The 1950s, considered the Golden Age of Television, showcased some of the best sitcoms of all time. Many of the best sitcoms of the 1950s present a picture of the American family, funny and unforgettable women, and African-American people on their own television shows. They also introduced technological advances in filming. These shows included remarkable people with memorable names like Lucy, Ricky, Ralph, Ozzie, and Harriett, and they serve as symbols of the early days of television sitcoms.

I Love Lucy

I Love Lucy is undisputedly the best sitcom of the 1950s and one of the best of all time. This show featured Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, the first interracial couple on television, and their life in New York City. It was the perfect combination of quick-witted dialogue and slapstick. In many episodes, Lucy tried desperately to become an entertainer and had multiple schemes with her best friend, Ethel. One of the best episodes of all time was the one with the candy factory. Lucy was also the first woman make her real-life pregnancy part of the plot of the show. It was the first show to be taped using the multi-camera setup used in movie filming.

Amos 'n' Andy

Once a popular radio show, Amos 'n' Andy was the first show on television in which the main characters were African American and not in roles of maids and servants. Like I Love Lucy, it used the multi-camera setup four months prior to the Lucille Ball series. Although this series was an important step for African Americans, people criticized the show because they felt it negatively stereotyped them. The efforts of groups like the NAACP helped get the show canceled, and it has never aired on television again. Whether people want to believe or not, this show set the stage for shows like The Jefferson's and The Cosby Show.

The Honeymooners

Although the show only had 39 episodes, it seems like it has been on forever. The Honeymooners was probably the first television comedy to show the life of a blue collar, working class man. Ralph Kramden, played by Jackie Gleason, was New York City bus driver living in a small apartment with his wife Alice, played by Audrey Meadows. Like most comedies, he has an annoying and clumsy neighbor to contend with. Although Ralph is often loud and brash, deep inside, he wanted to make a better life for him and his wife. The Honeymooners is one of the best sitcoms of the 1950s because it set the stage for many comedies that depicted working class people.

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

Before famous families displayed their lives on reality television shows, Ozzie and Harriet and their two sons, Ricky and David, starred in this sitcom of the 1950s. The show was a fictionalization of ideal family life in the decade. This television sitcom helped create the teen idol, as well, with Ricky breaking away from the pack because of his all-American good looks and boy-next-door image. This series helped launch his music career. People may make fun of the idealism created by this and other family-oriented shows, but The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet continues to be the longest-running live action sitcom on U.S. television.

The best sitcoms of the 1950s represent a cross-section of the type of entertainment offered at that time. All of them represented the different types of families that existed on the television spectrum. In addition to introducing the world to the American family, these shows introduced new technologies that helped them still be viewed today. In this golden age of television, these sitcoms set the stage for changes that would continue occurring on television.

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