History UsefulNotes / The60s

Some possibly useful notes on TheSwinging60s, for those who remember them and others who don't.

Some possibly useful notes on [[TheSixties The Swinging '60s]], for those who remember them and others who don't.

* {{Anime}} was introduced to Americans during this decade and it created its niche as {{Cult Classic}}s in American entertainment as shows like ''Anime/AstroBoy'', ''Manga/EightMan1963'', ''Manga/KimbaTheWhiteLion'', ''Anime/{{Gigantor}}'' and ''Anime/SpeedRacer'' paved the way for more sophisticated shows. At the time, anime was referred to (when any distinction was made between it and WesternAnimation at all) as "Japanimation", which remained the dominant media term for it until TheNineties.

* The creation of the {{Rerun}} in the '50s was a double-edged sword for series television; by this time it was clear that even high-rated TV shows could not expect the same decades-long lifespans many radio shows had enjoyed in the '30s and '40s, but reruns meant that episodic formats were considered ideal for second-run and syndication. Sitcoms and dramatic series alike avoided serialization like the plague; only [[SoapOpera soap operas]] would employ continuing storylines. The GrandFinale, a concept unknown in the '50s, emerged gradually: the first show with a specifically-produced "final episode" was ''Series/LeaveItToBeaver'' in 1963, which ended with a retrospective flashback episode. But the first Grand Finale as we understand the term today (meeting the SeriesGoal and wrapping up continuing storylines) was produced for ''Series/TheFugitive'' in 1967. The network was dubious, and the show's producers had to pay out of pocket to make the finale themselves, though it would become the highest-rated episode in television history when it aired. However, grand finales generally remained uncommon until well into TheSeventies.

* Most fads that you imagine about the Swinging Sixties, like the miniskirt, tie-dyed shirts, long and bouffant hairdos, mod suits, and bell bottom pants, did not emerge until the middle of the decade. Much of the fashion of the late 1950s was still in style back in the early 1960s (at least before 1963). Only after Kennedy died, that a new, more liberal silhouette that reminisced TheRoaringTwenties, stepped into the catwalk.

* UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation was in full swing. Not everything was terrible, but cartoons were generally [[LimitedAnimation cheaply produced]], and became more sitcom-like. The AnimationAgeGhetto started due to cartoons being marketed exclusively toward children.

* UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation declined during this decade as theaters began focusing more exclusively on feature length films and thus stopped booking cartoon shorts. This caused many major studios to close down their animation units. The focus for animation instead continued to migrate to television. Long running animated theatrical short series like WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry, WesternAnimation/{{Noveltoons}} and WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes ended their runs in this decade though some got their shorts repackaged on television which would later gain these series new audiences. This ultimately led to the beginning of the UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation which would last until the 80s.

* The {{UsefulNotes/UNIX}} operating system was created at Bell Labs in 1969, though its impact on TheInternet would only be felt in later decades.

* {{Anime}} was introduced to Americans during this decade and it created its niche as {{Cult Classic}}s in American entertainment as shows like ''Anime/AstroBoy'', ''Anime/EighthMan'', ''Manga/KimbaTheWhiteLion'', ''Anime/{{Gigantor}}'' and ''Anime/SpeedRacer'' paved the way for more sophisticated shows. At the time, anime was referred to (when any distinction was made between it and WesternAnimation at all) as "Japanimation", which remained the dominant media term for it until TheNineties.