Gary Ross obviously took a great deal of inspiration for the fictional 1950s television show Pleasantville from actual television sitcoms of the 1950s. Shows like Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, My Three Sons, The Donna Reed Show, and others all espoused the wholesome family values that epitomized the post-war moment. These shows projected prosperity, high morals, and social conservatism into the mainstream.
The television family sitcoms of the 1950s were essentially morality tales, short vignettes that sought to communicate some bit of common sense wisdom about the world. While many have suggested that these shows were simply odes to conformity and cookie-cutter lifestyles, others have argued for their philosophical value. The actor Jerry Mathers, who played the titular role, remembered the show with reverence when he said in an interview, "Leave It to Beaver is about everyday life situations. It’s about family and kids growing up. Yes, times have changed. Today’s family life is on a faster pace than in the 50s, but kids today have many of the same life concerns such as…the first day of school, learning discipline, the first dance, saving money and other ups and downs of life."
Others still maintain that shows like these disseminated a sanitized and inaccurate portrait of life, one that overlooks the realities of life. In an article looking back at "The Evolution of the Sitcom Family," Laura Turner Garrison writes of Leave it to Beaver, "The whole idea of suburban life was a fairly new concept to see on primetime television. Pre-fab communities like Levittown were only just built in the early 50s. It has since become a relic of simpler times, when America had 'good values.' Note my 'sarcasm.'"
