Favorite Shows That Pushed The Envelope
 

What are some of your most beloved TV shows that hit the social taboos hard?

Some of mine include:
All In The Family
Roseanne
To a lesser extent, Murphy Brown

I have never seen Nip/Tuck.
I've seen a few episodes of Sex And The City & didn't really care for it. The brunette was the only one I liked (though I liked SJP in LA Story).
I know Maude will be a popular choice on this board, but I've seen only a couple of episodes.

- Jake

I'll add that I recently rented all 7 episodes of Fat Actress. I liked all the episodes except for #s 5 and 6, which were terrible.
It's way too soon for me to say it's a favorite.

- Jake

I've never seen a whole episode. I think they air it here on PBS on Saturdays.


How about explaining that one? :shrug:

- Jake

The Jeffersons I love!
Three's Company (for it's time it was risque, right?)
Queer As Folk is pretty cool
Sex and the City is great!
Desperate Housewives
I Love Lucy (my favorite show of all time. I can include it in this list because Lucy was pregnant and that was considered pushing the envelope back then)

I almost listed The Jeffersons but didn't think it really fit. But you're right, the whole mixed marriage thing was definitely pushing the envelope at the time.

If I remember, Carol Brady was the first character to say the word pregnant on the air, & she & Mike were the first to share a bed. Lucy & Ricky had two beds pushed together for awhile, I know.

- Jake

Carol and Mike's inuendo was really pushing the envelope back then, now that you mention it.

And back in the 50's, did couples really sleep in seperate beds? That seems crazy!

That and not being allowed to say pregnant.
I heard these Brady first in an interview with Florence Henderson years ago, so who knows how reliable her claims are.

- Jake

The L-Word!
Grace Under Fire, would that one count?
and there's others, on the tip of my tongue, so I'll have to add them later when the caffeine kicks in.

Seinfeld! And of course Curb Your Enthusiasm. They expose the taboos and unwritten etiquette of our daily lives and make a mockery of it all!

Most definitely 'Roseanne', that show really aimed to test the limits of network television. And 'Will and Grace', that should count right? Back in the early 90s, I think NBC would have preferred to die then show a sitcom with openly gay characters.

Didn't Roseanne do one really early on, too? I seem to remember a big hype around it, and some ABC affiliates refused to air the episode. It turned out to be a really big nothing moment. ER also did one fairly early on - back when ER was groundbreaking... I never saw Buffy, though, so I have no time reference of when it was on in relation to Roseanne and ER.. Could have been years before and I'd never have known it. :)

Northern Exposure (at the time, it was pretty ground breaking and envelope pushing)

Six Feet Undahhhhh

Curb Your Enthusiasm (everything Larry does pushes the envelope)

Home Movies (an alcoholic soccer coach? come on now! hilarious!)

Strangers With Candy (a 46 year old highshool drop out and former prostitute and junkie returns to high school to start over again!)

South Park (don't even need to comment)

Chapelle's Show (the African American KKK leader!)

Queer as Folk (British Series - WAY better writing and far superior characters)

Arrested Development (everything about this show pushes the envelope!)

The Milton Berle Show
The Tonight Show
I Love Lucy
The Prisoner
All In The Family
ER (the "live" episode)
Saturday Night Live
Twin Peaks
The Simpsons
South Park
Reno 911

OMG - Strangers with Candy was F***ing hilarious!!!

Roseanne
I Love Lucy
Maude
L Word
My So-Called Life

I can't think of many more other than what was already mentioned. However, I'll add Married With Children and The Sopranos to the list.