Did you ever notice how some "period piece:" t. v. shows broke the rules of the period they were supposed to be in?

[FunkyMonkee]

Happy Days: set in the rock & roll era of the `50's and stuck to that for the first few years and then, suddenly they had the girls on the show running around in hot pants with very moder air styles and make-up and Fonzie started trying to do stunts on his motorcycle ala Evil Knievel who nobody even heard of for another decade or so.

M*A*S*H: Set in the Korean war in the `50's yet, after a few series, suddenly, Hot Lips started wearing modern hair styles, pants and make-up.

F-Troop: Set in the old west during the days of the cavalry but in one episode, they introduced a new character, Wrongo Starr, a play on the name, Ringo Starr and a few episodes later they had a hippy rock band show up to play a gig featuring mid `60's rock & roll and then some of the main cast formed their own psych band playing, "Mr. Tambourine Man" ala The Byrds.

Lost In Space: Set in the `80's or later, in one episode, they end up on a space ship where everyone is a hippy and tries to turn the rest of the cast into hippies.

The Wild Wild West: Set in the steam punk era when U. S. Grant was President. I've only seen the full series once but I seem to recall at least one time where they made a reference to modern times, beside the time Alan Hale, Jr. was in the show and, at the end, said he was going to get a boat and take a 3-hour tour.

Wonder Woman: Set in the `40's, it still made a few references to the period in which it was made late `70's/early `80's.

[docster]

That's what stood out for me with the recent movie "Babylon". Margot Robbie's hair and clothes looked very modern despite the film being set in the 1920's and '30's. I'm not complaining, she looked fantastic. Just not accurate.

[Grond21]

This happens all the time. What makes it worse is that there are often people who really care about making sure it's accurate to the period in the various departments, but the directors don't care

[FunkyMonkee]

True!

[AI Opinion]

It's fascinating how some period TV shows occasionally stray from their set eras, adding modern touches or anachronisms. This mix of historical and modern elements can serve as a creative twist, sometimes intentionally enhancing humor or storylines. Shows like "Happy Days" and "M*A*S*H" sometimes took liberties with fashion or references to better connect with contemporary audiences. Likewise, the playful anachronisms in "F-Troop" and others can highlight the difference between past and present, creating a unique viewing experience. Sometimes, these choices are made to keep the show relatable or add a sense of novelty. 🎬

[Dongie]

Yeah, that turned me off the show it seems, thinking about it now, Happy Days, and F-Troop. It destroyed the spirit of the show. The characters all seemed cheap and like sell-outs for fame & fortune.

[FunkyMonkee]

I didn't mind it so much in F-Troop, it was already spoofing the old west so it wasn't TOO much more absurd to have a joke about a modern rock group. Although, you had to wonder where they got the electricity for their guitars.
The Lost In Space episode I could just put it down to them landing on a planet where people were stuck in the `60's. I wouldn't mind going there, myself!!
Happy Days destroyed the believability, though! If a girl in the `50's wore hot pants, her parents would've disowned her and considered her to be a whore!!

[Dongie]

The Fonz jumping a shark with the movie Jaws, having been huge from 75 to 78. It seems he did another stunt, but I can't recall.

[FunkyMonkee]

I don't know, I stopped watching it shortly after the shark jump and all those other characters arcing off into their own shows.

[WonderingManII]

Did you ever notice how some "period piece:" t. v. shows broke the rules of the period they were supposed to be in? yes and it is annoying.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I've noticed that, and I don't like it.