Figure 1.--
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Figure 1.-- |
It is interesting to note that until the more liberated 1970s or even 80s, virtually all the TV-programs with child leads were about boys. Here there are quite a number. We can think of virtually no programs at all comparable to the programs with boy leads. There were several programs with boy and girl leads or boys and girls in the family, but almost no programs with a girl lead. We are not sure why there was a gender difference in early TV programing. Several factors come to mind.
It is interesting to note that until the more liberated 1970s or even 80s, virtually all the TV-programs with child leads were about boys. Here there are quite a number. Some of the most prominent that come to mind are: Dennis in "Dennis the Menace", Timmy in "Lassie", Beaver and Wally in "Leave it to Beaver", Joey in "Fury", and various boys in "My Three Sons". There were several others. We also note that the serials on the "Mickey Mouse Club" were primarily about boys, series such as "Spin and Marty", "Clint and Mark", and "Gallager".
We can think of virtually no programs at all comparable to the programs with boy leads. There were several programs with boy and girl leads or boys and girls in the family, but almost no programs with a girl lead. The only one we can think of at this time is the very forgetable and short-lived "A Date with Judy" (1952-53). nother ptogram was "National Velvet" (1960-62). Not only did neither program last very long, but only TV scholars would remember these programs.
We are not sure why there was a gender difference in early TV programing. It may well have been that TV writers, mostly men in early TV thought that they could write more interesting plots about boys than girls. It may have also been a business decission. It is likely that few boys would want to watch progreams about girls, while girls are more willing to watch programs bout boys. The same may be tue of fathers. Thus potentially a program with a boy lead could theoretically attract a larger audiece. (The same phenomenon, at explain why there are more male comic book characters (like Mickey Mouse and Superman). It is not accident thast it was the Mickey and not the Minnie Moue Club. Of course there is Minney Mouse and Superwoman, but sales pale in compaison to the male counterpart. And there are more male corporate mascots (like Tony the Tiger). There may wll be othr factors and HBC would be interested in readr thoughts.
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