As an ad broad in formation, my favorite TV show was Leave It To Beaver, created by two renegade writers from J. Walter Thompson--Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher. The show's popularity made it a cultural phenomenon which contributed to the notion of the idyllic Fifties family. Parents never raised their voices or were too busy for the kids. Dad never worked late. Dinner was always a family affair.
The series, which ran from 1957 to 1963, debuted with the second episode, not the first. Because CBS execs wouldn't initially let the first episode air. The premiere showed a toilet, which had never before been shown on TV. But, trained in advertising creative trenches, Connelly and Mosher refused to back down, and the premiere "Captain Jack" episode was allowed to run on week 2. Toilet intact. Only the tank portion showed, though. The bowl was considered to be too risque.
As if there wasn't enough reminder of how much times have changed:
