Scenes Suburbia From
Life in the suburbs! It doesn’t get any better, according to the sunny view often seen through television, movies and music.tv has often led the charge there. Here we list some of the best warmhearted, feel-good shows and movies, as well as a handful of music hits that captured life in suburbia. TV Takes On Suburbia
Father Knows Best (1954-60): Jim Anderson (Robertyoung), his wife Margaret (Jane Wyatt) and their kids — Bud (Billy Gray), Betty (Elinor Donahue) and Kathy (Lauren Chapin) — provided lots of wholesome humor in this suburban trailblazer.
The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet (1952-66): Ozzie and Harriet Nelson topped the parenting ranks.the fictional tales of the real-life Nelsons and their sons, David and Ricky, became one of the longest-running family comedies of that time.
My Three Sons (1960-72): Steve Douglas (Fred Macmurray) and sons Mike (Tim Considine), Robbie (Don Grady) and Chip (Stanley Livingston) offered varied views of suburban life. When Mike left, the “three sons” carried on with Steve adopting
Chip’s orphaned friend, Ernie
(Barry Livingston).
Leave It to Beaver (1957-63):This show found laughs throughtheodore “Beaver” Cleaver (Jerry Mathers) and his brother, Wally (Tony Dow). When it came to ideal suburban parents, they didn’t get much better than Ward (Hugh Beaumont) and June (Barbara Billingsley).
The Brady Bunch (1969-74): Sometimes, life in the suburbs means two families coming together as one, the way Carol (Florence Henderson) and Mike Brady (Robert Reed) united their clans.
Bewitched (1964-72):The suburbs can cast a certain spell, as Darrin Stephens (Dickyork) discovered via his wife Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery).york left after five years, but the spell continued with another Darrin (Dick Sargent).
A Few Different Approaches To Suburbia …
Growing Pains (1985-92): It seemed like a 1980s revival of Father Knows Best, thanks to the fatherly ways of Jason Seaver (Alanthicke).
Family Ties (1982-89): Liberal-minded parents Steven (Michael Gross) and Elyse Keaton (Meredith Baxter) grappled with an opposite force from their conservative son, Alex (Michael J. Fox).
Home Improvement (1991-99): Sometimes, life in the suburbs just needs “more power” — whichtimtaylor (Tim Allen) delivered.
Sometimes, Nostalgia Highlights The Sunny Side Of Suburbia ...
Happy Days (1974-84):The
1950s provided the backdrop for this show’s stories about teenage Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) and his family and friends.
The Wonder Years (1988-93):The 1960s served as the setting for this retro-nostalgic yarn about young Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) and his suburban surroundings.
That ’70s Show (1998-2006):The title pretty well said it all when it came to Eric Forman (Topher Grace) and his teen pals.
Movies That Basked In Suburban Settings
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960): Suburban life was an idyllic setting in this movie’s tale of a Newyork couple and their four boys.the film, based on Jean Kerr’s 1957 book, starred Doris Day and David Niven. A 1965-67TV adaptation featured Pat Crowley and Mark Miller as different characters facing similar issues.
Sixteen Candles (1984): Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael
Hall sparkled in this coming-of-age comedy about a girl marking her 16th birthday in a typically suburban way.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986): Matthew Broderick’s stint as a highschool slacker became a huge hit by hitting the right suburban marks.