The Partridge Family (ABC): 1970-74 Walt Disney Television/Getty ImagesĪdmit it…if you liked The Brady Bunch you also watched The Partridge Family when they aired together on ABC from 1971 to 1973. was the first ABC series to finish a season ranked first overall in primetime, which it did in the 1970-71 season. Marcus Welby even made house calls! Did You Know? Unlike the medical dramas of today, there was always a happy ending. Steven Kiley, the pair worked alongside each other in their private practice in Santa Monica. Given his reputation as that beloved TV Dad Jim Anderson on family sitcom Father Knows Best, Robert Young stuck to his wholesome family roots as kindly Dr. (ABC) – 1969-76 Walt Disney Television/Getty Images How to Watch Here’s Lucy Today: Hulu, Prime Video or DVD 22. Had the pilot been picked up to series, the idea was to feature Vivian Vance as a regular. The season four finale of Here’s Lucy (“Kim Finally Cuts You-Know-Whose Apron Strings”) was a backdoor pilot for spin-off series The Lucie Arnaz Show. While Doris Singleton (Carolyn Appleby on I Love Lucy) was originally cast as Gale Gordon’s secretary, that idea was dropped after Lucy’s real life offspring, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr., joined the cast. And the bonus was six guest appearances by that beloved “second banana” Vivian Vance, as Vivian Jones. Her chemistry with co-star Gale Gordon, this time as Lucy’s brother-in-law Harry Carter, was flawless. But any series featuring everyone’s favorite redhead is worth revisiting. Nor was it as good as Lucille Ball’s second successful sitcom, The Lucy Show. Here’s Lucy (CBS) – 1968-74 CBS/Getty Images How to Watch Hot l Baltimore today: Aside from some promos on YouTube, it is not available. CBS ran a similar disclaimer when All in the Family debuted in 1971, but only in the first telecast. The Hot l Baltimore was the first ABC series to have a warning at its opening, cautioning viewers about the mature themes. While the built-in controversy did result in initial tune-in, it wasn’t enough to keep the audience intact opposite The Rockford Files on NBC. Garrett on Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life) as an eccentric woman with a son no one ever saw. Enter Lear’s controversial The Hot l Baltimore, which was set at a deteriorating hotel complete with two prostitutes (one played by Conchata Ferrell pre- Two and a Half Men), an undocumented immigrant, and one of the first gay couples featured on a TV series.Īnd let’s not forget Charlotte Rae (pre-Mrs. Given the inventory of hits produced by Norman Lear for CBS, ABC wanted to get into the mix. The Hot l Baltimore (ABC): 1975 Walt Disney Television/Getty Images How to Watch Mannix Today: MeTV or DVD 24. Adam Tobias, an LAPD cop who occasionally worked with Joe Mannix. And many of the installments featured topical themes, such as racism and gambling.Īt the same time he was starring in The Brady Bunch, Robert Reed had an ongoing role on Mannix as Lt. Unlike tamer entries in the genre at the time like Cannon, Barnaby Jones and Columbo, Mannix was unusually violent - with our hero assaulted in just about every episode. He was aided by Gail Fisher as his loyal assistant, Peggy Fair. Mike Connors played tough but sincere Los Angeles Detective Joe Mannix, who went from an employee at a sophisticated detective firm in season one to his own shop in season two (and beyond). Mannix (CBS) – 1967-75 CBS/Getty ImagesĪ staple on CBS for eight seasons. Since this list will likely open up the floodgates for debate, I invite you to chime in with your picks. What matters is what they meant to me then, and if they still hold up now. I have never been one to follow any traditional critic patterns. Some of the hidden treasures on the small screen prematurely exited after that first season. And not every TV series I have chosen had a long shelf life. But, I will save that ranking for another feature. Of course, the 1970s was a haven for miniseries and made-for television movies - I recall as many as eight movies scheduled per week, excluding the NBC Mystery Movie wheel. But network television was the center, and despite the limited options there was always something good to watch.Īs a benchmark, I include only regularly scheduled network series airing in primetime. PBS was also an option, and the typical market also offered two to three independent stations. What was fascinating about the 1970s was the availability of only three broadcast networks: ABC, CBS and NBC. Despite the limited options in the 1970s, there was always something good to watch.
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