101 Classic (and Not-So-Classic) TV Shows From the 1970s

‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ (1970-1977)

Mary Richards (as played by Mary Tyler Moore) could and did turn the world on with her smile! One of the quintessential sitcoms of the 1970s, with Mary starring as the WJM TV News associate producer and the focus split between her life in the newsroom and at home. Many of the characters were so beloved that they got their own shows, such as Valerie Harper‘s Rhoda (1974-1978), Cloris Leachman’s Phyllis (1975-1977), and Ed Asner‘s Lou Grant (1977-1982). Quality shows across the board.

‘The Odd Couple’ (1970-1975)

The battle between the slob and the neatnik comes to television with Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison and Tony Randall as Felix Unger in this television adaptation of Neil Simon’s Broadway play. Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy? Of course not!

Also debuting in 1970 was a series version of Neil Simon’s other big play of the time, Barefoot in the Park. While the 1967 feature film version starred Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, the television take featured an African American cast. It only ran from 1970 to 1971. All three versions focused on the early days in the marriage of newlyweds.

‘The Partridge Family’ (1970-1974)

The show that turned David Cassidy into a heartthrob! The sitcom focuses on a family that decides to become a band and take their show on the road to great success both on and off camera. Also starring Shirley Jones as matriarch Shirley Partridge, Susan Dey as Laurie and Danny Bonaduce as Danny. Music from the show was compiled into best selling albums and singles. The Partridges may have been big business for a while, but more important is the memories of them that viewers still hold close to their heart. We think we love them!

‘Dan August’ (One Season Spread Between 1971 and 1975)

In the days before his movie career exploded, Burt Reynolds starred in this show as the title character, a detective working out of Santa Luisa, California and going up against many of the people he grew up with. Also starring Norman Fell (Mr. Roper from Three’s Company) as Sergeant Charles Wilentz and Richard Anderson (eventually Oscar Goldman on The Six Million Dollar Man) as Chief George Untermeyer.

‘Make Room for Granddaddy’ (1970-1971)

From 1953 to 1964, Danny Thomas had a huge television success with Make Room for Daddy/The Danny Thomas Show, which focused on the career and home life of entertainer Danny Williams and his family. A 1969 a reunion special titled Make Room for Granddaddy scored big ratings and, the following year, the decision was made to spin it off into a weekly series. Unfortunately the audience didn’t connect with it in the way it had in the past, and the show was canceled after a single season.

‘Nanny and the Professor’ (1970-1971)

Juliet Mills plays Phoebe Figalilly (who has a preference for the name “Nanny”), arriving at the home of Professor Harold Everett (Richard Long), a widower, to care for his kids — Hal (David Doremus), Butch (Trent Lehman) and Prudence (Kim Richards). Not dissimilar to Mary Poppins, there is definitely something a little odd about Nanny, who has what you could call a sixth sense.

‘All in the Family’ (1971-1979)

From Norman Lear, one of the primary shows credited with changing the nature of episodic television in the 1970s. Gone was the light and fluffy — and in its place were all the issues of the day shown through the prisms of the Bunker family, led by conservative bigot Archie (Carroll O’Connor), who goes up against his liberal son-in-law Michael Stivic (Rob Reiner). Caught in between is Archie’s wife, Edith (Jean Stapleton), and their daughter (and Mike’s wife) Gloria (Sally Struthers). It’s hard to realize now, but the impact All in the Family had on the medium was profound.

From 1979 to to 1983, Carroll O’Connor starred in the spin-off Archie Bunker’s Place which, with the passing of Edith, saw him raising his nieces while running a local bar.

‘Columbo’ (1971-1976)

A series of mystery TV movies with a twist: we see the criminal commit the crime, and it’s up to Los Angeles Police Department Detective Columbo to prove the culprit is guilty. Inventive writing and direction combined with Peter Falk’s portrayal of the title character made the detective one of TV’s most iconic characters. The actor would reprise Columbo in a new series of mysteries that aired from 1989 to 2003. Also, in 1979 Kate Mulgrew starred in a single season spin-off series, initially titled Mrs. Columbo and then changed to Kate Loves a Mystery. Unfortunately the audience didn’t love Kate.

‘The New Dick Van Dyke Show’ (1971-1974)

Signing a three-year deal with CBS, Dick Van Dyke agreed to star in this sitcom that saw him starring as television talk show host Dick Preston, with Hope Lange as his wife, Jenny, and Angela Powell as his daughter, Angie. The focus was split between his time at work and at home but, due to low ratings, in the third and final season the locale switched from Arizona to California when Dick Preston is hired as an actor on a daytime soap. Didn’t work.

‘Alias Smith and Jones’ (1971-1973)

If you remove banks and railroads, everybody loves Old West outlaws Hannibal Heyes (Roger Davis) and Kid Curry (Ben Murphy). Oh, and you might want to add the law to that list of people against them.

‘Cannon’ (1971-1976)

Retiring from the Los Angeles Police Department, Frank Cannon (William Conrad) decides to become a private detective.

‘The Jimmy Stewart Show’ (1971-1972)

In his only weekly television series, Jimmy Stewart stars as James K. Howard, an anthropology professor at Josiah Kessel College, which his grandfather founded, in Easy Valley, California (fictional town). His quiet life is disrupted when his son’s house burns down and he invites the family to come and stay with him and his wife, Martha (Julie Adams).

The show lasted one season, and Stewart didn’t fare much better in Hawkins (1973-1974), which cast him as lawyer Billy Jim Hawkins, who would tend to investigate (and solve) the cases he was drawn into. That’s a hands-on lawyer.

‘Longstreet’ (1971-1972)

Armed with his German shepherd guide dog and some personal training from Bruce Lee, James Franciscus (who almost became Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch) plays Mike Longstreet, an investigator of insurance cases.

‘The New Andy Griffith Show’ (1971)

Andy Sawyer (Andy Griffith) has been working in the capital, but heads back to his home town with his family when he hears the position of mayor is opening up. The town of Greenwood is a lot like Mayberry, which makes one wonder why he wanted to stop playing Andy Taylor in the first place. Lee Meriwether plays Andy’s wife, Lee.

‘Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law’ (1971-1974)

Arthur Hill plays the title character, a compassionate defense attorney who works with his associates (including a pre-Bionic Lee Majors) to prove the innocence of their clients. Fans of crossovers will be thrilled to know that there were two of them between this show and Robert Young’s Marcus Welby, M.D. 

‘The Persuaders!’ (1971-1972)

Here’s an interesting concept: take the Bronx-born and raised “self-made” American Danny Wilde (played by Tony Curtis) and England’s Lord Brett Sinclair (Roger Moore), bring them together and have them work to protect the wronged in society. The year after this show ended, Roger made his debut as James Bond in Live and Let Die.

‘Sanford and Son’ (1972-1977)

Another example of the sitcom maturing in the 1970s and a huge hit for NBC. Redd Foxx is Fred Sanford and Demond Wilson is his son, Lamont — both of them living and working out of the family junkyard. Developed by Norman Lear, many considered it to be the network’s own version of All in the Family, which isn’t unreasonable considering the issues dealt with, albeit comically.

It would spawn the spin-offs Grady (starring Whitman Mayo as Grady Wilson, Fred Sanford’s friend); the Sanford Arms (starring neither Foxx nor Wilson, introducing a new character who took over the property and ran the rooming house next door); and Sanford (Redd Foxx reprises the role, but few viewers tuned in). Demond Wilson would also star in Baby, I’m Back (1977-1978), which had nothing to do with Sanford and Son.

‘Emergency!’ (1972-1979)

Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe plays firefighter paramedics John Gage and Roy DeSoto, who work in the the Los Angeles metropolitan area tackling crises on a weekly basis. Co-created by Jack Webb, the creative force behind Dragnet.

‘Maude’ (1972-1978)

Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin worked their creative magic again in this first spin-off from All in the Family. Bea Arthur had played Maude Findlay, cousin of Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton), on two episodes of that show, and made such an impression that she got her own series. Pure liberal, the show follows the character’s tackling issues of the day. Co-starring are Bill Macy as her husband, Walter, and Adrienne Barbeau as their daughter, Carol.

‘The Waltons’ (1972-1981)

The acclaimed series focuses on the title family and their struggles through the depression and World War II while living in the Virginian mountains. The cast includes Will Geer, Ellen Corby, Richard Thomas and Mary Jackson. Like the 1971 TV movie that preceded it, the show is based on series creator Earl Hamner Jr.’s book Spencer’s Mountain, which in itself spawned a 1963 film.

‘The Bob Newhart Show’ (1972-1978)

One of the greats! Bob Newhart is psychologist Bob Hartley, the perfect straight man to a group of nutso/eccentric patients. Suzanne Pleshette plays his wife, Emily, with Bill Daly (from I Dream of Jeannie) as pilot Howard Borden.

‘The Streets of San Francisco’ (1972-1977)

Karl Malden is Detective Lieutenant Mike Stone and Michael Douglas, before he decided to become a movie star, is Inspector Steve Kellar, and together they’re making the rounds in San Francisco and solving crimes.

‘M*A*S*H’ (1972-1983)

Let’s face it, the idea of a “sitcom” focusing on doctors stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Uijeongbu, South Korea during the Korean War didn’t exactly scream TV hit. But that’s exactly what it became thanks to brilliant writing and actors like Alan Alda, Loretta Swit, Harry Morgan and Mike Farrell.

‘Kung Fu’ (1972-1975)

Seeking his missing half-brother, Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine), equipped with spiritual training and his abilities in the martial arts, travels the Old West in an attempt to bring enlightenment to those he encounters on his quest. The CW is producing a pilot for a new version with a female lead.

‘Bridget Loves Bernie’ (1972-1973)

It doesn’t seem like envelope-pushing now, but this show actually was at the time as it followed the life of an interfaith couple, with Meredith Baxter playing Catholic bride Bridget Fitzgerald Steinberg and David Birney playing Jewish groom Bernie Steinberg. The clash between the two faiths provided the humorous and dramatic fodder to the show. Although the show was doing well in the ratings, it was nonetheless canceled by CBS due to the controversy that it attracted.

‘The Paul Lynde Show’ (1972-1973)

Paul Lynde, coming off of his enormously popular recurring role as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched, gets his own show playing attorney Paul Simms, who has to deal with the frustrations of his job and home life. The show is little-remembered today, but is worth seeking out on YouTube. Lynde is so funny in it.

‘The Rookies’ (1972-1976)

Like the title suggests, it chronicles the early adventures of three police officers who have just become a part of the force, notably Georg Stanford Brown as Officer Terry Webster, Sam Melville as Officer Mike Danko and Michael Ontkean as Officer Willie Gillis. Also in the cast is Kate Jackson in her days between the horror daytime soap Dark Shadows and the phenomenon-to-be, Charlie’s Angels.

‘Barnaby Jones’ (1973-1980)

Buddy Ebsen, who had spent nine seasons as Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies, returns to television as the title private eye, who teams up with his daughter-in-law (played by Lee Meriwether) to solve cases that come their way.

‘Police Story’ (1973-1987)

This Los Angeles-set police series was an anthology, each episode featuring cops out on their beats. There were some recurring characters here and there, but mostly were were introduced to new ones in each episode. A spin-off that came from this show was the short-lived David Cassidy: Man Undercover, which aired from 1978 to 1979.

‘Kojak’ (1973-1978)

Who loves ya, baby? That would be Telly Savalas as lollipop-sucking New York Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. His portrayal of the incorruptible cop fascinated viewers as he moved from case to case. Beginning in 1985, Savalas reprised the role in a total of seven TV movies.

‘The Girl with Something Extra’ (1973-1974)

A pair of newlyweds find their young marriage rocked by the discovery that the bride, Sally Burton (Sally Field), has developed ESP mind-reading abilities which create all sorts of comic misadventures for her and husband John (John Davidson). Sort of sounds like an attempt to remake Bewitched, which had recently gone off the air at the time.

‘Shaft’ (1973-1974)

After starring in the big screen adventures Shaft, Shaft’s Big Score and Shaft in Africa, actor Richard Roundtree brought private detective John Shaft to the small screen by starring in a total of seven TV movies.

‘The Six Million Dollar Man’ (1973-1978) and Other Superheroes

The 1970s was a big time for TV superheroes, though the most popular was the Lee Majors show The Six Million Dollar Man, which saw him playing astronaut Steve Austin who barely survives a crash with an experimental jet. Put back together with bionic parts, he gradually becomes an agent for the U.S. government. C’mon, admit it: you used to run in slow motion like Steve did, implying his great speed. Oh wait … that was just us?

Other superhero shows of the decade include the spin-off series, The Bionic Woman (1976-1978), starring Lindsay Wagner as Steve’s love interest and, following a skydiving accident, fellow bionic agent; Wonder Woman (1975-1979), which introduced us all to Lynda Carter as the Amazon princess; pre-Dallas Patrick Duffy as The Man from Atlantis (1977-1978), Nicholas Hammond in The Amazing Spider-Man (1977-1979) and Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno as the two sides of The Incredible Hulk (1977-1982).

‘Happy Days’ (1974-1984)

Viewing the success of American Graffiti, producer Garry Marshall created this sitcom that began as a more subtle comedy about life in the 1950s through the eyes of Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) and his family and friends, and became an absolute phenomenon with the ascension of one Arthur Fonzarelli, a.k.a. The Fonz (Henry Winkler). Richie and Fonzie became the true center of the show, and it was great — until Ron Howard had to go off and have a directing career instead. Not cool, Cunningham!

‘Good Times’ (1974-1979)

Created by Norman Lear (let’s face it, the man was a creative juggernaut in the ’70s), Good Times is credited as being the first sitcom to feature a two-parent African American family. On top of that, it’s a spin-off of Maude, which was a spin-off of All in the Family. John Amos and Esther Rolle lead the Evans family, who struggle each day just to get by — by they do it with a mix of laughs and drama. Things got a little lighter once Jimmie Walker‘s J.J. (and his catchphrase, “Dy-no-mite!”) took off.

‘Little House on the Prairie’ (1974-1984)

Based on the popular children’s books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, her stories are brought to life in this drama about the Ingalls family in the 19th century who live on a farm near Walnut Grove, Minnesota. The wonderful cast includes Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert.

‘Harry O’ (1974-1976)

After The Fugitive, actor David Janssen never quite managed to gain the same kind of success. From 1971 to 1972 he had starred in O’Hara, U.S. Treasury as a county sheriff who, in the aftermath of the death of his wife and child in a fire, changes his life and becomes an agent for the U.S. Treasury. In Harry O, he plays Harry Orwell, a retired cop who, after being shot in the back and has to leave the force, becomes a private detective. After its second season, the show was canceled by ABC’s programming chief Fred Silverman in favor of Charlie’s Angels. Ironically, Farrah Fawcett had been playing a recurring role on Harry O, which is how she caught Silverman’s eye.

‘Chico and the Man’ (1974-1978)

Jack Albertson (Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) is Ed Brown, the cantankerous owner of a run-down garage in a East Los Angeles barrio, while Freddie Prinze played Chico Rodriguez, who came around looking for a job and was hired by Ed. Now this was a TV odd couple. Created by James Komack (The Courtship of Eddie’s Father).

‘The Rockford Files’ (1974-1980)

Created by Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins, the latter of which had also created the James Garner series Maverick. It was Huggins’ idea to essentially take the Maverick character and redesign him as a modern detective. In this show, Jim Rockford had been sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. When he gets out five years later, he decides to become a private detective — though one who, despite his best efforts, can barely make ends meet. Garner, who won an Emmy for the role, would play Rockford again in eight TV movies between 1994 and 1999.

‘Police Woman’ (1974-1978)

Angie Dickinson is Sergeant “Pepper” Anderson, one of the Los Angeles Police Department’s top undercover agents and part of the Criminal Conspiracy Unit. This show garnered Angie the most attention of any role she’s played, though as it went on she became increasingly frustrated with the scripts and the number of shower scenes that got worked into them.

‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker’ (1974-1975)

Darren McGavin had helped to scare the hell out of America with the 1972 TV movie The Night Stalker as reporter Carl Kolchak, who investigates a series of murders in Las Vegas, which turns out to be the handiwork of a vampire. The following year he was back in The Night Strangler and, then, in 1974, this 20-episode series that each week pit him against another supernatural threat. The scripts weren’t always that great, but McGavin was. And if the premise reminds you a bit of The X-Files, that show’s creator, Chris Carter, admitted that he was inspired in the creation of the show by Kolchak.

‘Planet of the Apes’ (1974) and Other Sci-Fi Shows

With five feature films released between 1968 and 1973, CBS believed that Planet of the Apes was a perfect premise for a television series. In it, Roddy McDowall (who had played Cornelius and Caesar in the films) is Galen, a chimpanzee who finds himself on the run with two humans from the past (James Naughton and Ron Harper). A shame this one wasn’t given more time to develop, because the potential was definitely there.

Other science fiction shows of the 1970s include the TV version of the 1976 film Logan’s Run (1977-1978), starring Gregory Harrison and Heather Menzies; The Fantastic Journey (1977), about people from the past, present and future trapped together in the Bermuda Triangle and trying to find their way home; Quark (1977-1978), created by the late Buck Henry and starring Richard Benjamin as a space garbage collector; and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981), about the adventures of a 20th century astronaut who awakens from cryosleep to have adventures in the future, with Gil Gerard and Erin Gray starring.

‘Get Christie Love’ (1974-1975)

Spun of from an installment of the ABC Movie of the Week, Get Christie Love stars Teresa Graves as an undercover police detective. A reboot is currently in the works.

‘Baretta’ (1975-1978)

Robert Blake is Anthony Vincenzo “Tony” Baretta, a plainclothes police detective who is a master of disguise (which he frequently uses) and lives with a Triton sulphur-crested cockatoo named Fred. To be honest, Baretta, and the way he carries himself, is one of the most unique TV detectives you’ll find.

Baretta was born out of the fact that Tony Musante had starred in the series Toma (1973-1974) as a master of disguise and an undercover agent. But because the actor had only agreed to appear in a single season, the producers had no choice but to completely rethink the concept, hence Robert Blake in Baretta.

‘The Jeffersons’ (1975-1985)

George and Louise “Weezy” Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford) moved on up (to the East Side) and away from their former neighbors, the Bunkers of All in the Family. In some ways, George was something of a mirror reflection of Archie Bunker, only his racism was used against whites.

‘Barney Miller’ (1975-1982)

Set at New York’s 12th Precinct (located in Greenwich Village), this show focused on the ensemble of cops and the various perps that would be brought into the station. Among the former were Abe Vigoda as Fish, Max Gail as Wojciehowicz, Ron Glass as Harris, Jack Soo as Yemana, Gregory Sierra as Chano, Steve Landesberg as Dietrich, and Ron Carey as Levitt. All of them served under Hal Linden‘s title character.

‘S.W.A.T.’ (1975-1976)

Like the title suggests, and the current reboot is doing as well, this follows the adventures of the Special Weapons and Tactics team as they are called into action. Steve Forrest leads a cast that includes Robert Urich, Rod Perry, Mark Shera and James Coleman.

‘Welcome Back, Kotter’ (1975-1979)

The premise of the show — which introduced John Travolta to the world — has Gabe Kaplan playing Gabe Kotter, a teacher with a sense of humor who takes a job at his alma mater, James Buchanan High School, located in Brooklyn, New York. He’s given a classroom of juvenile delinquents known as the Sweathogs, and assigned by school assistant principal Michael Woodman to keep them “contained” until they either drop out or somehow manage to graduate. Instead, Kotter, who was one of the original Sweathogs in his youth, tries to connect with them to make them better people in the process.

‘One Day At a Time’ (1975-1984)

Have we connected Norman Lear to the 1970s already? Here he is again, with this comedy (including a nice helping of drama) about the divorced Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin) doing her best to raise daughters Barbara (Valerie Bertinelli) and Julie (Mackenzie Phillips) on her own. A reboot has received critical acclaim, airing first on Netflix then PopTV.

‘Karen’ (1975)

When Room 222 ended its run, one of its stars, Karen Valentine, became the subject of her own series. In a previous exclusive interview with Close Weekly, Karen said of this show, ““It was a half-hour, one-camera show with a hybrid tone, part dramatic and part comedic. Room 222 was also built on that model, but it dealt with school and student issues. Karen, created by Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds, used controversial political stories that were a savvy, humoristic reflection of then current headlines, post Watergate. The original opening titles were a take-off of the opening of the film Patton. Instead of George C. Scott, you had me marching up to an American flag background. Really clever, but never aired. It was changed to me riding a bicycle around D.C. The network envisioned something softer, more romantic and personal, and not too complicated, as opposed to an issue-oriented drama/comedy in the political arena. I’d say it was ahead of its time.”

‘Starsky and Hutch’ (1975-1979)

Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul played the title characters, a pair of cops in Southern California made as famous for their red Ford Gran Torino as for their crime-solving. Oftentimes helping them was informant Huggy Bear, played by Antonio Fargas.

‘Switch’ (1975-1978)

Inspired by the movie The Sting, this series is a lot of fun. Eddie Albert (Green Acres) is retired cop Frank MacBride, who had previously arrested Robert Wagner‘s Peter Ryan, a con man. Following Ryan’s release, they two of them decided to open a detective agency, their specialty using cons of their own to get the bad guys to reveal necessary evidence. Charlie Callas and Sharon Gless also starred. Actor James Garner accused series creator Glen Larson of taking scripts from The Rockford Files and rewriting them for this show.

‘When Things Were Rotten’ (1975)

Coming off of the one-two punch of Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks decided to spoof the legend of Robin Hood in this short-lived series. Dick Gautier, who had played Hymie the Robot on Brooks’ co-created Get Smart, stars as Robin.

‘Laverne and Shirley’ (1976-1983)

One of the great TV comedy duos is Penny Marshall as Laverne DeFazio and Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney. Introduced on Happy Days, this show had the pair cast as bottlecappers at Milwaukee’s fictional Shotz Brewery. Outrageous situations and probably the most physical comedy from actresses since Lucille Ball on I Love Lucy, this one was a winner.

‘Family’ (1976-1980)

As TV Guide describes it, “Family is an attempt to depict a contemporary traditional family with realistic, believable characters.” The show stars Sada Thompson and James Broderick as Kate and Doug Lawrence, and its centered around the day-to-day life of the family. Also starring Meredith Baxter, Gary Frank and Kristy McNichol.

‘What’s Happening!!’ (1976-1979)

Loosely based on the movie Cooley High, What’s Happening!! is primarily concerned with a trio of African American friends living in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, though it focuses on the lighter side of things. Starring Ernest Thomas as Roger Thomas, Haywood Nelson as Dwayne Nelson and Fred Berry as Freddy “Rerun” Stubbs. And then there’s Danielle Spencer as the annoying little sister of “Raj,” Mabel King as his mother and Shirley Hemphill as a waitress at a neighborhood restaurant.

‘Alice’ (1976-1985)

There’s good roots to this one: It’s based on Martin Scorsese‘s 1974 film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, with Linda Lavin stepping into the role originally played by Ellen Burstyn. The premise has Alice, a widow, starting her life over again with her son, the two of them moving to Phoenix, Arizona where she starts working at Mel’s Diner. The show that gave the world the phrase, “Kiss my grits!”

‘Delvecchio’ (1976 to 1977)

Judd Hirsch plays Italian-American detective Dominick Delvecchio, who previously worked for the LAPD and also studied to become a lawyer. Important to note is that eight episodes were written by Steven Bochco, who would shortly thereafter go on to create Hill Street Blues.

‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’ (1976 to 1978)

Created by Stephen J. Cannell, the show is best described by its opening narration: “In World War II, Marine Corps Major Greg ‘Pappy’ Boyington commanded a squadron of fight pilots. They were a collection of misfits and screwballs who became the terrors of the South Pacific. They were known as the Black Sheep.” Pappy was played by Robert Conrad.

‘Charlie’s Angels’ (1976-1981)

“Jiggle TV” was the name given to ABC in the mid ’70s by competitor NBC, execs of which having the nerve to accuse the alphabet network of using T&A to attract audiences. But, seriously, what kind of proof did they offer? Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman? Three’s Company… uh, Charlie’s… Angels? Ah, who cares what NBC thinks? Charlie’s Angels was a phenomenon right from its premiere in 1976. The show focused on a trio of female crime fighters initially played by Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith, and it captured the imagination of people around the world. Females because they were watching empowered women getting themselves out of jeopardy without a male hero doing the rescuing, and males because… OK, fine, it was “jiggle TV” and the powers that were took every opportunity they could to put the Angels in bikinis, though it always served as an organic part of the plots. Seriously.

‘The Tony Randall Show’ (1976-1978)

Towards the end of the fifth and final season of The Odd Couple, Tony Randall won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Felix Unger, and in his acceptance speech bemoaned the fact that he was unemployed. Fortunately a year later he was cast in his own show, playing fastidious (there’s a shock!) Philadelphia Judge Walter Franklin. A funny show that deserved more of a shot.

‘Mr. T. and Tina’ (1976)

After playing Arnold on Happy Days and prior to waxing on and waxing off as Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid, Pat Morita starred in this show as Taro Takahashi, a widowed Japanese inventor who comes to America to oversee his enterprises here. To handle his kids, he hires Tiny Kelly (Susan Blanchard) as their live-in governess. Nine episodes were originally produced, four of which were unaired.

‘The Nancy Walker Show’ (1976)

Thanks to her popularity as Ida Morgenstern on Rhoda and Mildred on McMillan & Wife, Nancy Walker was put at the center of this vehicle created by Norman Lear and Rod Parker. In it, she plays Nancy Kitteride, owner of the Nancy Kitteride Talent Agency. Thirteen episodes in it was shut down.

‘Quincy, M.E.’ (1976-1983)

While Tony Randall was playing judge on his own show in 1976, Jack Klugman took on the role of Dr. R. Quincy, medical examiner in Los Angeles County who finds himself regularly getting involved in helping the police solve cases.

‘C.P.O. Sharkey’ (1976 to 1978)

Don Rickles’ unique brand of insult comedy is on full display here as he plays U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Otto Sharkey stationed on a San Diego naval base, placed in charge of Company 144 — which consists of recruits. While it sounds like this show would just be a joke machine, there were attempts to give Sharkey some depth. Not too much, but some.

‘The McLean Stevenson Show’ (1976 to 1977)

The actor left the role of Colonel Henry Blake on M*A*S*H for his own show playing Mac Ferguson, owner of a Illinois hardware store. It lasted 12 episodes. And they say war is hell. Yeesh.

‘Tabitha’ (1976-1978)

A spin-0ff of Bewitched, it cast Lisa Hartman as a grown up Tabitha Stephens who’s working as a production assistant at a Los Angeles TV station. David Ankrum plays her brother, Adam; plus there’s Karen Marrow as their aunt Minerva, Robert Urich as a talk show host with a major ego; and Mel Stewart as Tabitha and Adam’s boss. Sadly not enough magic to keep this one on beyond a single season.

‘The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries’ (1977-1979)

In 1977, Pamela Sue Martin found herself costarring with Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy in The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. As originally conceived, Nancy would alternate adventures with amateur detective brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, with episodes either focusing on her or on the boys. But then in the middle of the show’s second season, the decision was made to have the trio solve mysteries together. That may have been the intent, but as time went on, the Nancy Drew character was continually diminished in favor of the Hardys. Midway through the season, an unhappy Pamela left the series, to be replaced by actress Janet Louise Johnson. Apparently Pamela (who would star on Dynasty) had properly read the writing on the wall, because in season 3 Nancy Drew was dropped completely and the show was simply retitled The Hardy Boys.

‘Eight is Enough’ (1977-1981)

Based on the book of the same name by Thomas Braden, a syndicated newspaper columnist who raised eight children in real life. IMDb nicely sums up the show this way: “The sometimes-comic, sometimes-dramatic exploits of the Bradford family, father Tom (a columnist for a Sacramento, California newspaper), mother Joan and their eight children: Mary, David, Joanie, Nancy, Elizabeth, Susan, Tommy and Nicholas. After Joan’s death, Tom met teacher Abby, and they were married to make the family feel complete again. The kids all had friends and relationships as well, turning the Bradford Bunch into a free-for-all of loved ones and family members.” Betty Buckley joined the show in season 2 following the real-life death of Diana Hyland on March 27, 1977. There was also a pair of spinoff TV movies, Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion (1987) and An Eight is Enough Wedding (1989).

‘Three’s Company’ (1977-1984)

People forget just how big this show was in the 1970s as it, along with Charlie’s Angels, ushered in the era of “jiggle TV.” The show, of course, is focused on a trio of roommates: Janet Wood (Joyce DeWitt), Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers), and Jack Tripper (John Ritter). All three live together platonically, pretending that Jack is gay to avoid the ire of their landlords, the Ropers (Norman Fell and Audra Lindley), and week to week the show is a combination of slapstick comedy and sexual confusion as an overheard conversation or something viewed is entirely misinterpreted. Sounds kind of thin, but they did an amazing job of milking it creatively and making Three’s Company one of the biggest comedy hits of the 1970s.

‘The Betty White Show’ (1977-1978)

Unlike Rhoda, Phyllis and Lou Grant, this was not a spin-off series from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Betty White played Joyce Whitman, a sharp-witted actress in Hollywood who stars in her own TV show called Undercover Woman. She didn’t take any crap from anyone, especially her ex-husband, who was the director of the show within a show. The show didn’t work, but we still love Betty.

‘Soap’ (1977-1981)

For its time this show was very edgy as it took on the daytime soap operas and did an all out satire on them, focusing its attention on the Campbells and the Tates. Serialized plotlines emphaszed usual soap scenarios like extramarital affairs, kidnapping, diseases and amnesia, but threw into the mix alien abductions, demonic possessions, and even a communist revolution. Cast includes Katherine Helmond, Robert Mandan, Diana Canova, Jennifer Salt, Billy Crystal and Robert Guillaume as the butler, Benson Dubois, who would get his own show (Benson, which aired from 1979 to 1986).

‘CHiPS’ (1977-1983)

The series follows the adventures of the California Highway Patrol, in particular Larry Wilcox as Officer Jonathan Andrew and Erik Estrada as Officer Frank “Ponch” Poncherello.

‘The Love Boat’ (1977-1986)

The locale is the luxury passenger cruise ship S.S. Pacific Princess, brought together a regular cast consisting of Captain Merrill Stubing (Gavin MacLeod, fresh off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show), Bernie Kopell (Siegfried from Get Smart!) as Dr. Adam “Doc” Bricker, Ted Lange as bartender Isaac Washington, Fred Grandy as Burl “Gopher” Smith, the yeoman purser; Lauren Tewes as cruise director Julie McCoy, Jill Whelan as Vicki Stubing, the captain’s daughter; Ted McGinley as ship photographer Ashley “Ace” Covington Evans; and Pat Klous as Judy McCoy, Julie’s sister and eventual replacement. And they would be joined by celebrity guest stars from different era who would interact with the crew, but be involved primarily in their own stories (usually three per episode).

‘James at 15’ (1977-1978)

James Hunter (Lance Kerwin), a daydreaming photographer is having a challenging time coping with changes in his life as his family, due to his father’s job, has to move from Oregon to Boston. The show was critically praised for the realism of the writing and the performances of the cast. In the middle of its run the name was changed to James at 16. Aww, happy birthday, James.

‘Fantasy Island’ (1977-1984)

It would be so easy to begin this entry with, “Ze plane, ze plane!” but we refuse to do it. Oh, wait…

Ricardo Montalban plays Mr. Roarke and Herve Villechaize is his assistant, Tattoo, and together they welcome guests (who could very easily have recently appeared on The Love Boat) to a mysterious island in which their greatest fantasies can come true. Smiles, everyone!

‘Dallas’ (1978-1991)

The most successful prime time soap, at its center is the Ewing family and the battles between them with their company, Ewing Oil, always in the background. For Larry Hagman, it allowed him to finally put I Dream of Jeannie to rest. Other stars include Patrick Duffy, Victoria Principal, Charlene Tilton, Linda Gray and Steve Kanaly. The storyline “Who shot J.R.” remains one of the highest-rated events in television history.

‘The Ted Knight Show’ (1978)

Ted Knight — Ted Baxter from The Mary Tyler Moore Show — running an escort service? What a bizarre idea, which was a sentiment obviously shared by viewers across the country. It was canceled after six episodes.

Vega$ (1978-1981)

In a nutshell, Robert Urich plays Detective Dan Tanna who works the Vegas strip and is hired by clients to solve a variety of crimes.

‘The Paper Chase’ (1978-1979; 1983-1986)

A spin-off of the 1973 film (which was based on the 1970 novel by John Hay Osborn Jr.), it follows the journey of law student James T. Hart (James Stephens) and his classmates, and their dealing with the legendary professor Charles W. Kingsfield (John Houseman), the world’s leading authority on contract law. This show’s journey was an interesting one. It aired on CBS from 1978 to 1979, but was canceled, but then PBS reran all the episodes. Its popularity grew to such a point that Showtime (remember, this was 1983), produced two seasons of new episodes. Congratulations, graduates!

‘Taxi’ (1978-1983)

An ensemble comedy set at the Sunshine Cab Company that is filled with a collection of wonderful performers, from Judd Hirsch to Danny DeVito, Tony Danza, Marilu Henner, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Conaway and Andy Kaufman. The writing was so sharp, and it was actually surprising that it didn’t have the same sort of duration that something like Cheers did.

‘Mork and Mindy’ (1978-1982)

Forty years ago, you could say that it was almost like catching lightning in a bottle when Robin Williams was introduced to the world with the debut of the ABC sitcom Mork and Mindy. We say almost, because not even lightning could keep up with this comic actor’s manic energy. You may have gotten a taste of it in his movies, but nothing quite compared to Robin Williams’ early years as the alien Mork from the planet Ork. First introduced on an episode of Happy Days, he caused quite a sensation — and even convinced producer Garry Marshall that he was the right man to stand at the center of his own sitcom. Helping tremendously was the fact that Garry had also found the right woman, in the form of actress Pam Dawber, to be Mork’s anchor and the audience’s point of view into the insanity unfolding week after week.

‘Battlestar Galactica’ (1978-1979)

Born in the aftermath of Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica was a huge event in 1978. It deals with the remnants of humanity in deep space escaping the genocide of the cybernetic Cylons and doing their best to survive never-ending skirmishes in their quest to find the lost planet Earth. Lorne Greene, Dirk Benedict and Richard Hatch star in the series, which spawned a far grittier and grounded 2004 version that aired on Syfy and is the subject of a reboot coming to the Peacock streaming service later this year.

‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ (1978-1982)

This ensemble comedy is set at a struggling top 40 rock station in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the laughs are brought by the likes of Loni Anderson, Gary Sandy, Howard Hesseman, Richard Sanders, Tim Reid and Jan Smithers. A sequel series, The New WKRP in Cincinnati aired in first run syndication from 1991 to 1993.

‘Diff’rent Strokes’ (1978 to 1986)

Phillip Drummond (Conraid Bain) and his daughter Kimberly (Dana Plato) see their family grow by two when he adopts brothers Arnold (Gary Coleman) and Willis (Todd Bridges) Jackson. Joining them would be Charlotte Rae as housekeeper Mrs. Garrett, who would, of course, go on to The Facts of Life. It’s difficult to think of Diff’rent Strokes and not be reminded of how hard a time the young cast had with coping with their fame and its aftermath. Of the three, only Todd Bridges is still with us.

‘The White Shadow’ (1978-1981)

Ken Reeves (Ken Howard), a white former NBA coach retires from the pros and takes on the job as coach of a predominantly black team in an inner-city high school. A drama that dealt with some important issues of racism and believing in yourself.

‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ (1979-1985)

The light-hearted adventures of the good ol’ Duke cousins, Bo, Luke, and Daisy (respectively John Schneider, Tom Wopat, and Catherine Bach), who are fighting for the residents of Hazzard County, Georgia (don’t look for it on the map) against the corrupt sheriff’s department. They’re aided in no small way by their ’69 Dodge Charger, the General Lee.

‘Supertrain’ (1979)

Take the idea of a cruise ship, and The Love Boat’s approach of using a wide variety of celebrities, and put it on a luxury “supertrain” that zips around the country, and you’ve get the notion behind this show. It had everything The Love Boat did … except ratings. A colossal failure.

‘Angie’ (1979-1980)

Donna Pescow, who had been a part of the cast of Saturday Night Fever, is Angie Falco, a middle class Italian American who marries Brad Benson (Robert Hays, this close to starring in Airplane at that point), a wealthy doctor, and must deal with a battle of the classes. Created by Garry Marshall and Dale McRaven.

‘Cliffhangers’ (1979)

Created by Kenneth Johnson (The Incredible Hulk), this show is a throwback to the movie serials of the 1940s, consisting of three stories continued from week to week with (you got it) cliffhanger endings. Those were “Stop Susan Williams” (TV journalist uncovers a vast international conspiracy), “The Secret Empire” (in the Old West a U.S. marshal discovers aliens living in a futuristic underground city) and “The Curse of Dracula” (the count is living undercover as a college teacher).

‘Stockard Channing in Just Friends’ (1979)

Her star elevated thanks to playing Rizzo in 1978’s Grease Rizzo, Stockard Channing stars in this series that sees her playing Susan Hughes, assistant manager at a health spa who is trying to stop her marriage from falling apart.

‘The Facts of Life’ (1979-1988)

A spin-off of Diff’rent Strokes, that show’s housekeeper Edna Garrett (the late Charlotte Rae) becomes housemother at a dormitory at Eastland Academy, an all-girls school in upstate New York. Among the students she oversees are the wealthy and spoiled Blair Warner (Lisa Whelchel), the humorous Natalie Green (Mindy Cohn), the youngest among them, Dorothy “Tootie” Ramsey (Kim Fields); and tomboy Jo Polniaczek (Nancy McKeon). One of the joys of the show was watching the actresses and their characters evolve over the course of the show’s run.

‘Hart to Hart’ (1979-1984)

A true hybrid of romance and mystery drama, as Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers play wealthy couple Jonathan and Jennifer Hart who, while enjoying their glamorous lifestyle, find themselves becoming detectives to solve crimes. While the show wrapped up its run in 1984, a little less than a decade later Jonathan and Jennifer would be back in eight TV movies.

‘Trapper John, M.D.’ (1979-1986)

Pernell Roberts (previously of Bonanza) takes on the role of Trapper John from M*A*S*H, only projected forward from the Korean War to 1979. He leads a staff that includes Gregory Harrison as Dr. George Alonzo “Gonzo” Gates. While a fine medical drama in its own right, does anyone really believe that this is the same guy that Wayne Rogers originally played on TV? Neither do we.

‘Paris’ (1979-1980)

Darth Vader as a Los Angeles police captain? We’re messin’ with you. It’s his voice: James Earl Jones as Captain Wood Paris who supervises a team of young detectives in this drama created by Steven Bochco.

‘House Calls’ (1979-1982)

Based on the movie starring Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson, the TV version stars Wayne Rogers and Lynn Redgrave as, respectively, Dr. Charley Michaels and hospital administrator Ann Anderson. Sadly she believes in enforcing the rules, he insists on breaking them. Sounds like sitcom heaven!

‘Knots Landing’ (1979-1993)

This spin-off from Dallas enjoyed great success in its own right as it initially chronicled the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac in Los Angeles, but gradually evolved to much bigger stories. The cast includes Donna Mills, Don Murray, Joan Van Ark and William Devane.

‘BJ and the Bear’ (1979-1981)

Greg Evigan is B.J. McKay, a trucker making his way across the highways of America accompanied by his pet chimpanzee — Bear — getting into a variety of adventures.

Looking back at the decade as a whole, is it disquieting that we started with The Mary Tyler Moore Show and concluded with a show about a trucker and his monkey?