Media Expert Thompson Explains Ken Shapiro’s Legacy

Child TV star Ken Shapiro passed away last week at the age of 75. His satirical style helped usher in shows like Saturday Night Live, and his legacy remains to this day. In the New York Times, pop culture expert Robert Thompson discussed Shapiro’s legacy in the industry.

“Television didn’t refer to itself much back in 1974, and neither did film,” he said. “‘The Groove Tube’s legacy was that it established a structure, an attitude and a style of burlesque that would become familiar in later shows like ‘S.N.L.,’ ‘Mad TV’ and especially `SCTV.’”