The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson aired on television from 1952 to 1966. The show depicted a fictional version of the lives of the actual Nelson family.
The New York Times has compared the show to Seinfeld, because it was the original show about nothing.
Let’s look at Episode 38, called “A Day in Bed.”
Ozzie wakes up on a Sunday and realizes that he is living in a rut of habitual activities, and instead he decides to stay in bed all day.
The day is filled with interesting activities that Ozzie can hear booming through the window, but his commitment to a brief lifestyle change keeps him planted in bed.
To Ozzie’s dismay, however, the entire day was a dream and he wakes up Sunday morning as lethargic as ever.
During the show’s 14-year run, America watched the Nelson’s lives unfold and evolve.
With drama, inconsistencies, and truth, this family blurred the lines between reality and fiction.
The Nelson family’s scripts and photos are available at UW’s American Heritage Center.