For a moment, imagine a world in which “The Dick Van Dyke Show” only existed for one season. How would popular culture be different? Well, first of all, the version of “Mary Poppins” that babysat ...

A version of this essay first appeared in The Swell, Salon's culture newsletter. Sign up for early access to articles like this, for more culture that's made to last. For a moment, imagine a world in ...