Some people are fans of the "punk rock episodes" of early 80's TV shows such as Quincy and CHiPs. Authority figures taking on young, green-haired ne'er-do-wells and somehow teaching them a valuable life lesson by episode's end. Yes, they're camp classics but hardly an original idea. If you really want to see the beginnings of the post-war generation gap in terms of media stereotypes check out television's "beatnik episodes" of the early 60's!
The Beverly Hillbillies had two episodes featuring a coffee house clan led by beatnik extraordinaire Sheldon Epps.
Petticoat Junction had perhaps the most clean-cut beatnik ever on TV. No goatee, no sunglasses, no bongos. In fact, he may have just been a moody asshole.
Both The Munsters and The Addams Family had their own beatnik episodes. It's interesting to note that the beatniks and the Munsters seemed to accept each other while The Addams Family beatnik was at least initially considerably more freaked out.
And of course there's TV's original beatnik Maynard G. Krebs. Can you imagine Dobie Gillis without him? Neither can I.
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