The 1960s: Televisions Very Best Shows EVER

[The Mastiff]

But who could forget CHEECH & CHONG :D >> I just heard NPR interview George Carlin's surviving daughter and that was interesting. But that is a great question you ask and I wish I had a more consise answer>> but history does repeat itself so maybe that trend might return again

Joe, I recall listening to their records back in Jr. High. Same thing as Cosby and some other comics. It's strange thinking about comics putting out LP's but that is how we heard their skits and fake band music. All the things that eventually found their way into their movies. Back then they wouldn't play stuff like that on TV or even the radio. Not where I was anyway.

Makes me feel old. :)

joe

[JD Spydo]

But who could forget CHEECH & CHONG :D >> I just heard NPR interview George Carlin's surviving daughter and that was interesting. But that is a great question you ask and I wish I had a more consise answer>> but history does repeat itself so maybe that trend might return again

Joe, I recall listening to their records back in Jr. High. Same thing as Cosby and some other comics. It's strange thinking about comics putting out LP's but that is how we heard their skits and fake band music. All the things that eventually found their way into their movies. Back then they wouldn't play stuff like that on TV or even the radio. Not where I was anyway.

Makes me feel old. :)

Yeah it makes me feel old too :o I distinctly remember CHEECH & CHONG's album entitled "Big Bambu" and it had a Goliath sized rolling paper inside :eek: >> another distinction that album had was a public service annoucement about 18 year olds finally getting the right to vote and the message that Cheech & Chong sent to their fans saying "USE THE POWER">> trying to encourage young people to vote that year.. And oddly enough that year I turned 18 and I did indeed vote in that 72 Election i.e. Nixon versus McGovern>> now that really makes me feel old :o It truly was a time and era that was so unique in so many ways.

As far as media censorship goes that was the reason most of the rock groups were not let on TV because most of their song lyrics simply weren't allowed on TV at that time. Yeah we came a long way since "Ward & June Cleaver" :rolleyes: Not to mention Robert Young's "FATHER KNOWS BEST" :rolleyes: and the Donna Reed Show was about as sterile as you can get compared to most of the comedy shows now a days.

And Ricky Nelson was actually considered a rock star :rolleyes: And who could forget Dobie Gillis :D

[christopher]

My ultimate favorites in the comedy genre were Rowan & Martin's Laugh In and the Carol Burnet Show. Had a chance to see some of the Carol Burnett Show and I laughed 'til I cried. Could not talk for several minutes. Great humor. I have not seen any Rowan & Martin lately, but a few years ago I caught one and remembered laughing with my family, which was a rare commodity, and boy was it fun.

I also remember the Twilight Zone. It was the best sci-fi on. I had more sleepless nights imaging this and that as a result of Rod Serling's ventures into the Zone.

[Ankerson]

Why does reminiscing about the past always lead to bashing the present? Maybe it's because we see the full gamut of shows out now, but only reminisce about the very best of any given era?

Well I believe most of what's on today is complete garbage with bad acting and Political Correctness and agendas to the point that they aren't even believable.

Add to that the shortened seasons compared to the old days with less that half the number of episodes.

Then the flood of commercials today compared to the old days.

The split seasons and moving shows around so people don't even know when they are on anymore.

And that's not even getting into the reality TV shows. :rolleyes:

TV is garbage compared to what it used to be IMHO.

[tvenuto]

My television experience is quite different than yours I guess. I'm afraid you have a somewhat narrow view of what you can watch on TV, and are then assuming that because the bad things you mention fill up "most of" what you can see, that it represents "most of" what you can watch. Some things to consider...

Two words: High Definition.

You can traipse around the universe with Neil deGrasse Tyson, or visit exotic locations all over the earth.

With things like netflix, amazon prime, or DVR you can avoid commercials altogether.

You can watch programs on almost every hobby or pursuit imaginable: motorcycles, cooking, DIY home repair, interior design, tattoos, antiquing, fishing, etc.

You can watch a cheetah take down an antelope in slow motion, or you can fly first-person with a fighter jet off of an aircraft carrier. These alone are enough, sorry 60s.

History/military buffs have an incredible smorgasbord of shows to watch. Nazi Superweapons was one I noticed recently. Really, a whole series on little-known Nazi weapons!

I assume by "reality TV" you're referring to things like "The Bachelor" but how about Dirty Jobs? Deadliest Catch? Intervention (to which, ironically, I am addicted)? And these are just some I can think of off the top of my head.

So, while you can say that you don't prefer some of what I've listed, you really can't justify calling any of it "complete garbage." Bask in the golden era of television, lest it pass you by!

[Ankerson]

I have 2 DVR's. :D

Some of that stuff like the nature programs was around back in the 60's and 70's.

I won't get started on reality TV, I could go on for years on that...

There was quite a bit actually on TV back in the 60's and 70's and that was before cable or even the internet.

Now we have 300 channels with less quality TV shows than we did when we only had like 40 channels, and it was free back then as in over the air waves.

Now we pay for cable etc to get even the regular channels that are flooded with commercials, less quality content, shorter seasons, split seasons etc.

Advertising is running the networks today, it's like they don't think anyone over 25 actually watches TV or buys anything today.

A rather large number of good shows have been taken off due to the advertisers not wanting to pay for the commercials because they didn't attract the 25 and under crowd.

And these were shows with good ratings too.

[Ankerson]

One thing I really don't understand about today's TV is this.

While TV is being regulated by the FCC we as customers are paying MONEY to watch what the networks have already been paid for by the Advertisers AND the Cable and Sat Companies and turn around and have tons of Commercials.

And the rates go up every year along with the Networks trying to get more money out of the Cable and Sat Companies, they pay so much per subscriber.

So someone explain to me how they are getting paid twice for the same content, all of this being Regulated by the FCC and them letting this happen.

Just something I think about every time I see the cable bill or read about a rate hike or the Networks trying to jack their rates.

[The Deacon]

TV is no different than music, literature, or art. Namely that 90% or more of what's produced in any year is total rubbish, most of the rest halfway decent, and a small percentage truly great. Memory, on the other hand, tends to be selective. We tend to remember the stuff we enjoyed.

Jim, the "good news" is that one of the greatest (and least advertised) benefits of digital broadcasting is that you can get better reception using an indoor or outdoor antenna than was ever possible in the analog age. You're limited to regular broadcast stations that way but, aside from the initial cost of installing the antenna, it's free.

[bearfacedkiller]

I have a $50 antenna on my roof and get tons of free channels. I also have netflix and amazon streaming which for a modest cost gives me much more to watch. I recently started using SlingTv which a streaming tv service for $20 a month that includes 20 channels such as Espn, espn2, tbs, tnt, history, h2, food network and a&e. This is a lot of hd content for under $30 a month. I don't count the amazon prime membership in that calculation because I shop on Amazon a lot and read on the kindle a lot so I consider the amazon streaming to be kind of a free bonus and don't know how to break the cost of the streaming video down anyway. I also check DVDs out at the library when I get books. Paying the cable and satellite companies those crazy monthly rates is for suckers. I did it for years and I won't any more. I haven't had cable or satellite for over two years now and I don't miss it or the bill one tiny bit.

Edit: I just reread this and it sounds like total advertising spam. Sorry about that, it wasn't my intention. It just irks me that we pay so much for tv these days. Something needs to give, we are being robbed. Like Jim said, tv used to be free and was funded by commercials, now they are trying to get money from both sides. I feel like people need to open there eyes and see that there are cheaper options for your tv than what they are paying.

[bearfacedkiller]

We have some great shows like breaking bad, mad men, house of cards, the walking dead and I am a total doctor who nut. I loved the old doctor who and the new one is just terrific. This comes from someone who loves old movies and old tv shows. TV and movies are just like music, you have to filter through a lot of crap to find the good stuff but it is there for those who seek it out.

[bearfacedkiller]

I loved the old sci if myself. The outer limits, the twilight zone and the Alfred Hitchcock presents were all great.

I also liked the Munster's and the Adam's family a lot. Bewitched, I dream of geanie, I love Lucy and gillagin's island were also all good. The Beverly hillbillies was good and how could you forget the Brady bunch.

I am younger than most of you but I remember all these shows being on tv still when I was a kid. My parents never enforced much of a bedtime and I would stay up watching nick at night which showed lots of old shows. Every show I mentioned seemed to still be played as reruns well into the 80's which was my childhood.

It is a little later into the 70s but SNL used to be great and it has slowly gone down hill. It was still great into the 90's but it has tanked since then.

[paladin]

Jim, the "good news" is that one of the greatest (and least advertised) benefits of digital broadcasting is that you can get better reception using an indoor or outdoor antenna than was ever possible in the analog age. You're limited to regular broadcast stations that way but, aside from the initial cost of installing the antenna, it's free.

Yep...I remember part of the "good 'ole days" was going outside with the pipe wrench and turning the "aerial." My dad would open the den window and we'd holler back-n-forth "how's that"..."is that better?"..."turn it more"...in order to get the best reception on any given channel.

I also remember serving as my Dad's "remote control"...he'd say "Get up & change the channel!" and I'd have to stand there and turn the dial until he approved of the program...usually stockcar racing, prize fights, the nightly news, or such fare

[Ankerson]

TV is no different than music, literature, or art. Namely that 90% or more of what's produced in any year is total rubbish, most of the rest halfway decent, and a small percentage truly great. Memory, on the other hand, tends to be selective. We tend to remember the stuff we enjoyed.

Jim, the "good news" is that one of the greatest (and least advertised) benefits of digital broadcasting is that you can get better reception using an indoor or outdoor antenna than was ever possible in the analog age. You're limited to regular broadcast stations that way but, aside from the initial cost of installing the antenna, it's free.

Without Cable we get 5 channels in my area and that's it, that blew my mind when I 1st moved here, never had or needed cable before, it was 1995.

Back when I lived in Md we got like 40 channels without cable.

[Ankerson]

Jim, the "good news" is that one of the greatest (and least advertised) benefits of digital broadcasting is that you can get better reception using an indoor or outdoor antenna than was ever possible in the analog age. You're limited to regular broadcast stations that way but, aside from the initial cost of installing the antenna, it's free.

Yep...I remember part of the "good 'ole days" was going outside with the pipe wrench and turning the "aerial." My dad would open the den window and we'd holler back-n-forth "how's that"..."is that better?"..."turn it more"...in order to get the best reception on any given channel.

I also remember serving as my Dad's "remote control"...he'd say "Get up & change the channel!" and I'd have to stand there and turn the dial until he approved of the program...usually stockcar racing, prize fights, the nightly news, or such fare

All of that and the Foil we used to put on the rabbit ears. :D

Nothing like climbing on the roof to adjust the antenna, one thing I don't miss.

I miss The Saturday and Sunday night Movies and there was always a Disney Movie on every week on Sunday night.

Saturday Morning was Cartoon time, then it was outside for awhile and maybe back in for the 1 O'Clock Movie. :cool:

[bearfacedkiller]

My dad fell off of our roof and broke his foot trying to get a baseball game to come in better. He may have had one too many beers. :rolleyes:

[The Mastiff]

In 1979-80 I was in the sandhills area in Nebraska. There was no TV at all. Without a huge tripod antenna there was nothing to watch. On some summer nights the family I rented a room from would tune in a channel from Kearney maybe that gave them sound but no picture. Just snow. They went to bed by 8:00 PM and got up about 3:30 AM. I stopped back in the middle 80's and one bar had bought a dish and allowed some people to tap into the system but that was about it. I wonder what that town ever did. Probably got their own cable network going. I do know a lot of that area still doesn't have cell phone service.

The nearest city of note is about an hours drive away. I miss it some times.

[demoncase]

Ah, the wonder of rose-tinted spectacles when viewing the TV of the past.
We remember the real high spots, while the mediocre slides from our memories.

While I'm sure there are many fondly recalled 60s shows (I have an abiding love for The Prisoner and Star Trek, despite being born on the same day as the Jonestown Massacre ) there are equally many which, in the cold light of day in 2015, do not stand up to scrutiny....

While we might bash the present slew of cheap reality shows- was 60s TV not replete with terrible and shoddy gameshows between the series?

Likewise- would modern series with like Breaking Bad, Game Of Thrones, Battlestar Galactica (the masterpiece modern version) be able to deal with their subject matter in the same adult way back in the 1960s?...I think not, for a variety of reasons.

That's not saying there isn't a tonne of dross on TV now....But there always has been, and now there's 100x as many channels to fill. Which as Tveunto points out sagely is why Tivo/DVR is the solution- I can't recall the last time I actually watched 'live' TV, apart from when I'd rolled home from the pub and there was a Family Guy marathon on one of the cable channels.

[Ankerson]

While we might bash the present slew of cheap reality shows- was 60s TV not replete with terrible and shoddy gameshows between the series?

There are a few of them still on today, game shows that is.

One thing that I am really not fond of at all is the current political undertones in some of the shows these days, that is all I am going to say on that.

[Surfingringo]

I'm not much of a tv watcher anymore but I recognize that some of my longing for the good ole shows of yore is nothing more than nostalgia. I sometimes look up some of those old shows on the internet because I'm remembering how great they are, then when I find and watch one I realize how many of them aren't quite as great as I remember. hehe.

As far as what is currently on tv, I would agree that there is a massive amount of crap with the slew of reality shows leading the race to the bottom. There are a few great shows on too that are probably better than anything we had when I was a kid. I just discovered "Daredevil" on netflix and have only watched the first two episodes but this one looks pretty good so far.

[Ankerson]

Lance,

You mean like the old ones that their hats never came off and or their hair never gets messed up? LOL :D

The goody Two Shoes general over tones of some of the older shows. :)

What is funny to me is how these skinny Women wearing high heels that are supposed to be LEO's running down the bad guys and over powering them.

Now that is funny. ROFL :D