When I was in high school, there was a TV show called EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE. It starred George C. Scott as a social worker with a black female co worker. The show portrayed the pain and injustice that was part of inner city life in the early 60s. Once, and this is the show I remember most of all, the baby of a young black couple was bitten, in its crib, by a rat. Desperate to get the child the a hospital, they were unable to get a cab to stop for them – – cabs didn’t stop for black people.
It had an enormous impact on me and helped to form my political and social perspectives. So even then TV sometimes had a powerful and positive impact. [EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE, by the way, social impact and all, was cancelled after one season. I later learned that the black-white work environment kept the show from being carried on any southern TV stations – which reduced its ratings and knocked it off the air.]
In general, TV somehow seems different now. Even the awards shows are better.
The Emmy Awards used to be kind of trashy and dull. The show tonight isn’t bad, though. Besides, these days, television offers more quality than feature films, as far as I can tell. I love popular culture and can watch plenty that isn’t great without embarassment, but right now there’s so much that’s really amazing. With the power of EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE in 1963, I’ve seen West Wings, Six Feet Unders and Sopranos that take your breath away and acting that does the same. Heartbreaking stories and hilarious ones. Classy characters, righteous outrage transformed into great drama, provocative ideas and just plain fun.
In fact, TV news, where I used to work, has in many cases sunk far below what’s on fictional TV. Sure there’s trash too, but the good stuff is so good, and there’s so much more of it. If the news folks stuck to their guns as well as the drama and comedy producers do, reporters wouldn’t rank so low in public opinion polls.
Is TV better now or do I just watch better shows now? What do you think?