IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS: The Silver FOX

When I was little and it came to Broadcast Television, there were ONLY 3 networks: The Alphabet (ABC), The Eye (CBS) and The Peacock (NBC).  By the mid-to-late 1980s, each of "the big three" had cornered their own niche audience.  ABC aired several family-friendly shows (like The Wonder Years and Full House) plus other more mature fare for their 10PM time slots (see Moonlighting or thirtysomething).  CBS seemed to have a wider audience but with special attention to both older demographics (especially with their Sunday schedule: 60 Minutes and Murder, She Wrote) and female audiences (with primetime soaps like Dallas and female-led sitcoms like Designing Women).  And then NBC, who also had a wide audience, aired shows that were especially popular with both the critics AND the Emmy Awards (sitcoms like Cheers, The Cosby Show or The Golden Girls and dramas like Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere or L.A. Law).

But there seemed to be one audience that was being ignored, at least as far as the powers-that-be at the 20th Century Fox studio were concerned.  Several people (who were around college-age), were looking for programs that catered to their humor, to their style or even to their subversive nature.  And so, a fledgling network was born.  And now 25 years later, "the big three" have expanded into "the big four" (technically "the big five" when you count The CW, but it's not their anniversary!).  In honor of FOX's 25th Anniversary, I would like to take you through their brief history by sharing with you what I believe are the 25 shows that have shaped FOX into what it is today.  Some of them you could probably name right off and others are more like afterthoughts, but all 25 of them made their mark in the network's landscape and helped to re-shape what modern Television is all about.

IN THE BEGINNING...

Married...With Children

21 Jump Street

The Simpsons

These are the shows that birthed FOX.  Married...With Children first aired on April 5, 1987 and 21 Jump Street aired a week later.  The Simpsons first aired as animated shorts between the sketches on Tracey Ullman's comedy-variety show (which aired after Married...With Children) before gaining their very own animated sitcom two years later (a show that is still running today, by the way!).  Married... was especially different as its humor was extremely controversial and graphic showing the complete dysfunction of the Bundy clan.  21 Jump Street, which is now more famous for launching the career of a man named Johnny Depp, was compared in its gritty style to NBC's Hill Street Blues but had a younger appeal.  And as mentioned earlier, the history of The Simpsons is in some way the history of FOX itself.

LEGAL REALITIES
America's Most Wanted
COPS
With a subversive sitcoms (both live and animated) and gritty cop dramas, FOX wanted to jump-the-gun (no pun intended!) before the reality show blitzkrieg.  With both the FBI-led America's Most Wanted and the police docu-series COPS, FOX really was a forerunner before the other networks decided to produce cheaper (and more popular) reality shows.

STEAMY SPELLING SOAPS

Beverly Hills, 90210

Melrose Place

When Johnny Depp left 21 Jump Street to have a film career, FOX needed some shows that had the same youth/teen appeal.  Enter Aaron Spelling (who had massive hits with ABC like Charlie's Angels, Dynasty and The Love Boat).  He was also looking to market programs to a teen audience (and one that could feature is young daughter in the cast!). With the original 90210 in 1990 and Melrose Place two years later, Spelling seemed to define teen viewing in the 1990s.

SKETCH-Y DIVERSITY

In Living Color

MADtv

By the early 1990s, NBC had cornered the market in comedy-variety with Saturday Night Live (which by then had been running over 15 years!).  FOX began with a variety show starring Tracey Ullman, but when that show's animated shorts eclipsed it in popularity, Ullman found herself without a job.  But a few years later, comedian Keenan Ivory Wayans and his pals (including his brother Damon and sister Kim) created a sketch comedy series that appealed to a different audience...a multicultural audience.  With its brash style and SNL-like sketches, the young cast of In Living Color became comedy superstars (especially Jim Carrey, then known as "James Carrey").  They even had hip-hop dancers known as the Fly Girls that personified their show's style (one of them was a young Jennifer Lopez!).  In Living Color's popularity inspired FOX to try their hand at late night variety (to compete with SNL) and thence MADtv was born.

BRING IN 'DA FUNNY

Martin

Living Single

Fresh off the success of In Living Color, FOX wanted to have more comedy shows that appealed to African-American audiences.  Comedian Martin Lawrence, with his many different personalities, had a very successful sitcom that centered around his in-your-face style.  To follow that, Living Single focused on the lives of 4 single African-American women (which included rap star Queen Latifah, former Facts of Life star Kim Fields and In Living Color regular Kim Coles).  Both shows are still quite popular in syndication on various cable networks and are fondly remembered by those of us who grew up with these shows that helped change the face of sitcoms in the '90s.

RE-DEFINING THE GENRES (AND THE EMMYS!)

The X-Files

Ally McBeal

As I said above, NBC seemed to have the Emmy market covered with shows like Cheers, L.A. Law, Seinfeld and E.R. throughout my growth into adulthood.  But FOX was fearless in trying to gain support from audiences and critics when it came to getting awards.  With the sci-fi drama The X-Files, FOX had a major contender.  Audiences took to it with rabid fascination and soon the awards followed.  Emmys finally recognized it with a Best Drama Series nomination in its third season (1995) and two years later star Gillian Anderson won Best Actress in a Drama (making it the first major Emmy for FOX to win!).  To follow that, David E. Kelley's romantic-dramedy Ally McBeal caused a pop culture fervor with its short skirts and dancing babies.  The show became the first FOX series to win the top prize in 1999 when its second season received Best Comedy Series over the likes of Friends, Frasier and Everybody Loves Raymond.

THE SIMPSONS HAVE SOME COMPANY

King of the Hill

Family Guy

The Simpsons opened so many doors for FOX and they knew it.  In the late 1990s, the network started to build around the flagship series by creating an entire night of animated shows.  Of the many animated sitcoms that have popped in and out around The Simpsons' popularity, two of them seemed to stick with audiences (and even some critics!).  King of the Hill,  from Beavis and Butt-head creator Mike Judge, had a homespun humor and was more sitcom-oriented than even The Simpsons (with lessons learned at the end of every episode for both conservative propane dealer Hank Hill and his march-to-his-own-drummer son Bobby).  Then there is Family Guy, Seth MacFarlane's raunchy and even-more subversive sitcom with its cutaway gags and ten-times the dysfunction of anyone in The Simpsons' hometown of Springfield.  Both shows seemed to strengthen The Simpsons' popularity (and quality!) and therefore made themselves more prominent in the minds of those wanting a break from typical live-action fare.

STAR-MAKING COMEDIES

That 70s Show

Malcolm In the Middle

Not to be completely dominated by animated sitcoms, FOX wanted to branch out with ensemble-heavy live-action comedies.  With a nostalgic throwback (like its inspiration Happy Days), That 70s Show made stars out of its young ensemble which included Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis.  The show, which ended its run in 2006, is still extremely popular in syndicated airings.  It is one of FOX's most popular shows in syndication (third only to The Simpsons and Family Guy).  FOX's other popular live-action sitcom was Malcolm In the Middle.  Similar to Married...With Children by showing the chaos of a semi-dysfunctional family, the show was very popular with audiences and garnered several Emmy nods for the two actors playing the parents Jane Kaczmarek and Bryan Cranston.  Both actors have since shown their character-actor mettle on various projects from sitcoms to dramatic series to films (with Cranston winning 3 Emmys - so far! - for his dramatic work on AMC's critical hit Breaking Bad).

THE NEW CENTURY BRINGS MORE EMMYS

24

Arrested Development

In the 2000s, bolstered by the major Emmy wins The X-Files and Ally McBeal garnered in the previous decade, FOX was not going to let it lie at just those two.  With the action-packed spy-thriller series 24, FOX had a series that grabbed the critics' attention with its fascinating hook.  The entire season of the show (24 episodes) was one hour of one day, constituting the series to basically flow in "real time."  Season 5, known as "Day 5" in show's lexicon, was the highest rated season and won Best Drama Series (over major contenders like NBC's The West Wing and HBO's The Sopranos) as well as Best Actor in a Drama for star Kiefer Sutherland.  As for Arrested Development, the short-lived but critically-beloved sitcom, the show put FOX back on Emmys radar after Ally McBeal ended.  In 2003, Arrested Development's first season beat out Frasier and Everybody Loves Raymond to the Best Comedy Series prize.

FOX'S NEWER YOUTH APPEAL

The O.C.

American Idol

In the 2000s, the youth culture that FOX first appealed to back when it first began was now what you would call middle-aged.  To grab that younger market that has since become an all-important demographic in the ratings race, FOX went back to "square one" with an Aaron Spelling-style teen drama.  For four years in the middle of the decade, The O.C. became a pop culture phenomenon especially with teen audiences as the show centered around rich teens in Orange County and their bitter rivalries.  But FOX's major hit with younger audiences was a little show that was basically a singing competition.  American Idol, which was the U.S. version of the European hit Pop Idol, has dominated FOX Broadcasting over the past decade.  With its crazy judges (Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul!) and star-making eliminations (from Kelly Clarkson to Carrie Underwood!), the show's power cannot be denied.  Even with new judges (including former Fly Girl Jennifer Lopez!), the show still manages to garner the attention of a massive audience that craves reality competitions.  Idol even has its copycats from NBC's The Voice to FOX's new Simon Cowell-import The X-Factor.

FOX'S PROCEDURAL STAPLES

House M.D.

Bones

Who said CBS could be the masters of procedural Television?  FOX, thanks to both The X-Files and 24, have built part of their current reputation around shows that solve the case within the hour, the procedural.  And they went beyond the typical police procedural that CBS was so good at (see CSI or NCIS).  They branched it out into medical science and forensic anthropology.  Led by a more dramatic Hugh Laurie, House M.D. was about a grouchy and people-repellent diagnostician who could solve any case put before him no matter how strange.  After 8 years, Laurie is hanging up his cane and stethoscope as Dr. House after garnering 6 Emmy nominations (with a possible 7th to come!).  Bones, House's sometime partner, centered on the genius-like mind of forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperence "Bones" Brennan and her knack for solving crimes with her FBI partner Sealy Booth.  The character was loosely based on a lead character from the books by noted anthropologist Kathy Reichs (Brennan being a character she loosely based on herself!).

RE-DEFINING THE GENRES (YET AGAIN!)

Fringe

Glee

Like The X-Files did in the 1990s, Fringe is once again re-defining what a sci-fi drama can be about.  Part procedural (like Bones) but also part soap-opera drama (with its romantic entanglements and familial estrangements), Fringe is a complete original with its exploration of parallel universes and Roswell-ian creatures.  The show has a large and vocal fanbase that has kept this "bubble show" going for four years and may very well get it a fifth season renewal.  And like they did with Ally McBeal in the late '90s, FOX is once again re-defining the modern dramedy.  Let us not forget Glee!  Ryan Murphy's uber-popular (at least in its first season!) mega-musical comedy-drama has garnered so much attention that people have gotten sick of it fairly quickly (teen suicide storylines don't help either!).  But the series has made its impression and will probably stick around for a fourth and maybe even fifth season (that teen market has money to burn people!).  It also has pioneered (or at least co-pioneered) the use of other media when it comes to promoting the show (particularly iTunes and YouTube!).

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY FOX!

You have made TV life very interesting for the past 25 years!

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS: What Will Be Remembered?

Over this past weekend, I was on a little trip for a family gathering and a very interesting question was posed that I felt just had to be the topic of my next post: What media works of today will be remembered in about 50 years?  Now initially the question was referring to Television programs, but I decided to expand it into Movies, Music artists and (being a Broadway Baby!) Broadway shows.  In order to answer this question, I had to think of what (in each of those categories) is considered the most memorable and compare contemporary works to the legacy of those most memorable (it seems a bit unfair, but it is the best way to do it!).

Let's begin with Television.  When it comes to TV, no show will probably ever have the legacy that I Love Lucy has had.  Thanks to years of constant reruns and a multitude of people (especially women) singing the praises of Lucille Ball and her comic antics, the show has gained an iconic status that really no other TV series (sitcom or drama) will ever touch.  When you think of other shows over the years that can even come close, the "usual suspects" crop up: Bonanza, All In the Family, The Cosby Show, Seinfeld and even The Simpsons.  And of all of those, only the latter still has new episodes currently airing.  So what other shows of today even have a shot of being remembered in even 20 years?  Two of the first shows that popped into my mind (basically because of their unique qualities that are now trying to be copied on rival networks!) are the critically favored cable drama Mad Men and the extremely popular musical dramedy Glee.  But because of behind-the-scenes drama (on both shows!) and sagging storylines, the shows are showing signs of  trouble living up to their earlier successes and therefore may just end up becoming footnotes in the history of early 21st Century TV.  The same can be said for shows like 30 Rock or Modern Family (each universally considered two of the best sitcoms on Television today!) as they have had some trouble keeping the same "fire" they had in their respective first seasons.  And when it comes to dramas, most of the shows that are popular are police procedurals or part of a "franchise" like Law & Order or CSI.  Of the Reality TV contingent (cause let's face it, Reality TV will be remembered in some way or another!), the one with the clearest shot at memorability is American Idol as it has spawned a number of copycat shows which have become equally popular (re: The Voice or The X-Factor).  Only time will tell if any of these shows will even come as close to Lucy's legacy (or even Seinfeld's!).  The thing that has had a bigger impact on TV in the last ten years and will most definitely be remembered will be the advances in online viewing, in particular YouTube.  But that is probably a topic for another day, so on to the Movies!

When it comes to the classics in film, Oscar-winners like Gone With the Wind and Casablanca are two of the biggest icons.  In the late 20th Century, they were joined by films like The Godfather and Star Wars.  But of the films of today, the ones that make money are the surefire fan-based blockbusters like Avatar or the Harry Potter films or current box-office champ The Hunger Games.  And the ones that win awards lately have tended to be more charming or poignant independent fare like The Artist or The King's Speech or The Hurt Locker (the latter has the lowest box-office take of any Best Picture winner!).  Like I Love Lucy above, Gone With the Wind was a game-changer.  And when it comes to film, the game-changers get remembered.  Too many of the ones I just listed from the last 10 years are copying the same trends in which Hollywood studios just love to take part.  And when it comes to trends, just take a look at the Music business!

Elvis is the first name on a long list of Music icons we will never forget.  Among other members of that list include Michael Jackson, Madonna and, of course, The Beatles.  Like in movies, game-changers get remembered.  But does Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber count as game-changers.  Lady Gaga has the multitudes of Twitter followers, Bieber has the legacy of YouTube in his backstory and someone like Taylor Swift has the love and support of millions of little girls (despite the accusations of using auto-tuning!).  Compare them to the likes of more talented performers like Adele or Rihanna.  Or compare them to more controversial (yet still talented) artists like Kanye West or Bon Iver.  When it comes to Music these days, critical acclaim is taken into account as much as popularity.  And with so many possibilities, its hard to decipher which group or artist will be remembered with the likes of Elvis, MJ or even The Beatles.  

And on Broadway lately, money seems to be the all-important factor in being remembered.  Hell, its even the all-important factor in getting the big awards (Tony voters tend to chose the shows that will have the best chance of touring well!).  So the question becomes: Will a big hit with critics and audiences like The Book of Mormon ever be remembered in the same way as landmark musicals like Oklahoma!, West Side Story, Fiddler On the Roof or even long-running (and still going!) champ The Phantom of the Opera?

The ultimate point in all of these cases is that the shows, films and artists of today may never have the iconic status that their respective predecessors have had, but you can tell which ones have the best shot at getting into the proverbial "Time Capsule."  And trends are important.  Without them, pop culture would not be what it is.  However, it does seem to be the work that steps away from the trends (or perfect them in a way!) that get their place in the Pantheon of Great Media.

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS: 31 Years of Pop Culture

Tomorrow is a very special day, Blog readers.  In fact, I like to call it: The Holiest of Holy Days! Yes, tomorrow is my 31st Birthday.  I'm not ashamed to admit it (kind of!).  Today, for IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS, I want to go through the last 31 years of Pop Culture.  I won't go year by year (cause that would take to long, and quite honestly, depress the hell out of me!), but I will go through some of the most important News and Entertainment items from 1980 and this year (and the 30 years in between!).  So, let us go through this timeline with nostalgia, humor and respect (and if you want some alcohol, bring your own!):

1980

NEWS: California Governor Ronald Reagan defeats President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Presidential Election.

MOVIES: George Lucas returns to the far away galaxy in the summer blockbuster sequel The Empire Strikes Back (above), and the villainous Darth Vader reveals an all-important [SPOILER!].

TELEVISION: Dallas villain J. R. Ewing (played by Larry Hagman) is shot by an unknown assailant in TV's first major cliffhanger.

MUSIC: Beatles legend John Lennon is assassinated outside his Manhattan apartment building by crazed fan Mark David Chapman.

THEATRE: Director-Choreographer Gower Champion dies on the opening night of his masterpiece production of 42nd Street.

SPORTS: The "Miracle On Ice" occurs in Lake Placid, NY as the U.S. Men's Hockey Team defeats the Soviet Union and goes on to win the Gold Medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics.

CELEBRITY: Comedian Richard Pryor accidentally sets himself on fire trying to freebase cocaine.

OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS:

Prince Charles marries (and divorces!) Princess Diana; the spaceship Challenger explodes; the Berlin Wall falls (as does European Communism!); Nelson Mandela is released; Disney revives itself musically; James Cameron shows his box-office strength (more than once!); landmark TV shows like The Cosby Show, The Simpsons, Seinfeld, Friends, Survivor, American Idol, The West Wing and Mad Men all began; MTV ushers in Music Videos and superstars are made of Madonna, Prince, Sting, Nirvana, U2, Beyonce, Lady Gaga and many many more; Musicals dominate Broadway and New York tourism with shows like Cats, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King and Wicked; Baseball, Basketball, Football and Hockey all suffered Player lockouts at one point or another; The Internet age transforms the culture through Microsoft Windows, America Online, MacOS, Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the iPhone; and we lose people like Irving Berlin, Jim Henson, Kurt Cobain, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, Michael Jackson and the victims of 9/11.

AND NOW...
2011

NEWS: President Barack Obama announces that special forces have tracked down and killed terrorist leader Osama Bin-Laden.

MOVIES: The film adaptations of J. K. Rowling's best-selling Harry Potter books come to a close with the eighth and final movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part II, breaking several box office records.

TELEVISION: Talk show host and media mogul Oprah Winfrey ends her long-running Talk show after 25 years of stories, laughs, tears, Favorite Things and A-Ha Moments.

MUSIC: Legendary pop-alternative band R.E.M. decides to break-up after 31 years together.

THEATRE: The much-anticipated, controversial and (oftentimes!) dangerous musical production of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark finally opens after months of previews, creative changes and bad press.

SPORTS: The Green Bay Packers defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 45th Super Bowl (held at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, TX).

CELEBRITY: Prince William, eldest son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, weds longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton in a well-publicized and regal ceremony at Westminster Abbey (below).