17 ’60s TV Trends That Would Look Strange Today

The television of the 1960s was indeed a special moment in the history of television. There was still so much room for technology, culture, and entertainment to develop. What was considered the norm was really quite bizarre. There were cigarette commercials during prime time, hosts of television shows doing commercials from within their own shows, and cheering crowds within the studios to influence the audience watching at home. Westerns were the main staple of television programming, and variety shows were a mix of everything that could be included within one show. The pace of the shows was slow and concluded with a moral ending. The use of sets and special effects was also quite basic.

1. Cigarette Commercials During Prime Time

The 1960s were filled with cigarette ads on television, which appeared in all popular programs and events. Brands like Marlboro, Winston, Lucky Strike, and Camel were frequently shown in these ads. Whether people were watching programs like The Ed Sullivan Show or Bonanza, they would see men smoking in open Western environments or couples enjoying a smoke after dinner. These ads did not show any negative impact of smoking, but they emphasized how it was a symbol of success, ease, and sophistication. The tone was always soothing while talking about how cigarettes tasted and how they were smooth, while beautiful music was played in the background.

2. Live Commercial Performances Inside Shows

In the early to mid-1960s, many TV shows would have the host or one of the performers step into the spotlight and promote something directly to the audience. Instead of going to an ad break, the host would simply pause the show on the set and promote the item to the audience. Variety shows like “The Jackie Gleason Show” and “The Carol Burnett Show” were built around opportunities for the performers to step up and speak directly to the audience. They would promote items like instant coffee, soap, cereal, or laundry detergent and would even make jokes about the item while holding it up so that the audience could see it. Since the TV was so heavily based on live broadcasts at the time, the ad segments just flowed so well.

3. Studio Audiences Laughing on Cue

In the 1960s, many sitcoms promoted themselves as having the excitement of a live studio audience. Some popular sitcoms, like “I Love Lucy”, “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, and “Gilligan’s Island”, were filmed with a live studio audience, and when a joke landed, the studio would erupt with laughter, giving the actors a sense of timing and feedback for the writers as to whether a joke was successful. The studio audience would sometimes be acknowledged by the show’s producers, a nod and a cue for them to clap and laugh. This was a way of involving the actors and writers in the production and a way of involving the viewers at home, so that they would all be able to share a laugh.

4. Obvious Product Placement Inside Storylines

Product placement in 1960s TV programming was ubiquitous. It was also somewhat obvious by today’s standards. For instance, the camera might linger on a product as a character used the product. Breakfast scenes might show a character pouring cereal from a box with the brand name prominently displayed. A character might take a drink from a product with the brand name prominently displayed on the label. These were the kinds of scenes that sponsors liked. They created instant brand recognition. Shows like “Bewitched” and “Leave It to Beaver” often featured products from familiar brands that the audience might see on the store shelves. While product placement still happens today, it is not as obvious.

5. Educational Segments Inside Entertainment Programs

In the 1960s, a surprising number of TV programs, even those intended purely for entertainment, had a few moments of educational content. The thinking was that TV programs would both entertain and inform the audience. After all, families would gather around the TV at night. Some variety programs would have a few moments of cultural content, historical facts, or maybe even new technology. Even children’s programs would have a few moments of educational content. Let’s take “Captain Kangaroo,” a popular children’s show in the United States. It had a mix of storytelling and educational content. The show would have moments of nature, reading, and science.

6. Western Shows Dominating Television

Westerns were the dominant genre on TV shows during much of the 1960s. Viewers were treated to hit after hit: Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, The Virginian—each one featuring stories about life on the frontier with cowboys, sheriffs, and ranchers who struggled with difficult decisions in small towns and on the open range. There is a common thread running through much of these shows: a hero appears on the scene, thwarts evil to bring justice to those who deserve it, and then disappears into the sunset with a quiet dignity. Families gathered around the TV set each week to watch stories about heroism, justice, and freedom. Westerns were so popular that there were multiple shows on TV on any given night.

7. Television Hosts Speaking Directly to the Audience

Back in the 1960s, many TV show hosts would talk directly to the camera, as if inviting viewers to sit right next to them in the studio. This was especially popular in talk shows, variety shows, and even children’s programs. Think of a show like “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson or “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” where Fred Rogers would talk to the camera and welcome the audience. He would talk about monologues, introduce what was coming up in the show, and even offer some personal thoughts. It was a popular technique in early television because TV producers thought it was essential in making the viewer at home feel connected.

8. Slow, Deliberate Pacing in Storytelling

The 1960s were a time when television narratives moved at a slower pace than they do today. There were scenes on the show that were played out at a slower pace. This allowed the characters on the show to talk a lot and respond to situations in a quiet manner. Shows like The Twilight Zone and Perry Mason created tension through long conversations. The camera movements were not fast on the shows. There were scenes on the show where the camera would be focused on a character as they explained the key points. The slower pacing of the shows in the 1960s was a reflection of the older tradition of radio plays. It was also a result of the technology available for television production at the time.

9. Game Show Hosts Acting as Friendly Ringmasters

Game shows from the 1960s were characterized by the host’s magnetic on-stage presence. Take The Price is Right with Bill Cullen or Let’s Make a Deal with Monty Hall. These were game shows where the host himself played a big role. He would often greet the contestants, go through the rules of the game, and keep the conversation going throughout the entire duration of the show. You would often see the host walking around the set, shaking hands with the audience members, and throwing quick one-liners. It was as if the audience was in a theater setting. The pacing of the show was dictated by the host himself. He would often be the most memorable aspect of the entire show.

10. Highly Scripted Family Sitcom Morals

Most family sitcoms of the 1960s had a moral wrapped up in the last lines of dialogue. Sitcoms like “Leave It to Beaver,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” and “My Three Sons” would sometimes build an entire episode around a mistake or a mix-up. A young person in the show would do something questionable, and something had to be done about it. Finally, in the last scene of the show, a grown-up would explain the right thing to do. It would always be something good: honesty, hard work, or treating others well. It gave people a sense of closure and helped people remember that TV was helping us be good people.

11. Science Fiction With Simple Special Effects

In the 1960s, science fiction on television was more about creative storytelling than the use of special effects. “Star Trek” and “Lost in Space” took the audience on an adventure through space travel, alien planets, and futuristic technology. Model spaceships were flown in front of dark sets, and alien planets were built using colorful scenery, weird plants, and glowing rocks. Actors were transformed from their normal roles using costumes and makeup to play alien roles. Yet the storytelling managed to spark an interest in space exploration beyond the confines of the Earth in the early days of the space race.

12. Black and White Television as the Standard Viewing Experience

For most of the early 1960s, the television sets most people had in their homes were still just grayscale windows. While broadcasts were slowly transitioning to color, many people still had televisions that could only display the world in black and white. Popular shows like The Twilight Zone, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and The Andy Griffith Show were all in black and white when they were first aired. Everything about them was designed to be easily seen on a grayscale screen. Contrast was an important aspect of any television show because colors that might be easily distinguished on a full-color screen could easily become the same gray on a black-and-white screen.

13. Celebrity Guest Appearances Used as Major Events

In the 1960s, a guest role on a TV show was sometimes a mini-event within the episode itself. A well-known singer, actor, or comedian might appear right in the middle of the action, playing a version of himself. Shows like Batman, The Monkees, and The Beverly Hillbillies were all known to bring in a well-known entertainer for a one-time guest role. When a guest star appeared on a show, the word would spread in advance through TV promotions and TV guides. People would actually watch the show to see how the guest star would banter with the regular cast members. While guest stars are still appearing on TV shows today, the hype seems a lot cooler.

14. Simple Studio Sets Representing Entire Worlds

In the 1960s, TV productions often used simple studio sets to represent a home, an office, or even an entire town. Sitcoms such as Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, and The Brady Bunch would use a small number of well-designed rooms that appeared in nearly every episode. These rooms, such as the living room, kitchen, and bedroom, would be located in a studio, allowing for the movement of cameras between shots. Although these sets may appear a little artificial to a modern viewer, they would be readily accepted by the audience. The walls would rarely stretch beyond the camera’s view, and doors would often lead nowhere when the cameras turned away.

15. Cartoon Characters Advertising Products During Commercial Breaks

In the 1960s, cartoon plots frequently meandered into commercials. The animated heroes of children’s television shows would frequently appear outside the context of the plot to encourage children to buy products. Children who were fans of The Flintstones and The Jetsons would see the same characters appear in commercials for breakfast cereals, snacks, and cigarettes. There is a blurring of the lines between the cartoon and the commercials because the same characters are present. On Saturday mornings, children would see their beloved animated characters talk in a cheerful voice about the products they were endorsing.

16. Variety Shows That Mixed Comedy, Music, and Sketches

Variety shows were the big thing on television in the 1960s. There was always a mix of comedy skits, musical performances, conversations with celebrities, and even some drama thrown in for good measure. Shows like “The Ed Sullivan Show,” “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” and “The Dean Martin Show” were just the same. Week after week, people would watch as the variety of talent was presented. A magician might perform after a rock and roll band, followed by a comedy skit, and then a Broadway singer. The hosts were the ringmasters of the evening, guiding the audience through the evening of events with witty remarks and lighthearted banter. It was really more of an old-fashioned revue than anything resembling modern television.

17. Television Sign-Offs at the End of the Night

Back in the 1960s, TV didn’t have the lights on 24/7 like they do now. In fact, many TV stations signed off the air at a relatively late hour. Once the last program of the night had finished airing, the station announcer would appear on the screen with a brief closing message. Sometimes they might even tease the next day’s programming. In the United States, it was not uncommon to hear the national anthem playing as the camera stayed on the station logo or a static image of the American flag. Once the anthem finished playing, the screen would slowly descend into static. To modern television viewers, the concept of TV actually going off the air for the night seems almost impossible to think about.

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