Anyone remember the TV series Maude? It aired on CBS from 1972 to 1978. The show was cutting-edge and dealt with some controversial topics long before other shows did. Topics like abortion and casual drug use. But I think Maude Findlay was more of a traditional feminist and moderate liberal than radical one of either group. But I'm still trying to figure out their maid Mrs. Naugatuck. Because Mrs. Naugatuck had an interesting name. It sounded so quintessentially British. But it's actually the name of a town in New Haven County, Connecticut. And the name Naugatuck is an Algonquian word meaning "lone tree by the fishing place". Why would a woman from Britain have that name?
Maude was a spinoff from All in the Family which was likely the first primetime TV series to explore the controversial topics of the day. This usually took the form of arguments between liberal Meathead Rob Reiner and conservative Archie Bunker played by Carrol O'Connor. The generation clash was played out before all America. Archie nearly always ended up being the fool, with his poor wife Edith unable to rein him in. Archie would really get mad! Today we see millions of MAGA Archies across the country! If the maid's a Mrs., she could be from from anywhere.
