The Weirdest 1960 TV Show With Little Girls. Is It Perverted?

Video Description

The host is David Silver. He appeared on TV back then with his TV specials. They were outrageous in part because he tried to get to the bottom of stories in very creative ways–and very unusual ways for TV at that time (or even now). I admired him as a creative person though I never worked directly with him. David Silver was a British producer and television host known for his experimental and boundary-pushing program at WGBH in Boston titled "What's Happening, Mr. Silver?" in 1967. The show was a raw, documentary-style exploration of the late 1960s counterculture, often featuring interviews with hippies, political radicals, and ordinary people in the streets. David Silver interviewed young girls about their perspectives on what a "date" should be like. Silver asks the children questions such as where a date should go (they suggest the park, dinner, or a movie) and whether he should bring a gift like a ladybug, to which they respond that candy or earrings might be better. In the 1960s, this was seen as a fascinating bit of cultural history, capturing the innocent yet socially programmed views of the "younger generation" before they entered the more radical teenage years of that era. Despite its growing popularity, the show was abruptly yanked off the air. While many assumed it was due to Silver’s radical political statements—such as agreeing with professor Howard Zinn's harsh critiques of the Vietnam War—the actual catalyst was reportedly a disparaging remark he made about Nancy Sinatra. Silver suggested her appearance was "false" (citing her hair, nose, and cheekbones), and the show was removed within a week. Viewing the show today provides a "wacky" and surreal window into the Summer of Love. It presents a clash between the "square" older generation and a youth culture that was beginning to experiment with drugs (like LSD and marijuana) and radical new social philosophies The interviews with the children are often seen as one of the more "grounded" moments in a series that was otherwise characterized by chaotic, stoned participants and intense political debates