A decade of disco music, crazy hairstyles, high-waisted jeans, peace and love, and some really dope TV shows. The 1970s mark the period when icons and divas were born. With the groundwork for a new sense of aesthetic and personal freedom laid in the swinging ‘60s, people experimented with their sound, look, and entire persona.
Even television started to shift. In the pre-cable and satellite days, people could only choose from a handful of options for their entertainment. What we got was a collection of fantastic shows, many of which continue to influence television today.
We had family sitcoms like Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley, as well as hit Saturday morning cartoons for kids back then like Scooby-Doo and Space Ghost: Coast to Coast. These shows were the bomb and became cultural phenomena all over the world. The ‘70s nostalgia makes them popular hits even now, after 50 years.
If you’re looking to relive your childhood or discover some old gems, we’ve got you covered with a list of the top ‘70s tv shows.
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#1 M*A*S*H
1972-1983 | 11 seasons
Starring Alan Alda, McLean Stevenson, and Wayne Rogers
M*A*S*H was a highly successful American war comedy-drama tv series about a team of doctors and other medical staff who served in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) during the Korean War. In season five, the actor who played Father Mulcahy contracted a near-fatal case of hepatitis. Producers wanted to write him off the show, but actor Alan Alda pushed to keep him on the series, knowing how dependent William Christopher was on needing steady work to help raise his autistic son.
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89points
#2 The Muppet Show
1976-1981 | 5 seasons
Starring Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, and Dave Goelz
The series is known for its characters, unique form of variety-sketch comedy, and opening theme song, The Muppet Show Theme, performed by The Muppets. As the theme song suggests, the show was famous for featuring a large cast of puppets called Muppets, created by puppet designer Jim Henson in 1955. Jim Henson wanted the show to go out during its peak in popularity and creativity, and it did. The last year of production featured the highest ratings in the history of the Muppets.
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76points
#3 Happy Days
1974-1984 | 11 seasons
Starring Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, and Tom Bosley
The story of Happy Days is, quite simply, a tale as old as time. It’s the classic story of a man and his motorcycle. During its run, the series spawned several merchandising tie-ins, including books, magazine articles, toys and games, jigsaw puzzles, greeting cards, and other items. Fonzie’s signature leather jackets became a trademark, and one of them has been placed on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
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64points
#4 Columbo
1968-2003 | 10 seasons
Starring Peter Falk, Mike Lally, and John Finnegan
Columbo stars Peter Falk as a homicide detective at the Los Angeles Police Department. The character and show popularized the inverted detective story format, which begins by depicting the events of the crime and its perpetrator. The plot, therefore, usually has no “whodunit” element but instead revolves around how a perpetrator known to the audience will finally be caught and exposed.
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64points
#5 The Carol Burnett Show
1967-1978 | 11 seasons
Starring Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, and Lyle Waggoner
This was one of the most influential TV shows of the ‘70s. Carol and her troupe were a comic force unlike any other and created a family-oriented comedy that would be copied for decades to come. The Carol Burnett Show launched the careers of many actors, including Vicki Lawrence, Harvey Korman, and Tim Conway, as well as featuring guests like Lucille Ball, Bette Davis, and Rock Hudson.
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62points
#6 The Scooby-Doo Show
1976-1978 | 3 seasons
Starring Casey Kasem, Frank Welker, and Don Messick
What would Saturday mornings be without Scooby-Doo? Follow Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and their talking Great Dane while they solve mysteries involving supposedly supernatural creatures through antics and missteps! The 1976–1978 stretch of Scooby-Doo episodes represent the longest-running format of the original show before the addition of Scrappy-Doo.
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61points
#7 The Rockford Files
1974-1980 | 6 seasons
Starring James Garner, Noah Beery, and Joe Santos
James Garner plays the offbeat Jim Rockford, an ex-convict turned private investigator who prefers to use his wits rather than his fists. Rockford is an intelligent guy with an incredible instinct, able to deal even with the most challenging cases. Despite being a very observant and astute investigator, he often fails to correctly remember the license plates of suspects he has just questioned. This became a frequent gag throughout the show.
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60points
#8 WKRP In Cincinnati
1978-1982 | 4 seasons
Starring Gary Sandy, Gordon Jump, and Loni Anderson
At the center of WKRP in Cincinnati is the dysfunctional staff of a struggling radio station in Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at WQXI radio station in Atlanta. The whole show was videotaped instead of filmed because the rights to use rock songs were a lot cheaper for a taped show.
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55points
#9 Mork & Mindy
1978-1982 | 4 seasons
Starring Robin Williams, Pam Dawber, and Jonathan Winters
A spin-off of Happy Days, produced after a highly successful episode of the series. Mork’s character appeared in Happy Days’ season five to capitalize on the popularity of the recently released Star Wars movie. The episode became so famous that the producers decided to make a spin-off series, with a then-unknown Robin Williams reprising his role with Pam Dawber. The show marked Robin Williams’ first major role.
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54points
#10 All In The Family
1971-1979 | 9 seasons
Starring Carroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton, and Rob Reiner
The main character of All In The Family, Archie Bunker, is a bigoted older man who butts heads with his wife and children over several important social issues. While the show was considered controversial for its time, it went on to be critically acclaimed and has even been called one of the greatest television shows in history. Actor Carroll O’Connor once revealed his personal views were actually very liberal and the polar opposite to his character Archie.
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52points
#11 Sanford And Son
1972-1977 | 6 seasons
Starring Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson, and Whitman Mayo
Sanford And Son follows the lives of a bad-tempered junk dealer and his frustrated son, Lamont. Set in Los Angeles’ Watts neighborhood, the show was often a commentary on current events, like the Watts riots, the Vietnam War, and the fight for civil rights. The show’s theme song, The Streetbeater, was composed by Quincy Jones and has become one of the most recognizable television themes ever written.
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52points
#12 Taxi
1978-1983 | 5 seasons
Starring Judd Hirsch, Jeff Conaway, and Danny DeVito
Taxi revolves around the trials and tribulations faced by a group of cab drivers who are always looking for ways to better their lives. This is one of those ‘70s sitcoms that really stand out: the show has a lot of recognizable faces and stars such as Andy Kaufman, Danny DeVito, Tony Danza, and Judd Hirsch. The show won 13 Emmy Awards and has been continuously rerun since its end.
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47points
#13 Three's Company
1977-1984 | 8 seasons
Starring John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt, and Suzanne Somers
Three’s Company features three mismatched roommates who have to constantly cover up their wacky behavior in front of their landlord, who is fooled by their fake stories. The storyline was considered a risky venture at the time because of the sexual themes involved, though they were never openly explored in any real depth. The show became one of the biggest successes of American television in the 1970s and 1980s and launched the careers of John Ritter and Suzanne Somers.
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47points
#14 The Mary Tyler Moore Show
1970-1977 | 7 seasons
Starring Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Asner, and Gavin MacLeod
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was one of the first American sitcoms to feature an independent, unmarried career woman as the central character. The show was groundbreaking in its portrayal of women in the workplace and spoke to a new generation of young women entering the workforce at that time. For the show, producers wanted to cast someone “like Betty White” for the role of Sue Ann Nivens. In the end, they cast the real Betty White for it.
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45points
#15 Laverne & Shirley
1976-1983 | 8 seasons
Starring Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams, and Eddie Mekka
The Happy Days spin-off, starring Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams as the titular roommates, lasted for eight seasons and was one of the most popular TV shows from the ‘70s. Laverne and Shirley are friends who share a tiny apartment in Milwaukee. Laverne is the hard-working tomboy with a heart of gold, while Shirley is the more sensitive but ditzy romantic of the pair. When The Odd Couple (1970) ended its run, the set was repurposed to become the apartment for Laverne & Shirley.
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45points
#16 The Brady Bunch
1969-1974 | 5 seasons
Starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis
Considered one of the last old-style family sitcoms, the series aired for five seasons and became one of the most popular ‘70s shows during its syndication. The series revolves around a large blended family with six kids. Robert Reed and Florence Henderson would often rehearse kissing and hugging scenes off-camera to look more natural during filming. Reed, being a closeted gay man, felt uneasy acting romantically with her, so rehearsing helped them a lot. The entire cast knew about his homosexuality and decided to keep it a secret, until he passed away in 1992.
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44points
#17 The Six Million Dollar Man
1973-1978 | 5 seasons
Starring Lee Majors, Richard Anderson, and Martin E. Brooks
Many old TV shows are incredible, but get ready for a real gem. The Six Million Dollar Man tells the story of a severely injured plane pilot who has been rebuilt with bionic limbs and implants by the government and now serves as a secret agent. The early episodes of the series had Austin killing criminals, but as it became clear that he was becoming a role model for kids, the level of violence decreased so that the character rarely (if ever) killed someone.
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42points
#19 The Odd Couple
1970-1975 | 5 seasons
Starring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman
The story centers around two divorced men sharing an apartment in New York City: Oscar is a slob, and Felix is a neat freak. Hilarity ensues whenever these polar opposites interact with each other or with their friends and neighbors. On the surface, the show is about two mismatched roommates. However, underneath their squabbles about household chores and other mundane matters lies a strong bond of friendship and caring for each other.
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41points
