The 1960s were a tumultuous decade marked by major changes, including the space race, the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War, as well as the opposition to it. On top of political and social issues, the decade also saw cultural shifts which brought changes in fashion and music, much of which is still beloved to this day.
The decade has often been explored through TV, and a few shows have stood out above the rest, from their attention to detail when capturing the look and feel of the decade to their accurate portrayal of what life was actually like at the time. The best of them are not only entertaining with compelling stories, but they also take an unflinching look at the climate of the time by tackling issues of sexism, racism and more. Taken together, they explore the vast spectrum of experiences and perspectives of the 1960s.
10 'Fortunate Son'
Directed by Stefan Schwartz and Ken Girotti
Image via CBS Television
In the Canadian dramaFortunate Son, set in 1968, mother Ruby Howard (Kari Matchett), an American expat living in British Columbia with her family of anti-war activists, helped men attempting to dodge the draft cross the border into Canada. Meanwhile, a CIA agent was attempting to infiltrate peace movements on both sides of the border with the goal of stopping draft dodging. The show was loosely based on a true story.
The series also heavily featured music from the ‘60s and referenced songs in episode titles.
It’s impossible to talk about the 1960s without addressing the Vietnam War, and Fortunate Son featured the war as its focus, specifically anti-war sentiment and draft dodging. The series also heavily featured music from the ‘60s and referenced songs in episode titles. The series’ title itself was taken from the Creedence Clearwater Revival protest song about the war featured in the show, as well as other movies and TV shows set at the time.
For three seasons, NBC drama American Dreams told the story of teenager Meg—a dancer on American Bandstand—and her family living in Philadelphia in the ‘60s, starting in 1963 and ending in 1966. In addition to the typical struggles Meg and her family faced, the show also touched on major historical events at the time, while Meg’s appearances on American Bandstand allowed it to showcase the era’s music, as well.
American Dreams
highlighted the problems of teenagers, including relationships and teen pregnancy, but also took on the larger issues of the time, such as racism, feminism and the Vietnam War.
Like many dramas centered around teenagers, American Dreams highlighted the problems of teenagers, including relationships and teen pregnancy, but also took on the larger issues of the time, such as racism, feminism and the Vietnam War. American Dreams was also notable for its music. It often featured contemporary artists performing as iconic ‘60s artists in the American Bandstand scenes, including John Legend as Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Nancy Sinatra and more.
Palm Royale’s stylish aesthetic is like a snapshot of Palm Beach in the 1960s, but the series also channels the era—and specifically, 1969, the year in which it is set—in other ways. Then-President Richard Nixon is often shown on the TV in Maxine’s hotel room, serving as both a reminder of the setting and a reference to Maxine’s dishonesty in her attempts to join Palm Royale. He also appears in the season finale as a guest at Maxine’s Beach Ball.
Created by William Broyles Jr. and John Sacret Young
A promo image from China Beach
The 1980s ABC drama China Beach, set in the South China Sea during the Vietnam War, followed Nurse Colleen McMurphy (Dana Delany) and the other staff of a fictional evacuation hospital as they cared for patients, civilian and military alike, and balanced their personal lives, including Colleen’s feelings for a married doctor. The show lasted four seasons. Writer and producer John Wells later went on to work as showrunner for the iconic medical drama ER.
Like
Fortunate Son
,
China Beach
was centered around the Vietnam War but with a vastly different perspective.
Like Fortunate Son, China Beach was centered around the Vietnam War but with a vastly different perspective. Later seasons showed glimpses of the characters in the ‘70s and ‘80s and showed how the characters handled their return to civilian life after the war, with some struggling to handle their trauma. In addition, the show was unique for its focus on women. Despite low ratings, the series was critically acclaimed.
Masters of Sex was a fictionalized version of the story of scientist William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan), a single mother Masters initially hired to work as his secretary. Their groundbreaking research together on human sexuality and sex disorders helped launch the sexual revolution of the 1960s and catapulted them to fame. The two also began a romantic relationship and got married. The show aired on Showtime for four seasons.
Masters of Sex explored a crucial part of the ‘60s. The sexual revolution had a huge impact on the decade, and Masters and Johnson played a huge part in it. But the show’s setting also allows it to address other elements of the ‘60s, most notably Johnson’s struggles as an independent woman and single mother trying to find a job. The series was critically acclaimed and earned numerous Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
Masters of Sex
Release Date September 29, 2013
Main Genre Drama
Seasons 4
5 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'
Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino
Image via Prime Video
Quick-witted Miriam "Midge" Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) discovered her hidden talent for stand-up comedy after her husband--a struggling aspiring comedian himself—left her in Prime series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. It was a discovery that would change her life, as she won over audiences and worked her way through New York City clubs up to national TV. The show lasted five seasons and was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, who also created Gilmore Girls.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel began in the 1950s and continued through the ‘60s, depicting the era's changes along the way. Most notably, the show highlighted the sexism Midge faced as she tried to build a career in the male-dominated field of stand-up comedy, as well as Midge's countercultural approach to comedy, which got her arrested during her very first time onstage. The show also featured fictionalized versions of real people, such as comedian Lenny Bruce.
4 'The Queen's Gambit'
Created by Scott Frank and Allan Scott
Image via Netflix
MiniseriesThe Queen’s Gambit, set during the Cold War, told the story of a young woman, Beth (Anya Taylor-Joy), who was orphaned as a child and became a chess prodigy and battled addiction to drugs and alcohol as she sought to become the best chess player in the world. The series was based on the novel of the same name, which was taken from a chess move in which the Queen’s pawn is moved first.
Although The Queen’s Gambit focused on Beth’s story, the 1960s setting provided a look at the decade’s culture and politics, including the Cold War, the Space Race and more, all addressed through conversations or news clips. The series also touched on sexism at the time, from the time Beth first showed interest in chess, she was told it wasn’t for girls. The Queen’s Gambit earned critical acclaim, including 11 Emmy Awards.
3 'The Wonder Years'
Created by Saladin K. Patterson
Image Via ABC
ABC’s coming-of-age comedy The Wonder Years followed the Williams family and their experiences as a Black middle-class family living in Montgomery, Alabama. The series was presented from the point of view of young boy Dean (Elisha Williams) and began in 1968, the year Dean turned 12. It was narrated by an adult Dean, voiced by Don Cheadle. The series was a reboot of the 1980s series of the same name. It lasted two seasons, from 2021 until 2023.
Both versions of The Wonder Years give an accurate look at life in the 1960s, but the reboot centered on a Black family and focused on their perspective. The show addressed issues of segregation in schools, racism in policing and more, and despite how much things have changed in the decades since, there were clear parallels to the modern era, for better or worse. The show also addressed the near-universal experiences of adolescence.
Godfather of Harlem follows crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker) after he returns from over a decade in prison to find his neighborhood has drastically changed in his absence and is now controlled by the Italian mob. Three seasons have aired so far, and the show was renewed for a fourth. It is a prequel to the film American Gangster, andit's set 10 years prior, and is based on actual events.
Godfather of Harlem offers a look at New York in the ‘60s, especially issues of race and civil rights. The Black Panthers are expected to appear in Season 4. In addition to real-life people like Johnson, the series has also featured notable figures such as Muhammad Ali (Deric Augustine) and Malcolm X (Jason Alan Carvell), a friend of Bumpy’s whose death was depicted in the series, and the cast all deliver impressive performances as they embody their characters.
Set in 1960s New York, AMC dramaMad Men followed advertising executive Don Draper (Jon Hamm) through his career and his life at home with his wife and children. The word “mad” in the title was a reference to Madison Avenue, the location of a number of ad agencies. The series was the first of AMC’s scripted programming and lasted seven seasons, and its success helped solidify AMC’s reputation for airing compelling dramas.
Mad Men was beloved by audiences and critics alike, with high ratings and acclaim. The series was notable for its portrayal of life in the 1960s and exploration of themes like gender roles, from the expectations put on women as wives and mothers to the challenges they faced in the workplace, especially in the boys' club of advertising. The series also perfectly captured the era, from its aesthetics through fashion to practices like openly smoking cigarettes in restaurants, or even while pregnant.
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A promo image from China Beach 
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