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 ...
It’s difficult to discuss 1970s television without mentioning The Brady Bunch, a series that became a cultural touchstone during its run from 1969 to 1974. Created by Sherwood Schwartz, and produced by Paramount Television, the show, which aired on ABC, centered on a blended family. It was the story of a widowed architect, Mike Brady, played by Robert Reed, who ...
The gritty streets of 1970s television were vividly brought to life with Baretta, a police drama that aired on ABC from 1975 to 1978. This wasn’t your typical cop procedural; it had a unique style and a certain raw edge, largely due to the performance of its lead, Robert Blake. Blake played Detective Tony Baretta, an unconventional undercover cop with ...
A gritty police procedural that defined 1970s television, The Streets of San Francisco aired on ABC for five seasons, from 1972 to 1977. The series, produced by Quinn Martin Productions, focused on two detectives solving crimes in the famously hilly city. The show’s success stemmed not only from its action-packed plots but also from the believable chemistry between its two ...
The sitcom Taxi transports us to the Sunshine Cab Company in New York City, where a collection of disparate personalities clock in daily. We meet Alex Reiger (Judd Hirsch), the cynical and world-weary driver, and his fellow cabbies, including the aspiring actor Bobby Wheeler (Jeff Conaway), the gentle giant John Burns (Randall Carver), the former boxer Tony Banta (Tony Danza), ...
Starsky and Hutch was a defining example of the ’70s buddy cop genre, leaning heavily on fast cars, casual violence, and a certain kind of macho swagger that was very much of its time. The show followed the exploits of detectives David Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson (David Soul), two undercover cops cruising the grimy streets of the ...
Master Sergeant Ernest T. Bilko, the fast-talking, scheming protagonist of The Phil Silvers Show (or simply Sergeant Bilko), is not just a character, he’s a television icon. He is a creation that remains as hilarious and engaging today as when the show originally aired on CBS from 1955 to 1959, and then on ABC for its final season in 1960-1961. ...
The ABC series Charlie’s Angels, which aired from 1976 to 1981, was more than just a hit television show; it was a full-blown cultural event, and it’s worth considering why this particular program resonated so strongly. Created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, and produced by Aaron Spelling, the show was a unique blend of crime drama and high-fashion fantasy. ...