There’s a unique kind of comfort found in the familiar. We seek it in our routines, in our relationships, and, perhaps surprisingly, in the fictional worlds crafted on television. Classic TV shows, with their enduring characters and comforting narratives, often create towns and neighborhoods that feel more real than reality itself. These fictional locales become aspirational spaces, idealized communities where ...

Science fiction has always held a mirror to the present while simultaneously gazing into a crystal ball of potential futures. Classic science fiction television, in particular, captured the anxieties, aspirations, and technological fascinations of its time, projecting them onto a canvas of imagined tomorrows. But how accurate were these visions? Did Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek (1966-1969) or Sidney Newman’s Doctor ...

The raucous world of radio got a comedic twist with WKRP in Cincinnati, which was a mainstay on CBS from 1978 to 1982. Created by Hugh Wilson, the sitcom captured the chaotic daily operations of a struggling AM radio station transitioning from easy listening to a rock and roll format. Set against the backdrop of Cincinnati, Ohio, the show’s narrative ...

CHiPs is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner that originally broadcast on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. The series production was handled by MGM Television. The program follows the lives of officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) as they patrol the freeways of Los Angeles. Over its six-season run, CHiPs presented ...

The grim, grey vision of a future Britain, as portrayed in the BBC’s 1977-1978 television series 1990, feels both remarkably prescient and quaintly off-kilter when viewed through the lens of our present-day reality. Created by Wilfred Greatorex, this dystopian drama, spread across sixteen episodes, depicted a United Kingdom suffocated by bureaucracy, where civil liberties are eroded by a pervasive, all-seeing ...

The methodical examination of forensic science and the pursuit of justice found a potent voice in the NBC television series, Quincy, M.E., which aired from 1976 to 1983. Created by Glen A. Larson and Lou Shaw, the show starred Jack Klugman as Dr. R. Quincy, a brilliant, yet at times, abrasive, medical examiner for the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. ...

Fantasy Island, the creation of Gene Levitt, aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984, becoming a staple of television’s late 70s and early 80s landscape. The premise was simple, yet potent: guests arrive at a mysterious island resort run by the enigmatic Mr. Roarke, played with suave sophistication by Ricardo Montalbán, and his diminutive assistant, Tattoo, portrayed by Hervé Villechaize. ...

It’s hard to believe it’s been over 45 years since Lee Majors first graced our screens as Colonel Steve Austin, the astronaut rebuilt with bionic parts after a horrific crash in the TV series, The Six Million Dollar Man. Airing on ABC from 1973 to 1978, this isn’t just a relic of the 70s, it’s a fascinating piece of television ...

The 1970s TV adaptation of Wonder Woman, which aired first on ABC then CBS, occupies a unique space in superhero television history. It’s not quite the campy Batman of the 60s, nor is it the gritty realism we see in current superhero fare. Instead, it found a tone that blended earnest heroism with a touch of lightheartedness, making it both ...

The 1970s were a fertile period for television, and among the many shows that graced the airwaves, Kung Fu, produced by Warner Bros. Television, stood out. It wasn’t just the martial arts that drew viewers in; it was the philosophical core and the character of Kwai Chang Caine, played by the late David Carradine, that resonated deeply. The series, which ...