that both shows “ emphasize that girls ’ lives , consciousness , and sexuality were not only the agents driving the rampant baby-boom consumerism , but were in fact the items to be consumed by a patriarchal society fraught with conflict in its attitudes toward its daughters ” ( 186 ).
A product of its time , The Patty Duke Show contains production techniques and social values of a bygone era . Nevertheless , there was more to it than a clever jingle . It played a useful role for its original audience of teen and pre-teen females who had moved beyond Barbie dolls and were trying to grow up , suggesting to them that their problems with love were important and paving the way for other girl-centered television series . More importantly , it provided strategies for negotiating romantic relationships , proving through trial and error how rationality really wins the day .
The Patty Duke Show premiered on ABC on September 18 , 1963 , at the time when those born in the peak years of the baby boom were in elementary school and television viewing had risen to more than five hours a day ( Rollin 209 ). Duke , who held the distinction of being the youngest person to win an Academy Award in a competitive category , had already garnered an Oscar for her performance as best supporting actress for her 1962 role as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker after playing the same part for two years on Broadway . She became the first juvenile actress to have her own show named after her during television ’ s Golden Age . Enormously talented , she was sometimes compared to Lucille Ball for her physical comedic ability , and audiences , especially young girls , loved her . The Patty Duke Show , which ran for three years , until May 4 , 1966 , featured Duke in two teen roles :
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