13 TV Sitcoms from the ’70s That Changed Us Forever
Revisit the best TV sitcoms of the ’70s and discover some fun facts along the way. YouTube links included.
By Rhonda B. July 2023
Watching TV sitcoms in the 70s was a different experience than it is today.
There were fewer channels available, so there was a smaller selection of shows to choose from. This meant that we were all more likely to watch the same shows, and it gave us common ground with people outside our homes.
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Whether we were watching after-school reruns on UHF or squished together on the couch with the whole family during prime-time shows, TV sitcoms were there for us.
At home, sitcoms often created a connecting point with our parents or siblings. At school, in the neighborhood, and in the workplace, they gave us common ground for conversations.
Thanks to sitcoms, a fly on the wall of our past would tell stories of people randomly blurting out phrases like “Up your nose with a rubber hose!” or “Dy-no-mite!”
That same fly would tell you how a handful of hilarious 30-minute sitcoms informed a young generation of some of the critical social issues of our time. And helped to plant the seeds of change that our generation would become known for.
Keep reading for some fun facts about the most popular TV sitcoms of the Baby Boomer generation.
13 TV Sitcoms That Made Us Laugh, Cry, and Converse
Can you remember where you were, who you were watching with, or what your favorite moments were from any of these shows?
#1 Bewitched 1964–1972
Bewitched 1964–1972: Samantha Stephens (Elizabeth Montgomery), a witch who marries Darrin Stephens (Dick York, 1964–69; Dick Sargent, 1969–72), an advertising executive, and Samantha’s mother, Endora (Agnes Moorehead)
Bewitched Fun Fact: Bewitched is responsible for the term “The Darrin Syndrome,” referring to when a character is recast with little to no explanation or warning. Dick York played Darrin from the start of Bewitched until 1969 when he was replaced by Dick Sargent.
#2 I Dream Of Jeannie 1965–1970
I Dream Of Jeannie was an American fantasy sitcom television series starring Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman as an astronaut with whom she falls in love and eventually marries.
I Dream of Jeannie Fun Fact: Jeannie’s bottle was actually an old Jim Beam liquor decanter that had been painted and decorated.
#3 The Odd Couple 1970–1975
The Odd Couple was Tony Randall (Felix Unger) and Jack Klugman (Oscar Madison), a mismatched pair of roommates navigating their hilarious and chaotic cohabitation.
Odd Couple Fun Fact: The part of Oscar’s (Jack Klugman) ex-wife Blanche was played by Brett Somers, Klugman’s own wife.
#4 The Mary Tyler Moore Show 1970–1977
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a sitcom about a 30-something single woman, Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore), who worked as an associate producer at a TV news station in Minneapolis.
Mary Tyler Moore Show Fun Fact: The initial concept for the show was of a 30-year-old woman (Mary Richards) who had recently gotten divorced.
But preview audiences were livid thinking Mary Richards had divorced Dick Van Dyke (Moore’s TV husband from a previous hit show). And that’s why the character of Mary Richards was a single woman, not a divorcee.
#5 All In The Family 1971–1979
All in the Family followed the lives of Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor), a bigoted and outspoken blue-collar worker, Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton), his sweet wife, their daughter Gloria Bunker Stivic (Sally Struthers), and her husband Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner).
All In The Family Fun Fact: The show was broadcast with the following warning:
“The program you are about to see is All In The Family. It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show — in a mature fashion — just how absurd they are.”
#6 MASH 1972–1983
MAS*H was a comedy-drama series about a group of medical personnel stationed at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) during the Korean War. It featured eight main characters, including Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce (Alan Alda), Trapper John McIntyre (Wayne Rogers), Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson), and Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan (Loretta Swift).
MASH Fun fact: Although its final episode aired 40 years ago, MASH still holds the record as the most-watched TV show of all time.
#7 Sanford and Son 1972–1977
Sanford and Son was a hit sitcom about Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) and his son Lamont (Demond Wilson), who ran a junkyard in Los Angeles.
Sanford and Son Fun Fact: Redd Foxx was a big fan of the 1930s vocal group The Ink Spots, and sang many of their songs on the show. NBC refused to buy the rights to the songs because they were too expensive, so Foxx paid for them himself.
#8 Happy Days 1974–1984
“Happy Days” was a popular sitcom (1974–1984) set in the 1950s. It followed the Cunningham family, led by Howard (Tom Bosley) and Marion (Marion Ross), and focused on their son Richie (Ron Howard) and his friends, including the iconic Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler).
Happy Days Fun Fact: Richie’s older brother, Chuck Cunningham, mysteriously disappeared after the first two seasons, never to be mentioned again. This led to the phrase “Chuck Cunningham Syndrome,” referring to TV characters who disappear without explanation.
#9 Good Times 1974–1979
“Good Times” portrayed a Black family living in a Chicago housing project. The main stars were Esther Rolle as Florida Evans, John Amos as James Evans, and Jimmie Walker as their son J.J.
Good Times Fun Fact: The painting that appeared in the closing credits, “The Sugar Shack” by Ernie Barnes, was also used as the album cover for Marvin Gaye’s 1976 album “I Want You.” It sold for $15.3 million at a New York Auction House in 1976.
#10 One Day at a Time 1975–1984
One Day at a Time” was a sitcom about a divorced mother, Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin), raising her two teenage daughters, Julie (Mackenzie Phillips) and Barbara (Valerie Bertinelli), with the help of their building’s superintendent, Schneider (Pat Harrington Jr.).
One Day at a Time: Did you know? Show creator Whitney Blake (Merideth Baxter’s mother) was a single mom of three children who, in her 20s, had to work several day jobs to make ends meet.
#11 The Jeffersons 1975–1985
The Jeffersons was a show about the hilarious adventures of George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) and his wife Louise (Isabel Sanford), a Black couple who moved from their modest Harlem neighborhood to a lavish high-rise apartment in Manhattan.
The Jeffersons: Did you know? Before Sherman Hemsley (George Jefferson) became a famous actor, he was an Air Force veteran and postman who went to acting school in the evenings.
#12 Welcome Back Kotter 1975–1979
Starring Gabe Kaplan as Gabe Kotter and (soon to become teen idol) John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino, “Welcome Back, Kotter” was about a former student-turned-teacher who returns to his high school to instruct a group of mischievous students known as the “Sweathogs.”
Welcome Back Kotter Fun Fact: Gabe Kaplan (Mr. Kotter) based the show on his own experiences as a student at New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn.
#13 Laverne & Shirley 1976–1983
Laverne & Shirley was about two friends and roommates, Laverne DeFazio (Penny Marshall) and Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams), who worked as bottle-cappers in a Milwaukee brewery in the late ‘50s.
Laverne & Shirley Fun Fact: After The Odd Couple ceased production, its apartment set was modified to become Laverne and Shirley’s apartment.
Fast Forward on TV Sitcoms
As we moved on from the 70s, the following decades gave us “A place where everybody knows your name,” a golden crew of ladies over the age of 50 that reminded us of the importance of friendship, and the chance to laugh ourselves to tears — every week — over a martian living on earth (R.I.P. Robin Williams).
Even though we have some great tv sitcoms today (for me it’s the Big Bang Theory and reruns of The Office), their impact isn’t as heavy as the shows from our generation.
Since there are so many shows to choose from today, it’s less likely that we watch the same ones as our neighbors and friends.
We can still capture the essence of those 70’s sitcoms, though, by finding ways to include humor, friendship, and shared downtime in our present-day lives.
Like in the sitcoms, life’s funniest moments aren’t planned.
Instead, they usually take place in ordinary settings, unplanned, and often surrounded by people who are with us by happenstance.
And that’s my favorite thing about TV sitcoms.
Sitcoms, or “situational comedies,” remind me that whether I’m taking out the garbage, getting a haircut, or grabbing a drink at the local coffee shop, anything I do at the same time in the same place on a regular basis creates bonds with the people sharing that space.
And that a good sense of humor and willingness to exercise patience and tolerance can end up creating bonds, and even friendships, where I never thought I’d find them.
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© 2023 Rhonda Bradley