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 ...
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 ...
TV in the 1970s was awash with crime dramas, but few stood out quite like Cannon, a Quinn Martin Production that aired on CBS. Running from 1971 to 1976, the series starred the imposing William Conrad as Frank Cannon, a former Los Angeles Police Department detective turned private investigator. Unlike the typical hard-boiled, fast-talking PIs of the era, Cannon was ...
The jump from comedy to drama is a tough one for any character, but Ed Asner as Lou Grant, managed to make it seem natural. After the end of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, where he played the irascible but lovable newsman, the character was spun off into his own show, Lou Grant. This CBS production ran from 1977 to ...
Good Times, set in a Chicago housing project, centers on the Evans family’s everyday existence. Florida (Esther Rolle) and James (John Amos) parent their three kids, James Jr. (Jimmie Walker), Thelma (BernNadette Stanis), and Michael (Ralph Carter). The show explores their efforts to make ends meet, cope with societal problems, and pursue their ambitions while maintaining a sense of humor. ...
When “Cagney & Lacey” first appeared on CBS in 1982, it was with Meg Foster in the role of Christine Cagney, the serious, career-focused detective, the role had already been played by Loretta Swit in a TV Movie pilot for the series. The show, created by Barbara Corday and Barbara Avedon, aimed to depict the lives of two female police ...
“The Waltons,” a CBS staple that graced television screens from 1972 to 1981, wasn’t just a family drama; it was a warm blanket of nostalgia for a simpler time. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and World War II in rural Virginia, the show followed the lives of the Walton family. At its heart, it was a gentle ...
Cagney & Lacey, which ran on CBS from 1982 to 1988, wasn’t just another cop show; it was a television landmark that redefined the genre and paved the way for stronger female leads. Created by Barbara Corday and Barbara Avedon, the series initially struggled to find its footing. It actually started as a TV movie in 1981, with Loretta Swit ...
“All in the Family,” a sitcom that graced CBS from 1971 to 1979, didn’t just spring from nowhere; its roots can be traced to a British program called “Til Death Us Do Part.” Created by Johnny Speight, this BBC program featured a working-class bigot named Alf Garnett, who shared many similarities with the Archie Bunker character we would come to ...
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. ...