Where to find it: A ton of different streaming services and cable channel Antenna TV
What is it, in summary?: A sit-com from the 50s about a typical American family where the parents, though imperfect, usually know what's best for their kids.
What do you love about it?: I watched it when I was a little kid and felt I could relate to it in many ways. My family also had two girls and one boy. I understood how Kathy felt a lot of the time, also being the youngest. The show had stories I really liked and parents who you thought would always stay together.
The show also had Betty, a young woman with actual ambition. Sure, she cared about hairstyles and fashion and school dances, but she also cared about her own future and making the world a better place. A teenage girl who is a full person is rare on TV sitcoms, especially in the 50s.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Either something similar to an actual episode or an alternate universe story. I'll explain more in my letter.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Any that center most around Betty. A few episodes would be good to get the gist of the show, but if you read through an episode guide and you see that an episode concerns Betty or Kathy, it's probably an episode I liked more than the others.
Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): None of these. Some episodes did have 50s sexist ideals that got annoying (Margaret didn't seem to do much beyond cook and clean). But I still love it.
Father Knows Best (TV)
Title: Father Knows Best
Media: TV Show
Approx length: 6 seasons, 203 half-hour episodes
Where to find it: A ton of different streaming services and cable channel Antenna TV
What is it, in summary?: A sit-com from the 50s about a typical American family where the parents, though imperfect, usually know what's best for their kids.
What do you love about it?: I watched it when I was a little kid and felt I could relate to it in many ways. My family also had two girls and one boy. I understood how Kathy felt a lot of the time, also being the youngest. The show had stories I really liked and parents who you thought would always stay together.
The show also had Betty, a young woman with actual ambition. Sure, she cared about hairstyles and fashion and school dances, but she also cared about her own future and making the world a better place. A teenage girl who is a full person is rare on TV sitcoms, especially in the 50s.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Either something similar to an actual episode or an alternate universe story. I'll explain more in my letter.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Any that center most around Betty. A few episodes would be good to get the gist of the show, but if you read through an episode guide and you see that an episode concerns Betty or Kathy, it's probably an episode I liked more than the others.
Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): None of these. Some episodes did have 50s sexist ideals that got annoying (Margaret didn't seem to do much beyond cook and clean). But I still love it.