History of Drag, Gender-Impersonation and Transgender People and Characters on
National American Television
1970 - The Flip Wilson Show (comedy/variety) NBC 1970-1974. The most popular character comedian Flip Wilson played in skits was Geraldine Jones, a sexy and sassy lady who talked about an unseen boyfriend named Killer. Geraldine was shown as a Playboy Bunny, a Stewardess, a Nurse and other feminine roles.
1972 - M*A*S*H (comedy/drama) CBS 1972-1983. Set in a mobile army hospital during the Korean War, wacky Corporal Max Klinger (played by Jamie Farr) regularly dressed in women's clothing to try to get discharged from the Army. He even dressed as the Statue of Liberty to greet Gen. MacArthur complete with flaming torch.
1976 - All in The Familiy (sitcom) CBS 1971-1979. In Episode 113 "Archie the Hero" Archie Bunker performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a woman passed out in the back of his cab and was schocked to find out she was really a Cross-Dressing man called Beverly LaSalle (played by Don McLean). Beverly made two other visits to the Bunker household. In episode 140 "Beverly Rides Again", Archie fixed her up on a date with his practical-joking buddy. In 1977, on the first TV episode in history that dealt with the subject of Queer-Bashing, Beverly LaSalle was murdered, causing Edith to loose faith in God. (Episode 168 "Edith's Crisis of Faith".)
1977- The Jeffersons (sitcom) CBS 1975-1985. In Episode 64 "Once a Friend" George learns old Navy pal Eddie is in town and wants to pay a visit and is schocked to learn his pal's name is now Edie (played by Veronica Redd) and has undergone a sex change operation.
1986- Saturday Night Live (sketch comedy) NBC 1975-Present. SNL, the rebellious, off-beat, late night comedy show had Dana Carvey playing a character called Church Lady, a holier-than-thou TV talk show host.
1989- Saturday Night Live (sketch comedy) NBC 1975-Present. SNL, the rebellious, off-beat, late night comedy show featured Mike Myers playing a character called Linda Richman, a New York Jewish TV talk show hostess who gets "a little verklempt" and asks her audience to talk amongst themselves.
1989 - Kids in the Hall (sketch comedy) HBO, CBS 1989-1994. Canadian comedy troupe of five male actors who played both male and female characters. They specialized in an irreverant, off-beat, sometimes dark brand of humor with charaters like "Chicken Lady."
1990- Saturday Night Live (sketch comedy) NBC 1975-Present. SNL, the rebellious, off-beat late night comedy show featured Julia Sweeney playing an androgynous character called Pat, who confuses people as they try to figure out Pat's gender.
1990- In Living Color (sketch comedy) FOX 1990-1994. In the cast of characters in this outragious skit comedy series was Verla DeMilo (played by Jim Carrey) a female athlete who was obviously on steroids.
1994 - Tales of The City (serial drama miniseries) PBS 1994. Armistead Maupin's novel brought to television. Sudsy drama with Gay, Straight and Bisexual characters set in San Francisco in the 1970s. The residents of 28 Barbary Lane find outh that their landlady, Anna Madrigal (played by Olympia Dukakis) is a male-to-female Transsexual.
1996 - The RuPaul Show (talk show) VH-1 1996-1998. Drag persona and recording artist RuPaul hosted a talk show making her the first Drag Queen or Transgendered person in history to host and be seen regularly on a national distributed television program.
1998 - The Drew Carey Show (sitcom) ABC 1995- Present. Drew finds out that his brother Steve (played by John Carroll Lynch) is a Heterosexual Cross-Dresser. Genetic female Mimi (played by Kathy Kinney) who wears garish make-up and outrageous clothing is often mistaken for a Drag Queen.
1998 - More Tales of the City (serial drama miniseries) Showtime 1998. The sage continues where Tales of The City (1994) left off with Olympia Dukakis as Transsexual landlady Anna Madrigal.
1998 - South Park (animated comedy) Comedy Central. 1997-Present. In a much anticipated episode that promised to reveal the identity of Cartman's biological father, it was discovered that his mother is a male-to-female Transsexual and "she" was the one who actually fathered him.
2000 - Just Shoot Me (sitcom) NBC 1997-2003. Finch meets a beautiful race car driver named Brandi (played by Marissa Jaret Winokur) and later finds out she is actually his old friend who used to be a guy called Burt. (Episode #86, "Brandi, You're a Fine Girl")
2001 - Ally McBeal (comedy/drama) FOX 1997-2002. A Law firm is upset that the main plaintiff for a telemarketing case is Clair Otoms (played by female impersonator Dame Edna Everage) a flamboyant, purple-haired "woman" who won't be convincing on the witness stand. Clair was a big hit with viewers and the character became a semi-regular, appearing on 9 episodes.
2001- Further Tales of The City (serical drama miniseries) Showtime. 2001. The saga continues where "More Tales of The City" left off with Olympia Dukakis as Transsexual landlady Anna Madrigal.
2001- One Life to Live (serial drama) ABC 1968-Present. With style and flair, Female Impersonator Charles Busch added to the drama in the Daytime Soap portraying glamourous modeling agency owner Peg Barlow.
2004 - The Brini Maxwell Show (instruction) Style Network 2004-Present. Drag persona Brini Maxwell stars in a show where household hints and decorating ideas are given, making her the third Drag Personality to be seen regularly on national television.
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