Is Abortion Still Legal on Network TV?

A friend of mine recently pointed out that despite the fact that Maude had an abortion on a sitcom in 1972, as did Erica Kane on All My Children a year later, abortion seems to be a more of a taboo topic today than it was more than three decades ago (whereas the best we could get for gay characters in the’70s was Billy Crystal as Jody on Soap).

I have to admit I was disappointed that Desperate Housewives stayed away from the topic, considering all the other things they've delved into over the years. When Lynnette got pregnant with her fourth and fifth children this season, it wasn't even discussed as a possibility that she wouldn't have them (the characters, unlike the Solis family aren't even Catholic). I'm informed that another show I watch only occasionally did the same thing. On Law & Order: SVU Stabler and his wife, two characters heading towards divorce, with several older/grown children never even considered abortion when she got pregnant a while back.

In addition, I don't watch it, but I understand that something similar happened on Glee with a pregnant high school kid. Abortion wasn't even a possibility.

I'm not saying any of these women should not have the children, but in this day and age women with several almost grown kids and a teenager would at least consider terminating their pregnancies. It's not a matter of morality, it's a matter of being realist. Why is it that these shows can have openly gay characters (even married ones on Brothers & Sisters) but the topic of abortion isn't even brought up (except, of course, in cases of rape, which has happened on Law & Order: SVU).

In the coming weeks we will see if another show that has “gone there” on many issues will “go there” with abortion. We found out this week that Rebecca on Brothers & Sisters is pregnant. What will the writers have the young not-yet-married couple, with Justin, the father, having just started medical school discuss? Somehow I'm skeptical that the writers will have the courage to portray what real people would do in their situation—which is to have a frank discussion about all their options, including, abortion. We'll see.