At Issue; 62; The Leisure Boom: An Examination of the American Pursuit of Pleasure

thumbnail of At Issue; 62; The Leisure Boom: An Examination of the American Pursuit of Pleasure
This record is featured in “National Educational Television.”
Series
At Issue
Episode Number
62
Episode
The Leisure Boom: An Examination of the American Pursuit of Pleasure
Producing Organization
National Educational Television and Radio Center
Contributing Organization
Library of Congress (Washington, District of Columbia)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/512-f47gq6rx6v
NOLA Code
AISS
If you have more information about this item than what is given here, or if you have concerns about this record, we want to know! Contact us, indicating the AAPB ID (cpb-aacip/512-f47gq6rx6v).
Description
Episode Description
Narrated by comedian Bob Newhart, The Leisure Boom: An Examination of the American Pursuit of Pleasure is a satirical, yet serious look at the plethora of leisure activities available to Americans and the way they are spending their free time. From Leisure Central, Newhart culls the country, determining how Americans are spending their hours away from work and whether they are enjoying their pursuits. There is a panorama of Americans at play with Newhart as the anchor or pivot man at Leisure Central, a tongue-in-cheek comparison to televisions election centrals etc. Dr. Richard Belman of the faculty of the University of Southern California describes society as in a state of transition, pointing out that automation and shorter work weeks are forcing more leisure time on the working man. Leisure has been a problem in America for 20 years, Dr. Belman says, and it explains why the entertainment business is one of the biggest and most flourishing in the nation. Harvey Swados, author of The Myth of the Happy Worker, comments that with the extension of the shorter work week, most people will have to be educated, not in terms of work, but in how to spend most of their lives learning and studying endeavors which are satisfying. Author Paul Goodman discusses the philosophy underlying the meaning of leisure, which is derived from the ancient Greek society which equated it with learning and promoting the public good. He says it is appalling to imagine millions of people devoting their spare time to golf and square dancing when they could be busy working for important causes such as civil rights or peace movements. Sheldon Leonard, a television executive producer responsible for such program as The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, and I Spy, discusses passive versus active leisure activities. Harry Van Arsdale, business manager for an electricians local, explains controlled leisure at an electrical workers housing project and a new type of school where electricians are intended to learn how to spend their leisure time becoming better and happier citizens. In a mining town in West Virginia, retired miners discuss how they spend leisure time that has been thrust upon them through forced retirement. The show reports also on packaged-vacations, business-pleasure trips, hobbies, and luxury retirements N.E.T. camera units scanned the country, in Florida, California, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Long Island, and parts of the Northeast to bring this At Issue documentary report on The Leisure Boom. Running Time: 59:10 (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
Series Description
At Issue consists of 69 half-hour and hour-long episodes produced in 1963-1966 by NET, which were originally shot on videotape in black and white and color.
Broadcast Date
1965-12-00
Asset type
Episode
Genres
Talk Show
News
Topics
Economics
News
Media type
Moving Image
Duration
00:59:54
Embed Code
Copy and paste this HTML to include AAPB content on your blog or webpage.
Credits
Associate Producer: Muheim, Harry
Director: Muheim, Harry
Executive Producer: Perlmutter, Alvin H.
Interviewee: Goodman, Paul
Interviewee: Belman, Richard
Interviewee: Swados, Harvey
Interviewee: Van Arsdale, Harry
Interviewee: Leonard, Sheldon
Narrator: Newhart, Bob
Producer: O'Toole, John, 1931-
Producing Organization: National Educational Television and Radio Center
AAPB Contributor Holdings
Library of Congress
Identifier: 1837993-1 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 1 inch videotape: SMPTE Type C
Generation: Master
Color: B&W
Library of Congress
Identifier: 1837993-2 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: U-matic
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
Library of Congress
Identifier: 1837993-3 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 2 inch videotape: Quad
Generation: Master
Color: B&W
Library of Congress
Identifier: 1837993-4 (MAVIS Item ID)
Generation: Master
Library of Congress
Identifier: 1837993-5 (MAVIS Item ID)
Generation: Copy: Access
Library of Congress
Identifier: 1837993-6 (MAVIS Item ID)
Generation: Copy: Access
If you have a copy of this asset and would like us to add it to our catalog, please contact us.
Citations
Chicago: “At Issue; 62; The Leisure Boom: An Examination of the American Pursuit of Pleasure,” 1965-12-00, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed April 19, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-f47gq6rx6v.
MLA: “At Issue; 62; The Leisure Boom: An Examination of the American Pursuit of Pleasure.” 1965-12-00. Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. April 19, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-f47gq6rx6v>.
APA: At Issue; 62; The Leisure Boom: An Examination of the American Pursuit of Pleasure. Boston, MA: Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-f47gq6rx6v