In the 1950s and 1960s, networks and advertisers imposed strict controls on what could be shown on television. For example, Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke played the married couple Laura and Rob Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, which aired from 1961 to 1966. Although married, the Petries had to sleep in separate twin beds. Sponsors also raised their eyebrows when Moore wore jeans and capri pants on the show because these garments might be considered suggestive. Moore fought the sponsors and won, saying, “I’ll dress on the show the way I dress in real life.”
Here’s a great clip of Moore dancing as Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1960s: