Television Firsts 3 Multiple Choice Quiz | TV Mixture

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1. On 22 Nov 68 in the 3rd season of "Star Trek" in episode called "Plato's Stepchildren", Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) and Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) shared what famous or infamous series TV first between fictional characters? Margaret "Hot LIPS" Houlihan from "Mash" did not appear on this episode. Will add the episode "Plato's Stepchildren", the season, 3, and the date 22 Nov 68.

Answer: scripted interracial kiss

This kiss was no small matter in the days when racial tensions were a hot button issue. Although a few others preceded it, they were not scripted nor in a series. The kiss itself was not shown, just the back of Uhura's head. There's a dispute as to whether or not the kiss actually happened in the many takes. Nichols said it did and Shatner disagreed. Gene Roddenberry, the creator, pushed the boundaries of many areas including religion, sexism and the aforementioned racism.

2. This 1971 series, based on a British play "Till Death Us Do Part", starred Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers, and Rob Reiner has several firsts. The four main characters were Archie and Edith "Dingbat" Bunker along with Gloria, Archie's "Little Girl" and Mike "Meathead" Stivic. Oh yes, "Those Were the Days". Perhaps EVERYONE in your HOUSEHOLD remembered it. What was the name of this controversial series?

Answer: "All in the Family"

This was the first series to be videotaped in front of a live studio audience and it also featured the first time a toilet was heard being flushed. Swear words involving the Deity and ethnic and other slurs were never heard on US television before. It also had topical features such as impotence, abortion, wife swapping, homosexuality and menopause.

The series also marked the first time, in 1976, that a gay character (Beverly Lasalle) was shown on network television. (This is disputable since 1975's "Hot L Baltimore", a rare Norman Lear flop, featured a gay couple).

It won eight Golden Globes and 22 Emmys. The show spun off several hits, including "The Jeffersons".

3. In November 1972, this was the first prime-time series to show a main character, played by Bea Arthur, decide to have an abortion. Two months later the U.S. Supreme Court legalized it in "Roe Vs. Wade". She was Edith Bunker's left-wing die-hard liberal Democrat cousin who drove Archie nuts. The character's first name is the name of this show; what was HER name?

Answer: Maude Findlay

Maude was on her fourth marriage in the upper-middle-class suburb of Tuckahoe, New York and this character fit Bea Arthur's image to a T. Maude hired a maid, the first of four, an African-American named Florida (Esther Rolle) and tried to fit her into the family. Maude had met her match in Florida's dismissive attitude. Because of the abortion issue, many CBS affiliates refused to carry the two-part program and a half-dozen sponsors pulled out.

Other hot-button issues (alcoholism, spousal abuse, face-lifts, and marital squabbles) kept this show on the air due to the strong actors and superb scripts.

It's said that Norman Lear patterned Maude after his wife, Frances Lear (I'm sure you appreciated that, Franny!).

4. In 1972 this series with Gabriel Dell had the distinction of being the first one to have a recurring gay character, played by Vincent Schiavelli. It has its own NICHE in the history of TAVERNS. What was the name of this show?

Answer: "The Corner Bar"

Shimen Ruskin was the only cast member in every episode of "The Corner Bar". Gabriel Dell, Anne Meara and Bill Fiore were some of the others in this two-season, 16-episode ABC series set in Grant's Tomb, NYC. Vincent's character was named Peter Panama. Allan King was responsible for this series but ten years later he had better luck with "Cheers".

Not much can be said for this poorly received show except to note its famous cast.

5. The year is 1973, the setting Korea and this series featured previously taboo subjects such as adultery and homosexuality. The anti-war theme that it carried was in direct contrast to America's involvement in the Vietnam War at the time. Col Blake died ('75) and "Hotlips" married ('77). The 2 1/2 hour season finale became the most watched TV episode of all time and still was more than three decades later. What was the show's name?

Answer: "M*A*S*H"

"M*A*S*H", starring Alan Alda was the first series to show male nudity when Private Radar O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff) was seen naked (from behind). He dropped his towel and dashed back to the showers when an enemy sniper opened fire on the field hospital.

It was also the first series where the phrase "SOB", words spoken not the initials, was uttered. It was the most watched television program at the time and won over 200 awards from Emmys (perhaps 100 of them) to Golden Globes and beyond. Many think that this might be the most successful transfer of a hit motion picture to the episodic television format ever executed.

6. In 1974, the word "bastard" was used for the first time on a daytime soap opera in reference to Meg's son's newborn daughter Suzanne, an illegitimate child. This soap (1951 to 1980) and "Search For Tomorrow" were among the first on TV. The show had nothing to do with adoration of the dead. What was its name?

Answer: "Love of Life"

"Love of Life" was originally not split with commercials, just before starting and after, since the soap was owned by one sponsor and licensed to CBS. In the '60s, it did air with one in the middle because of local affiliates and their needs and wants.

The show began its decline in the '70s with a change of direction and tough-nosed story lines like sodomy, which were not well received by its audience.

7. What was the first TV series to have a theme song by the group Rhythm Heritage reach number one on the Billboard pop chart in 1975? I'm going to KILL that fly that keeps buzzing around my head.

Answer: "S.W.A.T."

Also reaching number one were the themes from "Welcome Back, Kotter" in 1976, "Miami Vice" in 1985, and "The Heights" in 1992. "S.W.A.T.", an ultra-violent spinoff of "The Rookies", only survived for two seasons because it was deemed too violent at that time (just because all participants were armed to the teeth). Sam, unseen and uncredited, drove the van but in the movie it was Steve Forrest, who played Lt. 'Hondo' Harrelson in the series. Rod Perry in the movie was the uncle of his character, Sgt. David 'Deacon' Kay, in the series. I believe that's enough info on this series.

8. Based on the Irwin Shaw novel, 1976 saw the first TV mini-series. It starred Nick Nolte, Peter Strauss, and Susan Blakely. Money, no money, who cares! What was its name?

Answer: "Rich Man, Poor Man"

"Rich Man, Poor Man" won four Emmys and was nominated for 16 more. Following 2 brothers over 20 years, it premiered at the end of '76 and after "Happy Days", it was the highest rated show for the '76-'77 season. It paved the way for "Roots" as well as others to enter this medium. Speaking of mediums, Nolte changed to movies before returning to TV 32 years later.

9. This was the first TV series in which the main character, a private investigator played by Tom Selleck, was a Vietnam War veteran. One episode in 1983 showed the Navy ship U.S.S. Wren but that destroyer had been scrapped in 1975, just a tad earlier than the show. What was the name of this show?

Answer: "Magnum, P.I."

Selleck was offered the lead in "Indiana Jones: The Temple of Doom" but he was committed to do "Magnum, P.I.", which was delayed due to a writer's strike and the movie had finished shooting by then. If only he could have seen the future, Harrison Ford would never have been seen.

The show originally came from Bel-Air, CA but moved to Hawaii to take advantage of the expensive set used by "Hawaii Five-O". "Don't Eat The Snow In Hawaii", the first episode premiered on 11 December 80 and the series wrapped up in 1988.

10. To the astonishment of the live audience and the audience at home, on 21 February 1981, the "F" bomb was used by comedian Charles Rocket (supposedly the show's new Chevy Chase), who was fired (did your choice word enhance your career. Chucky?). That show featured a parody of "Who Shot J.R.?". The show is on a weekEND night due to a word in its name. What's the show?

Answer: "Saturday Night Live"

The first host of "Saturday Night Live" on 11 October 75 was George Carlin and the musical talents were Janis Ian and George Carlin. The next week Paul Simon handled both sections himself with a little help, however, from his singing pardner Art Garfunkel.

In 2010, Don Pardo, the announcer, became the longest serving personality involved with the show. Also, Don and Bob Hope were the only two who had received lifetime contracts from NBC. Another 2010 record was set when Alec Baldwin tied Steve Martin, who was never a regular cast member, for hosting "SNL" 15 times.

11. Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless were the stars on this network series that first used the word 'condom'. It was on CBS from '81-'88 and started as a summer replacement for the "Lou Grant" series. Both of these LADIES showed a bond between partners and emotionally involved its audience unlike other cop shows. What were their names?

Answer: "Cagney & Lacey"

"Cagney & Lacey" didn't start off well at all; the characters were deemed too 'hardcore' and more like a female Starsky and Hutch. According to a CBS executive, its audience was not interested in women libbers or bra-burners. This resulted in the hiring of Sharon Gless to replace Meg Foster. Loretta Swit of "M*A*S*H" fame played Cagney in the pilot movie.

The series also was in the process of being canceled in the summer of '83 when its fans, plus more viewers over the summer, and the winning of an Emmy, changed CBS' mind and no more interruptions occurred.

12. 1991 saw the first prime-time series to show a passionate female-female kiss between series regulars Abby Perkins (Michelle Greene) and C.J. Lamb (Amanda Donohoe). This was very controversial for this time period. Another first was the transfer of two characters from "Civil Wars" to this show on another network without it being a spin-off. It sometimes had scenes in a COURT of law. What was it called?

Answer: "L.A. Law"

The theme music for "L.A. Law" set the tone, a saxophone for light episodes and strings for heavy ones. The license plate at the beginning of each episode showed the year of that season finale i.e. 1988/89 season showed 1989 on the plate. There were four law partners, McKenzie, Brackman, Chaney and Kuzak; what happened to Chaney? He had a heart attack in the first episode and was never seen again. To meet racial quotas, Jimmy Smits was cast as an Hispanic attorney but Jimmy was successful because he appealed to the female members of the viewing audience. You know this series was touching on the bizarre when one of its cases concerned dwarf tossing.

13. 1993 saw the first R-rated network series. ABC designed the show to compete with the growing violent and sexually explicit shows on cable. In fact, 25 percent of ABC's 225 affiliates preempted the first episode. The American Family Association tried to organize a boycott of the sponsors. The show starred Dennis Franz and David Caruso. Don't feel SAD, just answer the question; what was the name of this POLICE drama?

Answer: "NYPD Blue"

The boycott died, the affiliates returned to the fold and, in 2005, "NYPD Blue" became the longest running hour-long drama in ABC's history. Caruso left the show and fled to the silver screen for bigger and better opportunities (How'd that work out, Davy?).

He returned to TV in the late '90s and finally hit the jackpot with "CSI: Miami". Jimmy Smits replaced him. Franz was a Vietnam vet, a mailman, and took his pet bird with him when he was on the road. The show's exterior was that of the NYC 9th precinct and also that for the '70s series "Kojak". Rick Schroeder, another star, built his own log cabin in 1998. (Just thought I'd throw that in to show you trivia at its trivialest).

14. The first network TV series to feature a lesbian main character came in 1997 when Ellen Morgan (Ellen DeGeneres) announced "I'm gay" in character and for real at the end of the fourth season. Unfortunately, the series went off the air one year later. What was the name of this series?

Answer: "Ellen"

"Ellen" caused so much uproar that sponsors pulled out and one station in Birmingham, AL refused to show "The Puppy Episode" fearing backlash against the gay community from some viewers. However, Ellen received many letters from the gay community thanking her for her courageous stand and for helping them to 'come out' to their friends and parents.

She was especially moved by many letters from teenagers who had contemplated suicide but stopped after seeing this episode. Ellen was the first female comedienne to be invited to sit next to Johnny Carson, i.e. instant success.

15. Mark Harmon as Dr. Jack McNeil uttered the s-word for the first time on a network TV show. Wow, just think, the F-bomb was uttered 18 years before (in 1981) the s-word on TV. Well, they were mostly doctors on this CITY based show so, maybe it's a technical term only used in medical circles and not commonly heard among the hoi polloi. What was the name of this show?

Answer: "Chicago Hope"

This word caused nary a stir and neither did the first time the bare breasts of a female teenager were shown during prime time on "Chicago Hope". The latter, however, was done in a tasteful manner highlighting reconstructive surgery. The show was also the first in HD in the USA.

It was a medical drama about a fictional hospital using cutting edge technology that sometimes was considered dangerous to the patient but, "you gotta do what you gotta do" to keep up the ratings. It also revolved around their personal lives as well as their professional ones.

Source: Author thaibob

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor guitargoddess before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Television Firsts 3 Trivia Quiz

This is the 3rd in a series of famous and infamous TV firsts. Some of these shows used language and showed scenes that were unheard or unseen at that time on network television. Some of this info may surprise you.

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