In the fall of 1972, the first spinoff of "All in the Family" premiered. It was "Maude," with Beatrice Arthur as Edith Bunker's liberal cousin. And right out of the gate, "Maude" took on controversial topics like psychotherapy, black militancy and modern morality. Then on November 14, in the ninth episode of the series, Maude found out she was pregnant at age 47. She considered her options, including abortion, which at the time was legal in New York state, where the show was set. (The U.S. Supreme Court wouldn't legalize abortion nationwide until 1973.) Maude's decision to get an abortion would go largely unnoticed during the episode's original run, but when summer reruns came along the show received a firestorm of criticism, driving the idea of abortion -- and even the mention of the word itself -- off of network television for the next fifteen years.
Life According to "Hey, Arnold!"
It's the "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" Halloween Special!
Elvis Presley -- Year One
When Louis Met Dolly
The World Accordion to Lawrence Welk
What We Watched: Cartoons and Kids' Shows
Orson Welles's Radio Days
A Short, Unhappy "Life with Lucy"
Raymond Burr's Secrets and Lies
Variations on a Theme Song (1966 Edition)
Silverman's Travels
What We Laughed At
Sid Caesar and His Demons
The Miracle of "A Charlie Brown Christmas"
Sonny and Cher's Long, Strange TV Trip
Seven and a Half Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About "The Dick Van Dyke Show"
The Marlon Brando-Wally Cox Connection
What We Saw at the Movies
A Very Short History of TV Shows with Very Short Histories
The 1960s: What We Listened To
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Cinema: A to B
I Finally Watched...
Star Wars Escape Pod
Pop Culture Happy Hour
Pod Meets World