or "The Sopranos". If you're looking for originality then there are shows like "Dexter" and "Six Feet Under".

There are those who believe that those shows may go too far in their content and I couldn't argue the point. It's all in the eye of the viewer. But if someone were to take a step back and look at shows, not from the idea of whether they personally liked the show, but the overall quality of the show, I think the debate may change.

Part of the debate I hear is that television today is not original enough, too many CSIs, too many reality shows. When I look at television from the 50s I can see the same problem. The main staples of programming could be divided three ways; there were variety shows (Your Show of Shows, Milton Berle, Jackie Gleason and a host of others), there were westerns (Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Bonanza and Have Gun Will Travel, etc.), and sitcoms (Leave it to Beaver, My Little Margie, The Donna Reed Show, etc.). There is not a lot of originality in that programming.

If you look at the offerings on cable television today there is something for almost everyone. There is the family dysfunction of the Tuetel family on "American Choppers", there is science (and making it fun to learn) on "MythBusters". There is high quality drama on TNT's "The Closer". There is "Little People, Big World" and the idea of seeing life through the eyes of someone different. There are well done sitcoms on the the big four networks. Not everything meets the taste of everyone, but if you look hard enough there is always something to find.

The idea of originality has sometimes eluded me. There are times that you can take the same formula (sitcom family for example) and make it a success over and over, it just depends on how well you do the show. In format, there is little difference between "Leave it to Beaver", "The Cosby Show" and "Growing Pains", two parents, kids

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