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 ...
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 ...
Chico and the Man, which ran on NBC from 1974 to 1978, remains a significant entry in the history of television sitcoms. The premise, at its core, is fairly straightforward: a curmudgeonly garage owner in East Los Angeles, Ed Brown, played by the ever-reliable Jack Albertson, finds his life upended by a young, energetic Mexican-American man, Chico Rodriguez, brought to ...
The sitcom Maude, which aired on CBS from 1972 to 1978, wasn’t just another show; it was a cultural moment, a series that tackled social and political topics head-on with a frankness rarely seen on television at the time. Created by Norman Lear, the program spun off from All in the Family, featuring Bea Arthur as the titular Maude Findlay, ...
Soap, which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1981, wasn’t your average sitcom. Created by Susan Harris, this program took the conventions of daytime soap operas and turned them on their head with a heavy dose of satire. The show centered around two families, the wealthy Tates and the working-class Campbells, and their various entanglements, which were often absurd and ...
The Odd Couple, a sitcom that aired on ABC from 1970 to 1975, remains a classic example of television comedy. Based on Neil Simon‘s play of the same name (and its subsequent 1968 movie adaptation), the series revolves around two mismatched roommates: the compulsively neat photographer, Felix Unger, and the slovenly sportswriter, Oscar Madison. The setup alone creates comedic situations, ...
Few shows capture a specific era quite like Welcome Back, Kotter, which aired on ABC from 1975 to 1979. It’s a sitcom that isn’t just about laughs; it provides a snapshot of 1970s culture with its fashion, slang, and attitudes. The premise is simple enough: Gabe Kaplan stars as Gabe Kotter, a wisecracking teacher who returns to his old Brooklyn ...
Sitcoms from the 1970s occupy a unique space in television history, and Sanford and Son, which ran from 1972 to 1977 on NBC, stands out as both a product of its time and a comedy with staying power. The show, adapted from the British sitcom Steptoe and Son, centers on the cantankerous junk dealer, Fred Sanford, played brilliantly by Redd ...
Few sitcoms have achieved the iconic status of Laverne & Shirley, which aired on ABC from 1976 to 1983. The show, a spin-off from Happy Days, centered on the hilarious misadventures of two roommates, Laverne DeFazio, played by Penny Marshall, and Shirley Feeney, played by Cindy Williams, who worked as bottle cappers at Shotz Brewery in Milwaukee. The show’s success ...
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), ...