# First TV Couple in Bed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143 "2011-11-16T17:45:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/1 "2011-11-16T17:45:29Z")
A little debate arose as to what TV couple was the first shown in bed together. I’ve heard arguments for the Brady couple, Lucy & Desi, and the Flinstones. What says the SDope consensus? ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/2 "2011-11-16T17:53:20Z")
Lucy and Ricky slept in separate beds. Don’t know the answer, but I’m guessing that it has to be post-1950s. ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/3 "2011-11-16T17:59:10Z")
According to [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/marykay.asp), its a show called “Mary Kay and Johnny.” Which I have never heard of… ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/4 "2011-11-16T18:00:21Z")
The Bob Newhart Show which aired in 1972 definitely showed Bob and Emily Hartley in the same bed. So, it was them or it was before 1972. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/5 "2011-11-16T18:06:05Z")
The Douglases slept in the same bed, on Green Acres. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/6 "2011-11-16T18:10:57Z")
> [@Skara\_Brae](#): > > According to [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/marykay.asp), its a show called “Mary Kay and Johnny.” Which I have never heard of… 1947, so that pretty much clinches it. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/7 "2011-11-16T18:49:17Z")
I heard it was the Munsters. Interestingly, the same article that said that said the first TV couple who actually appeared passionately (sexually) attracted to each other were the Addams, on The Addams Family. Both of these were fantasies about monsters, which raises some interesting questions… What was Mary Kay and Johnny about? ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/8 "2011-11-16T19:04:32Z")
Mary Kay and Johnny existed before the idea of separating married couples into separate beds even occurred to anyone. A better question would be what was the first TV couple to share a bed _after_ this rule was in place. Other fun trivia: both the NFL and MLB were integrated before they were segregated. Jackie Robinson, for example, wasn’t the first black player in MLB, but the first one after segregation. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/9 "2011-11-16T19:37:02Z")
Oddly enough, not Basil and Cybil Fawlty, though I’m guessing that was intentional. I did find it odd when watching it, though. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/10 "2011-11-16T19:42:23Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The Bob Newhart Show which aired in 1972 definitely showed Bob and Emily Hartley in the same bed. > > So, it was them or it was before 1972. The Brady Bunch predates that by 3 years, but they weren’t the first either. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/11 "2011-11-16T20:01:27Z")
> [@Skara\_Brae](#): > > According to [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/marykay.asp), its a show called “Mary Kay and Johnny.” Which I have never heard of… It aired on the now-defunct Dumont Network. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/12 "2011-11-16T20:14:51Z")
My trivia e-mail said just the other day that it was the Fintstones. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/13 "2011-11-16T20:25:40Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > The Douglases slept in the same bed, on Green Acres. Oliver and Lisa–both well into middle-age–were the hottest couple on TV in those years, except for the Addamses. Lots of snuggling and kissing and double-entendres. No wonder the Monroe Brothers were always peeking through that door! ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/14 "2011-11-16T20:36:40Z")
Was Alice and Ralph Kramden’s bed ever shown? I always heard it was Herman and Lilly Munster who first shared a bed. I remember an episode of I Love Lucy when they were traveling to California and they shared a bed with a very bad mattress. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Miss\_Sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Sunshine)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/15 "2011-11-16T20:44:06Z")
How about the couple from Happy Days? Another interesting question would be when they first showed a couple in bed without clothes on (you know what i mean, so it looked like they were naked) So, it then gave the impression that they were actually doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/16 "2011-11-16T20:50:56Z")
> [@Miss\_Sunshine](#): > > How about the couple from Happy Days? I’m sorry but. . . you do realize Happy Days wasn’t made in the '50s, right? ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Miss\_Sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Sunshine)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/17 "2011-11-16T20:55:38Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I’m sorry but. . . you do realize Happy Days wasn’t made in the '50s, right? That was before my time.. was just a guess. No need to try to make me look stupid. I didn’t see all those old shows much. Except for reruns. ---
**Author:** ![mckall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mckall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mckall)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/18 "2011-11-16T20:56:21Z")
I’d say it was Dick van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore in 1961. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/19 "2011-11-16T20:58:42Z")
> [@mckall](#): > > I’d say it was Dick van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore in 1961. Separate beds. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143/20 "2011-11-16T21:04:25Z")
> [@Miss\_Sunshine](#): > > That was before my time.. was just a guess. No need to try to make me look stupid. > > I didn’t see all those old shows much. Except for reruns. I was not trying to make you look stupid. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-tv-couple-in-bed/603143.md?page=2)