Maude's Abortion - Producer Norman Lear introduced the American viewing audience to "Maude's Dilemma," a two-part episode (11/14-21/72) on the sitcom MAUDE/CBS/1972-78 that depicted a 45-year-old woman named Maude Findlay (Beatrice Arthur) who discovers she is pregnant and opts for an abortion. Two CBS affiliates canceled the episodes and 32 CBS affiliates were pressured not to rerun the segments in the summer of 1973 by anti-abortion factions. The second airing of the program gave the show a 41 percent share with 65 million people tuning in. The first time the show aired CBS received 7,000 letters; the second time around 17,000 letters of protest poured in. This program appeared at a time when the Supreme Court had not yet protected legalized abortion (The Roe vs. Wade decision was still one year away) Reportedly, Pro-Life groups mailed Norman Lear photographs of aborted fetuses in protest. TVs first (then illegal) abortion operation aired in 1964 on the NBC serial ANOTHER WORLD when Pat Matthew's boyfriend, Tom Baxter talked Pat into having an abortion-and was later killed by her. This soap opera was also one of the first to depict themes of homosexuality, and teenage prostitution (TV Guide 4/4/92 p. 13)