1951-1962: "The Golden Age" of TV
1963-1970: The Supernatural Sitcom/TV Drama era.
1970-1978: The Norman Lear era.
1979-1984: The Primetime Soap Era
1985-1988: The Cosby Show Era
1988-2000: The New Sitcom Era/Animated Era
2000-2003: The Reality TV Era
2003-: The New Primetime Soap Era

What would follow next?

What would follow next?


Probably a revival of sitcoms starting around 2007.

1951-1962: "The Golden Age" of TV
1963-1970: The Supernatural Sitcom/TV Drama era.
1970-1978: The Norman Lear era.
1979-1984: The Primetime Soap Era
1985-1988: The Cosby Show Era
1988-2000: The New Sitcom Era/Animated Era
2000-2003: The Reality TV Era
2003-: The New Primetime Soap Era




Yeah, that sounds right. Even though alot of people may not think so I agree that the "reality t.v." era probably would have ended around 2003 after that year reality t.v's popularity decreased a great deal. And there has been a bit of a revival of primetime soaps with Desperate Housewives and Lost

I would say the Reality TV era ended in fall of 2004, when LOST and DH premiered.

I would say the Reality TV era ended in fall of 2004, when LOST and DH premiered.



Yeah, somewhere around there. Now Reality TV is in it's watered down stage and hopefully will die out in the next 2 or 3 years.

Yeah, somewhere around there. Now Reality TV is in it's watered down stage and hopefully will die out in the next 2 or 3 years.


Let's cross our fingers.  ;D

Let's cross our fingers.  ;D



;D Yeah, I'm ready for it to go too.

I think that the reality TV era was sort of late 2000 to mid 2004. I think the TV eras were sort of layered on top of one another...like the primetime soap era sort of started in late 2003 with The O.C., but didn't really take off until 2004, with Desperate Housewives.

What do you think of my analysis of '80s TV eras? There was sort of that late 1979-mid 1985 era when the "primetime soaps" were very, very big: Dynasty, Dallas, etc. The transition year was between when The Cosby Show premiered in late 1984 and mid 1989, and that whole era sort of went to 1988. That was when all those '80s sitcoms like Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Growing Pains, and early Full House. The changeover was '87-'88, with Married...with Children, and then Roseanne and The Simpsons came out, starting that new sitcom golden age which lasted to early 1998, and then sort of mid 1998-mid 2000 was the "late period" of that era.

I think that the reality TV era was sort of late 2000 to mid 2004. I think the TV eras were sort of layered on top of one another...like the primetime soap era sort of started in late 2003 with The O.C., but didn't really take off until 2004, with Desperate Housewives.

What do you think of my analysis of '80s TV eras? There was sort of that late 1979-mid 1985 era when the "primetime soaps" were very, very big: Dynasty, Dallas, etc. The transition year was between when The Cosby Show premiered in late 1984 and mid 1989, and that whole era sort of went to 1988. That was when all those '80s sitcoms like Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Growing Pains, and early Full House. The changeover was '87-'88, with Married...with Children, and then Roseanne and The Simpsons came out, starting that new sitcom golden age which lasted to early 1998, and then sort of mid 1998-mid 2000 was the "late period" of that era.


I'd say:

Soap Opera Era: 1979-1986
Sitcom Era: 1987-1998
Reality Era: 1999-2006+

I'd say:

Soap Opera Era: 1979-1986
Sitcom Era: 1987-1998
Reality Era: 1999-2006+


I think the reality era sort of ended in 2004, actually. It's still popular, but it's not the focus of TV anymore, and only B-grade networks like VH1 are actually still relying on it. We're sort of in the second "soap opera" era.

I think the "Norman Lear" era, dominated by his sitcoms and their influence, was about 1970-early 1979, or so. Prior to that was the '60s era, dominated largely by silly or supernatural sitcoms that either were about monsters, spies, surfing, outer space, talking cars and such, or "country" (Green Acres). The early '80s was just about the first nadir of the American sitcom. First, there was that brief 1985-1989 era of the Family Ties-wave sitcoms being dominant, and then the real "new sitcom" era began in 1988 or so.

Bump...any more thoughts?

Bump...any more thoughts?


Would you agree that the Reality era began in fall 1999, instead of fall 2000?

Would you agree that the Reality era began in fall 1999, instead of fall 2000?


I think about 1999-2000 was the transitional year. Overall, like I think of mid 1998 (after Seinfeld went off the air) to mid 2000 as being that transitional period, characterized by sitcoms like Will and Grace, That '70s Show, etc., and remainders like Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond, along with shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I think about 1999-2000 was the transitional year. Overall, like I think of mid 1998 (after Seinfeld went off the air) to mid 2000 as being that transitional period, characterized by sitcoms like Will and Grace, That '70s Show, etc., and remainders like Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond, along with shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.


I agree with that.

Would you say 2003 was the absolute peak of the Reality era?

I agree with that.

Would you say 2003 was the absolute peak of the Reality era?


Yeah, I think maybe early-mid 2003 was the absolute peak of it. Now, we're more in the "Primetime Soap" era, which started in 2004 or so.