The 1960s: Your Guide to 101 Classic (and Not-So-Classic) TV Shows From Your Youth

‘Overland Trail’ (1960, NBC)

William Bendix (who had previously starred in the sitcom Life of Riley, assuming the lead role from Jackie Gleason) stars in this Western with Doug McClure. Bendix plays the fictitious superintendent of the Overland Stage Company who do their best to keep the stagecoach routes safe from outlaws.

‘Coronado 9’ (1960-61, Syndication)

Rod Cameron is  Dan Adams, a former US Navy intelligence officer turned private detective. The title of the show comes from his street address. A total of 39 episodes were produced.

‘Checkmate’ (1960-62, CBS)

Doug McClure, who we’d already met and said goodbye to on Overland Trail, is cast as American detective Don Corey, part of the Checkmate, Inc. San Francisco detective agency. Also starring were Anthony George (a few years away from Dark Shadows) and Sebastian Cabot (Mr. French on Family Affair).

‘My Three Sons’ (1960-72, CBS)

One of the big sitcoms of the 1960s, Fred MacMurray is widower Steven Douglas who is raising his three sons (including Barry Livingston’s adopted Ernie, who just happened to be a guest on our Classic  TV podcast) along with his the boys’ maternal grandfather, “Bub” (William Frawley, aka Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy) and, later, Uncle Charley (William Demarest). Given the show ran until 1972, we watched the young cast age, some of them getting married and having kids of their own.

‘The Shari Lewis Show’ (1960-63, NBC)

The show that first brought host and puppeteer Shari Lewis to national attention. She was joined by her puppet friends Lamb Chop, Hush Puppy and Charlie Horse.

‘The Andy Griffith Show’ (1960-68, CBS)

Maybe we shouldn’t have referred to My Three Sons as the big sitcom of the 1960s, because then there was The Andy Griffith Show and the amazing comic chemistry between Andy and co-star Don Knotts. Truthfully, Mayberry is such a wonderful place to visit that you may never want to leave!

‘Route 66’ (1960-64, CBS)

Martin Milner and George Maharis are a couple of guys who hit the road — specially Route 66 — in a Corvette convertible seeking adventures and meaning in life.

‘Mister Ed’ (1961-66, CBS)

Okay, the first of the high-concept sitcoms that aired throughout the ’60s and one of the most fun. Alan Young is Wilbur Post who finds that his horse can talk — but will only do so to him, or when Ed happens to make a phone call. It sounds so lame, but it’s oh-so-funny. Somehow they sell it, and Mister Ed remains a delightful classic from that era.

‘The Americans’ (January-May 1961)

Set during the American Civil War, the focus is on a pair of brothers (played by Darryl Hickman and Richard Davalos) who are fighting on opposite sides. A total of 17 episodes were produced, and it was inspired by the 1953 novel The Valiant Virginians.

‘Car 54, Where Are You?’ (1961-63, NBC)

Although we’re not sure how the late actor would feel about it, to this day we know him best as Herman Munster, but in Car 54 he plays police officer Francis Muldoon, teamed up with Joe E. Rross’ Gunther Toody, and together they try to protect New York City …. to comic results.

‘Hazel’ (1961-66, NBC and CBS)

Based on the newspaper comic strip of the same name, Shirley Booth plays the title character, who works for the Baxter family and this sitcom basically focuses on her interactions with them, and friendship with others around the neighborhood. Cast members include Don DeFore, Whitney Blake and Bobby Buntrock.

‘Bus Stop’ (1961-62, ABC)

Marilyn Maxwell stars as Grace Sherwood, owner of a bust station and diner in the fictional Colorado Rockies town of Sunrise. The focus of this 26-episode series is on her interactions with the travelers passing through. One of the co-stars is Buddy Ebsen, who, of course, would go on to star on the TV shows The Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby Jones.

‘Ben Casey’ (1961-66, ABC)

Vince Edwards is the title character in what was television’s first big medical show. He’s an intense yet idealistic neurosurgeon at County General Hospital and the show focuses largely on his interactions with patients and within his own life. Unusual for the time, there were some storylines that ran for multiple episodes (back then the networks thought every show needed a beginning, middle and end rather than presenting any sort of serialization). Sam Jaffe also stars as Doctor David Zorba, the chief of neurosurgery.

‘Window on Main Street’ (1961-62, CBS)

Buried in the annals of Classic TV history between Father Knows Best and Marcus Welby, M.D., is this Robert Young series that casts him as a widower-author named Garrett Brooks, who returns to his hometown and, through his interactions with those who reside there, becomes inspired to write about them.

‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’ (1961-66, CBS)

Oops, we’ve gotta refer to this one as a big classic, too! Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie in a series created by Carl Reiner. C’mon! Mary is Laura Petrie, married to Dick’s Rob, who, along with the others, serves as writer of Carl’s in-series show, The Alan Brady Show. From the start, everyone involved knew it was only going to go five seasons and they were true to their word … unfortunately. Great comic stuff here, and not only worth catching in reruns, but in those colorized specials that CBS seems to be airing annually.

‘The Virginian’ (1962-71, NBC)

No one could accuse actor Doug McClure of sitting around and smelling the roses, as this is his third series two years into the 1960s. Now he’s Trampas, the top hand to the Shiloh Ranch foreman (played by James Drury) and leading the effort to protect the interest of Judge Henry’s attempts to build out the ranch. It’s based on the 1902 Owen Wister novel The Virginian, A Horseman of the Plains.

‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ (1962-71, CBS)

In a nutshell: the Clampetts strike oil, get rich and decide to move to Beverly Hills from the Ozarks. The culture clash provides this one with comic gold. The cast includes Buddy Ebsen as patriarch Jed, Irene Ryan as “Granny,” Donna Douglas as Elly May, Max Baer Jr. as Jethro and Raymond Bailey as Milburn Drysdale, the banker who is always looking to scam as much money from the Clampetts as he can (usually failing along the way).

‘The Lucy Show’ (1962-68, CBS)

Could lightning strike twice, especially when the first bolt resulted in I Love Lucy? The answer for Lucille Ball was a decided yes with this follow-up series. Initially the set-up is that Lucy is widower Lucy Carmichael who has two kids. Co-starring for a time was the former Ethel Mertz, Vivian Vance, as Vivian Bagley; Candy Moore as her daughter, Chris; and Ralph Hart as son Sherman. Eventually Gale Gordon would become part of the cast as Mr. Mooney, manager of the bank that Lucy worked at. The premise went through continual changes as did the cast, but the audience never seemed to mind. In fact, during its sixth and final season it came in at #2 in the ratings. It was obvious that America still loved Lucy!

‘Combat! (1962-67, ABC)

Essentially the show, set during World War II, was about a squad of American soldiers fighting the Germans in France. The cast includes Rick Jason, Vic Morrow (so tragically killed on the set of The Twilight Zone Movie in the early 1980s), Pierre Jalbert and Jack Hogan.

‘McHale’s Navy’ (1962-66, ABC)

It’s really difficult to find, but the original concept for this show was presented in a 1962 TV drama called Seven Against the Sea, with Ernest Borgnine as Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale, commanding officer of US Navy boat PT-73, who is stationed at the Pacific island base of Taratupa. Following heavy bombing by the Japanese, he and his officers struggle to survive. When it went to series, it was barely recognizable. Here’s how Wikipedia describes it: “This wacky military service comedy was set in the Pacific theatre of World War II and focused on the looney misfit crew of PT-73, wily boys with crazy antics, led by Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale, played by Borgnine.” Wow! At the same time, this was a very popular show and it spawned a pair of movie spin-offs. Other cast members are Tim Conway, Joe Flynn, Bob Hastings and Gavin MacLeod (later of both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Love Boat).

‘The Outer Limits’ (1963-65, ABC)

When you think back to the most popular anthology series that have left an impact felt to this day, there are probably three: The Twilight Zone, arguably Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Outer Limits. The latter, though, pretty much concerned itself with the science fiction genre (though season one did have its share of horror stories). Created by Leslie Stevens, the show was initially guided by Joseph Stefano, whose greatest claim to fame throughout his lifetime was as the screenwriter of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Two of the most acclaimed episodes, “Demon with a Glass Hand” and “Soldier,” were written by the late Harlan Ellison. In 1995, the show was revived as a new series that attempted to capture the flavor of the original.

‘The Fugitive’ (1963-67, ABC)

The best way to sum up the premise of The Fugitive, comes from the show’s opening narration: “Dr. Richard Kimble, an innocent victim of blind justice. Falsely convicted for the murder of his wife, reprieved by fate when a train wreck freed him en route to the death house. Freed him to hide in lonely desperation, to change his identity, to toil at many jobs. Freed him to search for a one-armed man he saw leave the scene of the crime. Freed him to run before the relentless pursuit of the police lieutenant obsessed with his capture.” Kimble, as played by David Janssen, was forced to move from town to town in search of justice, where he would get involved in the lives of the people he encountered. It’s a premise that has certain similarities to Les Miserables, but it also inspired a number of shows that took a similar concept of a man on the run, notably The Immortal and the Bill Bixby series The Incredible Hulk. Then, of course, there was the 1993 film starring Harrison Ford and the 2000 TV reboot with Tim Daly as Kimble. The final episode of the original series, in which Kimble finds the one-armed man, remains one of the highest rated shows in television history.

‘The Patty Duke Show’ (1963-66, ABC)

Patty Duke does double duty as average American teenager Patty Lane living in New York City’s Brooklyn Heights, and then as her cousin, Cathy Lane, described as an “identical paternal cousin.” The latter moves into Patty’s family’s home when she relocates to the United States and what follows is the bonding between them as well as the clashes between their personalities and cultures. Considering the time period, and the fact it was for television, there are some impressive split-screen process work bringing Patty and Cathy together in the same scenes throughout the run of the show.

‘Burke’s Law’ (1963-65, ABC)

Gene Barry is Amos Burke, the captain of the Los Angeles police homicide division, who also happens to be a millionaire, thus his penchant for arriving at crime scenes in his chauffeured 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II. In its third year, the show made the transition to a spy series (no doubt attempting to tap into Bondmania). Interestingly, the series was revived in 1994 with the actor returning to the role. It lasted one season.

‘Petticoat Junction’ (1963-70, CBS)

The 1960s were certainly a creatively fertile time for writer Paul Henning, serving as creator of both Petticoat Junction and The Beverly Hillbillies and executive producer of Green Acres. And what’s particularly cool is that Hooterville beat Marvel Studios to the whole shared universe concept, as that location was home base for both Petticoat Junction and Green Acres, and a place visited by the Clampets from The Beverly Hillbillies. 

In the case of Petticoat Junction, the Shady Rest Hotel is run by widow Kate Bradley and her daughters, Bobbie Jo, Billie Jo and Bettie Jo. This small-town inn is the place that people from the city come to enjoy the quiet. In fact, it’s so quiet that Bobbie, Billie and Bettie have a need to go out seeking fun.

‘My Favorite Martian’ (1963-66, CBS)

The premise of the series has a martian (played by Ray Walston) crash-land on Earth. He’s found and taken to the home of newspaper reporter Tim O’Hara (Bill Bixby). As “Uncle Martin” attempts to repair his ship, Tim spends as much time as he can making sure he doesn’t get in trouble, particularly from his nosy landlady, Mrs. Brown. Lots of comedy is mined from Martin’s true nature, including rising antenna, the ability to levitate object and the power to turn invisible. The show that first put Bixby on the map.

‘Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea’ (1964-68, ABC)

Spun off from the 1961 film of the same name produced by Irwin Allen, this series is a sci-fi adventure focusing on the crew of the nuclear submarine the Seaview. This fact benefitted the TV version in that it was able to use the film’s sets, costumes, props, special effects models and, when necessary, film clips. The show started off fairly seriously dealing with Cold War themes and remaining rooted in some form of reality, but beginning in year two, the network (CBS) wanted to reach a younger audience and for the most part the show took on a monster-of-the-week approach. It was an approach that Irwin Allen would take the following year with Lost in Space.

‘Peyton Place’ (1964-69, ABC)

It began with the 1956 novel Peyton Place by author Grace Metalious and was followed a year later with a film version, but this was television’s first prime time series and it was a massive success. Running from 1964 to 1969, it aired, initially, twice a week, reached as many as  three times a week, and dropped back down to twice, amassing a total of 514 episodes.

The show’s setting is the small New England town of Peyton Place, whose peaceful exterior masks what’s really going on behind the scenes, including extramarital affairs, shady business deals, scandals and murder. Its cast over the years includes Ryan O’Neal, Constance MacKenzie, Lee Grant and Leigh Taylor-Young. But the biggest star was the one that began with the show: Mia Farrow.

For the first two years, the show was a phenomenal success, but in 1966 Mia wanted out and then husband Frank Sinatra applied some pressure and she was released from her contract. Ratings began to drop and never recovered, though, again, the show did last over 500 episodes.

‘Bewitched’ (1964-72, ABC)

Bewitched, which ran on ABC from 1964-72, stars Elizabeth Montgomery. as Samantha, who happens to be a witch (and a really old one at that, though she looks great) who falls in love with a mortal named Darrin Stephens (Dick York, then Dick Sargent). The pair marry and begin their new life together as husband and wife, with her revealing what she is on their honeymoon. He’s stunned at first, but recognizes that she’s still the same woman he fell in love with and they move on through life together, experiencing all the craziness that the magic-filled side of the family will bring. Despite Darrin’s demands they live like mortals (sorry, dude, no one’s listening).

‘The Addams Family’ (1964-65, ABC)

Writer/artist Charles Addams came up with the idea of doing a bizarre and macabre look at the typical American family, turning it into a one-panel comic for The New Yorker magazine beginning in 1938. A total of 150 were produced, and proved so popular that they inspired TV shows, animated series, feature films, and more. The Addams Family brought to life Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandmama, Wednesday and Pugsley Addams — not to mention Lurch, Thing and Cousin Itt, among others. They didn’t terrorize anyone, more than happy living their lives and wondering why people would react so strangely to them. The cast includes John Astin, Carolyn Jones, Jackie Coogan and Ted Cassidy.

‘Flipper’ (1964-67, NBC)

Often described as an “aquatic Lassie,” it tells the adventures of the Ricks family’s pet bottlenose dolphin, Flipper. Porter Ricks is the Chief Warden at Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve, and his sons are Sandy and Bud. The show was actually preceded by two feature films, Flipper (1963) and Flipper’s New Adventure (1964).

‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ (1964-68, NBC)

This was the first show to really try and capitalize on the James Bond craze that was gripping the 1960s. Robert Vaughn and David McCallum play, respectively, Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin (the latter a Russian, which, at the time was a big deal), agents for the spy organization U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement) who are out to protect the world from the nefarious efforts of THRUSH (according to novels based on the show, this stood for Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity). Needless to say, beautiful women and gadgets abounded. Interesting historical note: James Bond creator Ian Fleming was actually in on the early development process.

‘Daniel Boone’ (1964-70, NBC)

Set before and during the Revolutionary War, front and center of this show is Fess Parker as folk hero Daniel Boone, who gets involved in a variety of adventures while conducting surveys and expeditions.

‘The Munsters’ (1964-66, CBS)

The Munsters was actually born out of Universal Pictures classic monster films that terrorized audiences of the 1930s and 40s with characters like Dracula (Bela Lugosi), Frankenstein’s Monster (Boris Karloff) and the Wolfman (Lon Chaney Jr.). By the early 1960s, those films were no longer in production, and the head of the studio, Lew Wasserman, was wondering if there was a way to exploit them on television. Initially, writers Gene L. Coon (a guiding force on the original Star Trek) and Lester Colodny came up with a script that was a true satire of typical sitcoms, modeled after The Donna Reed Show. Although that version didn’t stick, it nonetheless inspired this revised version by writers Allan Burns and Chris Hayward.

The Munsters (which had fun with its horror movie history) consisted of Frankenstein monster Herman, vampiress wife Lily; Lily’s vampire dad, known as Grandpa (who we were led to believe is actually Dracula); Herman and Lily’s son, Eddie “Wolfgang” Munster, who’s a werewolf; and their beautiful, perfectly normal-looking niece Marilyn, who is considered the freak of the family. Each of them thought they were perfectly normal as well, all the problems they encountered coming from society.

‘Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.’ (1964-67)

Jim Nabors originated the role of the innocent and goofy Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show, but the character proved so popular that he was spun off into his own show. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. saw him join the Marines. A success in its own right, the show had its pilot air as the season four finale of Andy Griffith and then debuted on its own in 1964. The series, focused mostly on the interactions of Gomer and Frank Sutton’s Sgt. Carter, ran five seasons, concluding in 1969.

‘Gilligan’s Island’ (1964-67, CBS)

Seven people on a three-hour boat tour ending up shipwrecked on a deserted island and having to learn to survive sounds like the premise of a drama. And that version of the idea has been done over the history of Classic TV. A lot. But to take that same concept and give it not only a comic but a silly twist did not seem to be something that would connect with the audience on an ongoing basis. Then again, Gilligan’s Island has been defying the odds (and especially the critics) since its 1964 debut.

Running until 1967 (but never being off the air since thanks to reruns), the show stars Bob Denver as Gilligan, Alan Hale Jr. as the Skipper (too), Jim Backus as Thurston Howell III, the millionaire; and Natalie Schafer as his wife, “Lovey” Wentworth Howell; Tina Louise as the movie star Ginger Grant, Russell Johnson as the Professor (Roy Hinkley) and Dawn Wells as Mary Ann (Summers). And this year, Gilligan’s Island is celebrating its 55th Anniversary. Congrats!

‘Run For Your Life’ (1965-68, NBC)

Ben Gazzara is Paul Bryan, who is informed from his doctor that he will die between nine and 18 months from that moment. He decides to cram as much living into that time as he can, traveling around the country and interacting with different people as he does so. The show ran for three seasons and never did tell audiences what happened to Paul.

‘My Mother the Car’ (1965-66, NBC)

In a nutshell, Jerry Van Dyke plays a guy whose mother is reincarnated as an antique car and is able to speak to/nag at him through the car radio. It’s kind of like Mister Ed, but, you know, without the horse. Of course.

‘Please Don’t Eat the Daisies’ (1965-67)

Based on the 1960 film of the same name, the setting is Ridgemont, New York and the focus is on the Nash family, college professor Jim (Mark Miller), his newspaper columnist wife Joan (Pat Crowley) ), their kids (Kim Tyler, Brian Nash, Jeff Fithian and Joe Fithian) and a large sheep dog. The movie had starred Doris Day and David Niven.

‘Lost in Space’ (1965-68, CBS)

This sci-fi series from producer Irwin Allen (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea) follows the adventures of the Robinson family (plus a couple of non-relatives) sent from Earth to explore the potential of another habitable planet. Their mission is sabotaged and they find themselves… well, lost in space. But what they found were generations of fans who have celebrated the show for all these years. Although this started off as a fairly serious drama, it quickly became sci-fi camp.

‘Green Acres’ (1965-71, CBS)

Return to Hooterville (setting of the previously discussed Petticoat Junction), as aspiring farmer Oliver Wendall Douglas (Eddie Albert) and New York socialite Lisa Douglas (Eva Gabor) settle into their married life interacting with their zany neighbors (and let’s not forget Arnold the pig!). A 1990 reunion film, Return to Green Acres, was aired.

‘The Big Valley’ (1965-69, ABC)

The time period is the mid-late 1800s and the setting the Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, with the focus on one of the wealthiest families in Stockton. The cast includes Barbara Stanwyck as matriarch Victoria Barkley, Richard Long (Nanny and the Professor) as eldest son Jarrod Thomas, Peter Breck as younger son Nicholas “Nick” Jonathan, Linda Evans (Dynasty) as daughter Audra, and Lee Majors as illegitimate son Heath.

‘Gidget’ (1965-66, ABC)

From the novel and feature films that preceded it, this show stars Sally Field as the title character and follows her comic adventures in school, at home and at nearby beaches. It has the distinction of being ABC’s first color series, but only lasted a single season.

‘I Spy’ (1965-68, NBC)

The first series to feature a black actor in a lead role, it’s a spy show with Robert Culp as Kelly Robinson and Bill Cosby as Alexander “Scotty” Scott, who travel undercover as international “tennis bums” as they take down the bad guys and save the world.

‘The Wild Wild West’ (1965-69, CBS)

More or less a blending of the western and spy genres, the show is set in the late 1800s during the presidency of Ulysses Grant. James West (Robert Conrad) and Artemus Gordon (Ross Martin) are agents of the Secret Service carrying out missions for the president. Both the heroes and the villains utilized technology far beyond the times. The actors reunited for the TV movies The Wild Wild West Revisited (1979) and More Wild Wild West (1980). Will Smith and Kevin Kline starred in an ill-fated big screen version in 1999.

‘Hogan’s Heroes’ (1965-71, CBS)

Oh, those wacky Nazis! From today’s vantage point it seems hard to believe that a TV series featuring the Nazis as comic foils would even exist let alone enjoy a six-season run. Set at a POW camp during World War II, Colonel Robert E. Hogan (Bob Crane) leads a group of Allied prisoners to fight the war and thwart the Nazis from within. Needless to say, their captors aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed.

‘I Dream of Jeannie’ (1965-70, NBC)

High-concept shows were everywhere in the ’60s, one of them being about a 2,000-year-old genie rescued by and falling in love with an astronaut: I Dream of Jeannie. Barbara Eden, of course, played the genie (who happened to be named Jeannie) and Larry Hagman (later to achieve much greater fame as Dallas‘ J.R. Ewing) was the astronaut, Tony Nelson. For five seasons, the show focused on the comic misadventures of an empowered female who would do anything to make her “master” (we shudder to write the word now) happy, while he is desperate to present an appearance of normalcy to the outside world in order to protect his career. Sorry, Tony, normalcy was not what was projected.

‘Get Smart’ (1965-70, NBC)

This show introduced the world to Don Adams as Maxwell Smart, secret agent 86, and Barbara Feldon as Agent 99, both working for the secret government agency CONTROL and taking on the world-threatening KAOS. The show itself is a full-blown parody of the spymania boom created by the James Bond films throughout the 1960s, though what’s interesting is that a spoof usually comes at the end of a creative cycle, many of them signaling a last gasp of sorts from whatever subject is being parodied. Get Smart, on the other hand, came three years into the boom. The series was created by Buck Henry and Mel Brooks.

‘The F.B.I.’ (1965-75, ABC)

The storylines were based on actual FBI cases, though the agents solving them were fictional and played by the likes of Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Philip Abbott, Stephen Brooks and William Reynolds. The show came from prolific producer Quinn Martin and, at nine seasons, was the longest-running show of his career.

‘Daktari’ (1966-69, CBS)

Dr. Marsh Tracy (Marshall Thopson) is a veterinarian at the Wameru Study Centre for Animal Behaviour in East Africa. There he, his daughter and his staff work to protect wildlife from poachers. Their pets include a chimpanzee name Judy and Clarence, a cross-eyed lion. The show was actually spun off from the 1965 feature film, Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion.

‘Batman’ (1966-68, ABC)

Unless you were there, you’d never know just how big a phenomenon this TV show became with Adam West cast as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. High-camp, lots of colors and crazy camera angles, along with awesome villainy from the likes of the Joker (Cesar Romero), the Riddler (Frank Gorshin), Catwoman (Julie Newmart), the Penguin (Burgess Meredith) and oh-so-many more. To the Batcave, Old Chum!

‘Dark Shadows’ (1966-71, ABC)

We’re dipping into daytime soap opera territory here, simply because Dark Shadows became such a big pop culture phenomenon. It began as a Gothic romance novel brought to life, but about six months in it turned full force into the world of the supernatural by introducing Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid), who would become the world’s first sympathetic vampire — and someone the audience loved no matter what he did. Witches, werewolves, zombies and more followed during the show’s five-year run. In the 1970s it spun off the feature films House and Night of Dark Shadows. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp attempted a big screen remake in 2012, the response to which was mixed at best.

‘Star Trek’ (1966-69, NBC)

Speaking of phenomenons! Tired of network censorship, series creator Gene Roddenberry decided to tackle moral and societal issues by setting them in space aboard the starship Enterprise. The show that introduced the world to Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and the rest, spun off an animated series, 13 feature films, and five live-action TV shows with a lot more on the way.

‘That Girl’ (1966-71, ABC)

When looking back at TV history, and the evolving role of women in it, there seems to be this jump from June Cleaver on a show like Leave It To Beaver (the woman of the house who vacuums in a dress) to Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. And Mary, of course, leads to things like Ally McBeal and Murphy Brown. Yet somehow often left out of the discussion is That Girl, the show starring Marlo Thomas, which is actually an important stepping stone in terms of female characters who broke the mold of traditional television sitcoms in the 1960s. Marlo plays Ann Marie, an aspiring (in other words, hardly employed) actress who moves from her hometown of Brewster, New York to Manhattan, where she works in a variety of temp jobs. Playing her boyfriend is Ted Bessell as Newsview Magazine writer Donald Hollinger.

‘Tarzan’ (1966-68, NBC)

Edgar Rice Burroughs’ jungle warrior brought to the small screen in a series that pretty much did away with the whole, “Me Tarzan, you Jane” dynamic as the man in the loincloth, accompanied his chimp Cheetah, tries to make the jungle safe for animal kind. Ron Ely takes on the title role.

‘The Green Hornet’ (1966-67, ABC)

Designed to cash-in on the Batman-craze, this was a less campy superhero show with Van Williams as the title character and Bruce Lee (giving the world the first true introduction to his martial arts skills) as his sidekick, Kato. Their crime-solving only lasted one season.

‘The Time Tunnel’ (1966-67, ABC)

Producer Irwin Allen is back with this sci-fi tale in which a pair of scientists are plunged to different periods in time, interacting with history (but never actually able to change anything) as people back in their present desperately try to bring them home. James Daren and Robert Colbert star.

‘The Monkees’ (1966-68, NBC)

We’ve all heard the cliché that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but the bottom line is there’s also no better way to cash in on a popular trend. That’s been a part of the pop culture world from the very beginning, and in the mid-1960s was certainly behind the creation of The Monkees, TV’s answer to The Beatles. It just happened to transcend its origins and became something special and enduring in its own right.

Back in 1964, as Beatlemania swept across the globe, everyone was looking for a way to capitalize on their success, and The Monkees (as a television show and a band) successfully did so. The idea was a relatively simple one: hire four guys to play musicians on an American sitcom, and put music at the center of it. If successful, the reward would be high ratings and record sales. In this case, it was so much more thanks to Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith.

‘Family Affair’ (1966-71, CBS)

Bachelor Bill Davis (Brian Keith) decides to raise his brother’s three orphaned children (Kathy Garver, Johnny Whitaker and Anissa Jones) in his luxury New York apartment, aided by Mr. Giles French (Sebastian Cabot). It’s what you might call a “soft” comedy.

‘The Iron Horse’ (1966-68, ABC)

Dale Robertson is gambler Ben Calhoun, who finds himself a railroad baron and struggles as best he can to finish the line despite the obstacles thrown his way.

‘The Rat Patrol’ (1966-68, ABC)

Four Allied soldiers during World War II travel through the desert of North Africa in jeeps equipped with machine guns to take on Field Marshal Rommel’s Afrika Korps. Cast includes Christopher George, Gary Raymond, Lawrence P. Casey, Justin Tarr and Hans Gudegast (now known as Eric Braeden).

‘The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.’ (1966-67, NBC)

Spin-off to The Man From U.N.C.L.E. with Stephanie Powers playing agent April Dancer, who would oftentimes go undercover on her assignments.

‘Mission: Impossible’ (1966-73, CBS)

You know the Tom Cruise film series in which he plays Ethan Hunt, but this is the television show that inspired it. The Impossible Missions Force takes on espionage assignments across the globe. Cast includes Barbara Bain, Martin Landau, Peter Graves, Peter Lupus, Steven Hill and Leonard Nimoy. Like Star Trek, this show was given the green light for production by then Desilu president, Lucille Ball. Another reason we love Lucy!

‘Mr. Terrific’ (1967, CBS)

Attempting to cash in on the success of Batman was this show, a camp superhero adventure starring Stephen Strimpell as gas station attendant Stanley Beamish, who takes a recently-developed “power pill” that gives him the power to fly and the strength of a thousand men, but only for a short period of time.  Seventeen episodes were produced.

‘Rango’ (1967, ABC)

Tim Conway, fresh from McHale’s Navy but prior to The Carol Burnett Show, plays the title character in this sitcom set in the Old West. His Rango is an inept Texas Ranger sent to the quietest post there is, yet somehow trouble seems to follow him there.

‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour’ (1967-69, CBS)

Unlike most variety shows whose humor and musical guests catered to the older segments of the audience, Tom and Dick Smothers went for political satire and modern performers, capturing the attention of the younger generation. Unfortunately, their entire time on the air was filled with battles between them and their network, CBS, over the commentary they were making. Eventually they were canceled because of it.

‘He & She’ (1967-68, CBS)

Acclaimed but short-lived series starring Richard Benjamin as cartoonist Dick Hollister and the actor’s real life wife, Paula Prentiss, as social worker Paula Hollister, with Jack Cassidy as actor Oscar North who is playing Dick’s character, Jetman, brought to life on a TV show. Notes Wikipedia, “He & She is widely considered by broadcast historians to have been ahead of its time. Its sophisticated approach to comedy was viewed as opening doors to the groundbreaking MTM family of sitcoms of the 1970s, beginning with The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1970.”

‘Dundee and the Culhane’ (1967, CBS)

Yet another Western, this one starring John Mills and Sean Garrison as frontier lawyers who offered those accused of crimes legal defense. Thirteen episodes were produced.

‘The Flying Nun’ (1967-70, ABC)

Due to the configuration of her habit, Sister Betrille (Sally Field, who hated playing the part) found that she could take flight and would do her best to help others. They got three seasons out of that premise!

‘Cimarron Strip’ (1967-68, CBS)

Stuart Whitman stars in this Western as Marshall Jim Crown, who attempts to bring some law and order to the lawlessness of the Cimarron Territory in the time before it became truly governed by the U.S.

‘Hondo’ (1967, ABC)

The John Wayne film from 1953 of the same name was the inspiration for this Western. After his wife, an Indian, is killed following the Civil War, former Confederate cavalry officer Hondo Lane (Ralph Taeger), along with his dog, Sam, look to help any Indians having trouble from the U.S. Army.

‘The Mothers-in-Law’ (1967-69, CBS)

Two sets of parents (Eve Arden and Herbert Rudley, Kaye Ballad and Roger C. Carmel) are neighbors, the best of friends and constantly interfering with their kids who have fallen in love. There’s an I Love Lucy vibe to some of this, which isn’t entirely surprising when you consider that Desi Arnaz served as executive producer and it was created by Lucy writers Bob Carroll, Jr. and Madelyn Davis.

‘The High Chaparral’ (1967-71, NBC)

Leif Erickson is “Big John” Cannon in this Western, a rancher in Arizona, who takes a Mexican bride as part of an alliance with a Mexican ranch to help fight off attacking Indians.

‘Ironside’ (1967-75, NBC)

Robert T. Ironside isn’t going to let a little thing like getting shot stop him from his consulting work with the San Francisco Police Department. Wheelchair bound, he nonetheless is able to help solve crimes that others can’t. The show stars Raymond Burr, who, of course, had starred in Perry Mason in the 1950s.

‘Mannix’ (1967-75, CBS)

Considered the most violent television show of its time, Mike Connors stars as Joe Mannix, a man who pretty much does things his own way and, in terms of solving crimes, comes out on top. Surprisingly, Connors played the character opposite Lucille Ball on an episode of Here’s Lucy and in Dick Van Dyke’s Diagnosis: Murder.

‘Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In’ (1968-73, NBC)

Hosted by Dan Rowan and Dick Martin, this sketch comedy show was filled with rapid-fire vignettes and, like The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, took on its own fair share of heat by being an antidote to the typical variety show, frequently courting controversy.

‘Julia’ (1968-71, NBC)

This may not seem like such a big deal now, but this series starring Diahann Carroll was the first to star a black actress in what wasn’t a stereotypical role. In the show, she plays  widowed single mother Julia Baker who had lost her husband in Vietnam. Raising her son, Corey (Marc Copage), she works as a nurse. A 30-minute “sitcom” without a laugh track or studio audience, the show managed to tackle some serious issues of the time.

‘Adam-12’ (1968-75, NBC)

In a nutshell, the show follows Los Angeles police officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they drive around the city, investigating crimes. That’s pretty much it: it’s a procedural that, in a sense, is kind of like a cross between Dragnet and the Law part of Law & Order. Martin Milner is Malloy and Kent McCord is Reed.

‘Land of the Giants’ (1968-70, ABC)

One more shot from producer Irwin Allen, this one has the sub-orbital transport ship Spindrift caught in magnetic storm in space that sends them to another world, where everyone and everything seems like giants to them. The crew and travelers have to work together to survive until they can figure out a way to get back home. Definitely some creative effects employed here.

‘Here’s Lucy’ (1968-74, CBS)

Lucy’s back for her third CBS series and not to embrace the cliche (too much), but the audiences loves her yet again! This time she’s Lucy Carter and she’s joined by her kids Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr. (as, respectively, Kim and Craig Carter), with Gale Gordon back, this time as Lucy’s brother-in-law, Harry Carter. She works at “Carter’s Unique Employment Agency,” where, naturally chaos ensues. It’s Lucy being Lucy and it was great for all six seasons.

‘The Doris Day Show’ (1968-73, CBS)

This show went through so many changes over the course of its five seasons that it would be impossible to cover them all here. Suffice to say that the series resulted from the fact that Doris’ film career was in decline combined with the reality that her husband at the time had lost all her money and, before his death, had committed her to a CBS television series. Thankfully the show bailed her out of the financial hole he had put her in. All of this had previously been covered by us in far more depth.

‘The Mod Squad’ (1968-73, ABC)

Here’s how the show is officially described: “Police Capt. Adam Greer recruits a trio of ‘hippie cops’ with checkered pasts to infiltrate the counterculture and nail the adult criminals preying on clueless young Southern Californians. This ‘youth squad’ is made up of Pete, whose wealthy parents kicked him out of their posh Beverly Hills home; Linc, a survivor of the ghetto; and Julie, a former hooker arrested for vagrancy.” Playing the youth squad, respectively, are Michael Cole, Clarence Williams III and Peggy Lipton.

‘Here Come the Brides’ (1968-70, ABC)

The adventures of some loggers and the marriageable single women sent to them in post-Civil War America when they are in Seattle in the Washington Territory. Cast includes Robert Brown, Bobby Sherman, David Soul, Bridget Hanley and Joan Blondell.

‘Hawaii Five-0’ (1968-80, CBS)

Jack Lord stars in this long running police drama as Steve McGarrett. The title of the series refers to an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police, who are answerable to only the governor. A remake of the series launched in 2010 and is still going strong.

‘Mayberry RFD’ (1968-71, CBS)

By any standard, The Andy Griffith Show was not an easy act to follow. After all, it became one of the most popular shows throughout its run in the 1960s, and grew even bigger over the decades thanks to reruns and the nostalgia factor. But what’s truly amazing is that series star Andy Griffith decided to leave the show after eight seasons, and instead of simple cancellation, it evolved into the series Mayberry RFD, which was essentially the same show, but without Sheriff Andy Taylor or his son, Opie. Instead, the focus shifted to widower farmer (eventually head of the town council) Sam Jones, raising his son, Mike, and they were surrounded by all the regular supporting characters of Mayberry — including Aunt Bee. Amazingly it worked, much of it because of actor Ken Berry, who stepped in as Sam.

‘Hee-Haw’ (1969-92, CBS and Syndicated)

A mix of country music and comedy, Hee Haw originally ran on CBS from 1969 to 1971, but then it went into syndication — meaning that it was run on local stations across the country rather than on one of the networks — from 1971 to 1993. It was hosted by Roy Clark and Buck Owen. Enormously popular, it’s something that Roy in particular remained proud of until the day he died.

‘Room 222’ (1969-74, ABC)

One of TV’s first dramedies, the setting was Walt Whitman High School — a racially diverse school — and the focus on the classroom of Pete Dixon (Lloyd Haynes), an African-American history teacher who connects with his students in a way that most other teachers don’t. In addition to the classroom, the show would also look at the home lives of both students and faculty. There were also timeless plots regarding kids maturing into adults, and issues of the day were addressed by the writers, ranging from the Vietnam War to women’s rights and even the Watergate scandal.

Other cast members include Denise Nicholas as Liz McIntyre, guidance counselor and Pete’s girlfriend; Michael Constantine as principal Seymour Kaufman, and Karen Valentine as student teacher (eventually hired as a teacher) Alice Johnson.

‘The Courtship of Eddie’s Father’ (1969-72, ABC)

Based on the 1963 film of the same name, it’s about magazine publisher and widower Tom Corbett (Bill Bixby), who is trying to raise his son, Eddie (Brandon Cruz) alone, aided by his housekeeper, Mrs. Livingston (Miyoshi Umeki). Definitely a dramedy that soared in its first two seasons thanks to the connection between Bixby and Cruz, though it derailed in the third when producer James Komack started guiding more and more stories towards his character, photographer Norman Tinker.

‘Marcus Welby, M.D.’ (1969-76, ABC)

Robert Young, who had played insurance salesman Jim Anderson on the sitcom Father Knows Best, returned to television in the role of the title character. He and his assistant, Steven Kiley (James Brolin in the days before he met Barbra), do their best to treat people as people at a time when things were shifting to more specialized medicine with doctors who didn’t care as deeply. One of the highlights back then was when this show would have crossovers with Arthur Hill’s Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law (gotta love them crossovers!), which they seemed to do quite a bit.

‘Medical Center’ (1969-76, CBS)

Set in a Los Angeles university hospital, the focus is on Doctors Paul Lochner and Joe Gannon (James Daly and Chad Everett, respectively), and the drama would come from exploring their personal lives as well as the lives of the patients that they came into contact with. In all, 171 episodes were produced.

‘The Brady Bunch’ (1969-74, ABC)

It’s the story, of a lovely lady, who had three very lovely girls. All of them had hair of gold, like they’re mother, the youngest one in curls. It’s the story, of a man named Brady…. oh, you get it! The Bradys haven’t gone anywhere for half a century, with spin-off after spin-off, movies based on the show and, next, HGTV’s reality series, A Very Brady Renovation, which brings all  the “kids” together for the first time in 15 years.

‘Love, American Style’ (1969-74, ABC)

Think of this anthology series as an early version of The Love Boat or Fantasy Island, only it was made up of short vignettes all focused on the subject of love and romance with a wide variety of guest stars. It was a part of truly great line-up on ABC Friday nights that saw it preceded by The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, Room 222, and The Odd Couple. They don’t make line-ups like that anymore.

Some Variety Shows of the 1960s

‘The Kate Smith Show’ (January-July 1960, CBS): The singer, so well known for her rendition of “God Bless America,” hosted this half-hour variety show for six months. She would perform in each episode, and feature guests as well.

‘The Danny Kaye Show’ (1963-67, CBS): With his film career in decline, but three TV specials doing extremely well, Danny Kaye agreed to the idea of a weekly variety series that would focus largely on comedy, but feature music as well. Critically acclaimed, it was never a giant hit ratings wise and managed a four-season run before it was cancelled. It did win four Emmy Awards in 1964 and was nominated for a number of others.

‘The Judy Garland Show’ (1963-64, CBS): Yet another variety show, but this one featuring Judy Garland, who agreed to television in the belief it would help her out financially (which she desperately needed). Unfortunately the show only lasted 26 episodes, largely because it was aired against the western Bonanza and nothing could take down the family Cartwright. The truth is, the audience that did watch the show loved it, especially Judy performing with people like her frequent film co-star Mickey Rooney, daughter Liza Minnelli, Lena Horne, Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand. Years later, when these episodes were syndicated, many people realized that this was the big one that got away.

‘The Dean Martin Show’ (1965-74, NBC): Not much description needed here: Dean Martin engages with his guests in physical comedy bits and performing music. What’s unique is the deal he struck with NBC: Not only did he get the money that he wanted, but the deal was he did not have to attend rehearsals and only showed up for taping, this way he could keep making films. It’s why, if you watch episodes, he’s so obviously reading cue cards or flubbing lines. But the audience didn’t care; they loved him!

‘The Carol Burnett Show’ (1967-78): Perhaps the greatest comedy variety show in television history, with 25 Emmy Awards to prove it. Not much more needs to be said than Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence and Tim Conway. What an amazing ensemble of performers.

Prime Time Animated Shows of the 1960s

‘The Flintstones’ (1960-66, ABC): Originally aired in prime time, this prehistoric animated sitcom was a true sensation, still enjoying great popularity today. Look closely and you’ll see a lot of similarities between The Flintstones and The Honeymooners. 

‘Top Cat’ (1961-62, ABC):  We’re including this one, because, like The Flintstones, it aired in prime time. Take the ’50s sitcom The Phil Silvers Show and reimagine it with talking cats as the leads, and you’ll get an idea of the set-up. These alley cats (led by the voice of Arnold Stang in the title role) are always scamming to get ahead an earn a quick buck. Their nemesis is a cop named Charles Dibble.

‘The Jetsons’ (1962-63, ABC): Going to prehistoric times paid off like gangbusters for producers Hanna-Barbera, so why not try and duplicate that success by going into the future? That’s exactly what they did with The Jetsons, their space-age family consisting of George Jetson, daughter Judy, Jane his wife, their boy Elroy and let’s not forget Astro the dog, who, based on the way he speaks, we’re convinced is a descendant of Scooby-Doo. This prime time series also made a number of interesting predictions about the future.

‘Johnny Quest’ (1964-65, ABC): Yet another prime time animated series from Hanna-Barbera, this one was more adult in a number of ways, from the animation itself to the storylines and the characterizations. The show features the title character, who joins his scientist father Dr. Benton C. Quest, special agent Roger T. “Race” Bannon, his adopted brother Hadji and, of course, his pet bulldog, Bandit. Together they get involved in a variety of adventures, often with a sci-fi bent. It lasted only one season, but remains enormously popular.