Improvisational Acting and the Golden Age of Television

Our text writes of the golden age of television being a time of change as it pointed out the state of women’s’ social status in the home. I think this is a very relevant point, but besides the fact that women’s role of the stay- at- home mom/housewife was made into comedy (such as the I Love Lucy show), this act of broadcasting a live act on television sparked my interest and made me wonder how the actual programs would adapt to this style.
For one I believe viewers would see a lot more improvisational acting. The phrase “the show must go on” seems to be fitting here as obviously it would have been impossible to stop the show if a mistake in the script were to happen.
Second the improvisation would affect the comedic quality of the work. Being silly and clumsy were staples of some of the earlier shows and used positively to further the essence of the programs.
Third, the art of improvisation has a great deal to do with raw personality. I have been a performing dancer since the age of five and have done some improvisation on stage. It is a definite rush because of the rawness that is involved. Whether you’re feeling sad that day or have an abundance of energy, regardless your personality will come through on stage as it becomes impossible to “act” and be freely creating at the same time. The quirky characters that are known for this era of television are a perfect example of the effect improvisation can have on comedic acting