CrazyAboutTV
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Joined: 05 Aug 2005
Posts: 1153
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| Television Firsts Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:17 pm |
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If you do an internet search on this question, you'll get numerous answers. The most common claims to being the first TV series where a couple share the same bed are: "The Flintstones", "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet", "Bewitched", "I Love Lucy", "The Munsters", "Green Acres", and "The Brady Bunch" plus several others.
One possible answer, however, seems to be one you probably don't know. Many people who watched the series, "Mary, Kay, and Johnny" claim that the main cast members (a married couple) appeared in bed together on a regular basis. If that's true (and it seems likely due to the large number of witnesses) then that series wins the prize. It aired from 1947 through 1950, long before any other series' episodes claiming the title were broadcast. Unfortunately, there is no recording of any of that old series' episodes, so it can't be proven beyond a doubt. Interestingly, "Mary, Kay, and Johnny" is also credited by many as being the first series to show a pregnant woman and it definitely was the first ever sitcom! It does make sense that this early series might have gotten away with some things that later series could not. With television being such a new medium, it's likely that the adoption of the "Hays Code" which governed morality in the movies, had not yet been fully implemented into the television industry.
The next likely candidate would be fourth season "I Love Lucy" episode titled, "First Stop". In it, Ethel and Fred Mertz have to deal with a sagging mattress at a motel. Many people feel that this shouldn't qualify because it was a one-time occurence and Fred was "stuck" in the bed in a manner that would have made any "romance" impossible, but Fred and Ethel definitely were in the same bed together. Maybe someone who remembers this episode could explain further. That was also the first "I Love Lucy" episode to contain scenes filmed outside the studio.
For years Florence Henderson, (Carol Brady) of "The Brady Bunch" stated that she and co-star Robert Reed were first but that's definitely wrong. Several other shows are verified before that.
There is also argument about whether the beds were two doubles or one single ... whether animated characters like The Flintstones should count, etc.
So who was actually the first? It depends on whether some facts are correct and on your point of view.
Last edited by CrazyAboutTV on Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:22 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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