1970s TV Sitcoms: Your Guide to 106 Shows of the Decade | First For Women

When it comes to 1970s TV sitcoms, television has probably not gone through so abrupt a change in its creative approach as it did during that period. Looking back to the 1950s to the 1960s, you can see the gradual evolution from family comedies like Leave It to Beaver or The Donna Reed Show to lighter fantasy fare like Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie to so-called rural comedies such as The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction or the silliness of Get Smart and F Troop.

But in the early 1970s — led by CBS, soon to be followed by the other networks — there was a desire for something edgier that would appeal to younger audiences rather than what was perceived to be middle America. The result was the so-called "rural page" that saw the demise — despite continuing popularity — of shows like Mayberry RFD, Green Acres, the aforementioned The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction, The Red Skelton Show, The Jackie Gleason Show and The Ed Sullivan Show.

It was a shocking move at the time, but the changing landscape of 1970s TV sitcoms brought viewers series like All in the Family, M*A*S*H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show (all which were aired with The Carol Burnett Show on Saturday nights, making it the best night of TV ever). As you'll see from the extensive guide that follows, they charted the way for a wide number of shows that would fill out the decade and, to be sure, there were still plenty of shows simply going for the laughs and others that attempted to do so, but ... well, in this case there were no gold stars for trying.

MUST READ: 1950s TV Sitcoms — 40 Classic (and Not So Classic) Shows, and Where to Stream Them!

1-5. Andy Griffith, Danny Thomas and Jimmy Stewart Give A Total of Five Sitcoms a Shot

Three TV legends and one movie star from previous decades attempted to make television comebacks in at a time when the medium was in the midst of going through a major transformation. Andy Griffith, who had given up The Andy Griffith Show in 1968, from 1970 to 1971 starred in Headmaster, which saw him in that role at a California private school. The series follows his interactions with his family, faculty and students. From there he went into The New Andy Griffith Show, as Andy Sawyer, mayor of a southern town, but, unfortunately, he couldn't go home again.

Danny Thomas came in first with 1970 to 1971's Make Room for Grandaddy (sequel series to his hit Make Room for Daddy), which saw him reprising his role of entertainer Danny Williams, joined by original cast members. Unfortunately, it didn't work in the same way. He didn't fare much better with 1976 to 1977's The Practice, playing an old-school physician alongside his doctor son (played by David Spielberg).

The only weekly television series that Jame Stewart — who for the first time allowed himself to be referred to as “Jimmy” in the credits — ever starred in was 1971 to 1972's The Jimmy Stewart Show. He plays Professor James K. Howard, who works at a small-town college and the show looks at his chaotic life professionally and personally.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: None are currently available.

6-7. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970 to 1977)/The Mary Tyler Moore Hour (1979)

The first of many classic 1970s TV sitcoms that the decades gave us. Mary, who we last saw as Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, is back as Mary Richards, associate producer at WJM News. Besides representing the next step forward in women’s roles on television, Mary led one of the great ensembles of all time. Lou Grant may hate it, but we’ll say it anyway: she’s got spunk and we love it. Pictured top from left: Ted Knight, Gavin MacLeod, Ed Asner; bottom: Betty White, Georgia Engel, Mary Tyler Moore.

In 1979, Mary gave TV another shot with The Mary Tyler Moore Hour, a show within a show concept that sees her playing variety show star Mary McKinnon. Episodes follow her attempts to get each episode mounted, and then bringing the audience into the episodes themselves. Didn’t work out too well for her, but the following year she would give an intense and stunning performance in Robert Redford’s Ordinary People.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Mary Tyler Moore Show, Hulu; The Mary Tyler Moore Hour not currently available

MUST READ:

The Mary Tyler Moore Show Cast: Surprising Facts About the Beloved '70s Comedy's Star

The Dick Van Dyke Show — Inside Secrets on the Series and Cast

8. Nanny and the Professor (1970 to 1971)

Consider this one Bewitched-lite in that there is definitely the suggestion of something magical about Juliet Mill’s Phoebe Figalilly (who prefers to be called “Nanny”), as she reveals to Professor Harold Everett (Richard Long) and his three kids, whom she’s agreed to help take care of. Mix a bit of Samantha Stephens with Mary Poppins and you’ve got Nanny.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Plex

MUST READ: Nanny and the Professor — Revisit the Magical Sitcom of the 1970s

9-10. The Odd Couple (1970 to 1975)/ Barefoot in the Park (1970)

The most enduring creation of playwright Neil Simon focuses on mix-matched roommates Oscar Madison and Felix Unger and the battle between the slob and the neatnik. The 1965 play starred Walter Matthau and Art Carney as Oscar and Felix with Jack Lemmon replacing Carney in the 1968 film. But it’s Jack Klugman and Tony Randall in this series that remains the greatest combination of them all. Some of the finest work by series creators Garry Marshall and Jerry Belson.

Also created by Simon was 1970's Barefoot in the Park, based on the play and 1967 movie starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. This version was somewhat historic in that it was the first sitcom since Amos 'n' Andy since the 1950s to feature a largely black cast. It stars Scoey Mitchell as Paul Bratter, an attorney; and Tracy Reed as his wife Corie.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: The Odd Couple, Paramount+, Apple TV+; Barefoot in the Park, not currently available

MUST READ: Elinor Donahue Dishes on Father Knows Best, Andy Griffith and The Odd Couple (EXCLUSIVE)

11. The Partridge Family (1970 to 1974)

People may forget how popular this show about a family of musicians really was and how this so-called “prefab” band scored on the charts in the same way The Monkees had a few years earlier. The series also turned David Cassidy into a teen heartthrob.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Tubi, The Roku Channel, Antenna TV

MUST READ: Partridge Family Star Shirley Jones — 21 Photos of Her Life, Loves & 70-Year Career

12. The Tim Conway Show / The Tim Conway Comedy Hour (1970)

In 1970, Tim Conway had two opportunities to lead his own show. The first was a half-hour sitcom reuniting him with his McHale’s Navy co-star Joe Flynn as a pair of guys running a single plane charter airline. The second was a more of a comedy sketch show.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Fubo, The Roku Channel, Tubi, Crackle, Pluto TV, Shout TV, Plex

MUST READ: The Carol Burnett Show Cast Then and Now — A Celebration of Laughter and Talent

13. All in the Family (1971 to 1979)

Groundbreaking and revolutionary, this series created by Norman Lear broke pretty much every taboo television had avoided since its inception (even something as seemingly innocuous as featuring the sound of a flushing toilet). It absolutely raised the bar of what the medium could be — and inspired no less than six spinoffs.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: freevee, Pluto TV, MeTV

MUST READ: All in the Family Cast — A Look Back at the Bunkers and How They Changed Television

14. Getting Together (1971 to 1972)

Singer Bobby Sherman is melodist/singer Bobby Conway and Wes Stern is lyricist Lionel Poindexter, and together they try to make a living in Los Angeles in this short-lived show of 1970s TV sitcoms.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

15. The Good Life (1971 to 1972)

Between I Dream of Jeannie and Dallas, Larry Hagman starred with Donna Mills in this sitcom, playing a married couple who pose as servants for rich industrialist Charles Dutton (David Wayne). They’re not very good at their job but somehow manage to remain employed for the short duration of the series.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

16. The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971 to 1974)

Dick Van Dyke plays Phoenix, Arizona talk show host Dick Preston in a series that was created by The Dick Van Dyke Show‘s Carl Reiner. It last three seasons, but still didn't make a huge impression.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

MUST READ:

Dick Van Dyke Talks '98 Years of Magic' Special and Reflects on His Career

The Dick Van Dyke Show — Inside Secrets of the Series and Cast

17. The Partners (1971 to 1972)

Would you believe that Get Smart star Don Adams returned to series television and entered 1970s TV sitcoms race with this show, which saw him and Rupert Crosse as bumbling — would we expect anything else? — detectives.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

18. The Bob Newhart Show (1972 to 1978)

The hallmark understated style of Bob Newhart gets to shine as Bob plays psychiatrist Dr. Robert “Bob” Hartley, who is surrounded by a variety of “eccentric” patients. Suzanne Pleshette is his wife, Emily. Just another brilliant show of the time!

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

MUST-READ: 11 Surprising Behind-the-Scenes Facts About The Bob Newhart Show

19. The Brian Keith Show (1972 to 1974)

The former Family Affair star is now a pediatrician working in Hawaii. The strength of the show is his interactions with kids, a hallmark of Family Affair as well.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

20. Bridget Loves Bernie (1972 to 1973)

While this look at the mixed marriage of Catholic Bridget Fitzgerald and Jewish cab driver Bernie Steinberg was a hit as far as the audience was concerned, the subject matter was considered controversial. Hey, one nice thing that came out of it is that Meredith and David Birney married in 1974 and were together until 1989.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

21. The Don Rickles Show (1972)

Don Rickles is advertising executive Don Robinson, who feels pretty much put upon at work and at home. Louise Sorel played his wife, Barbara, while Erin Moran — soon to be Joanie Cunningham on Happy Days — was his daughter, Janie.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

22. Maude (1972 to 1978)

This All in the Family spinoff sees Bea Arthur reprising her role of Maude Findley, the epitome of the Women’s Lib movement. It tackled a wide variety of subjects that had never been dealt with before. Also starring Bill Macy as her husband, Walter; and Adrienne Barbeau as daughter Carol Trayner. The connection between the shows was that the character of Maude was a cousin of Jean Stapleton’s Edith Bunker.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Pluto TV, Antenna TV

MUST READ: Maude Cast: A Look Back at the Stars from the Hit 70s Sitcom

23. M*A*S*H* (1972 to 1983)

Like The Odd Couple, this was a TV series that surpassed the source material — the 1970 film of the same name that followed the doctors and nurses of a MASH medical unit during the Korean War. Members of the cast would rotate out, but each time the show would only get better as the horrors of war were presented with dark humor. How could you beat people like Alan Alda, Loretta Swit, Mike Farrell, Harry Morgan and the rest?

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Hulu, MeTV

MUST READ:

M*A*S*H Cast — See the Stars Then and Now

Harry Morgan and His Classic TV Career, from Dragnet to M*A*S*H and Beyond

24. Me and the Chimp (1972)

This was a long way from Marlo Thomas and That Girl: Ted Bessell was back, but she wasn’t. This time he plays dentist Mike Reynolds whose family life is turned upside down by Buttons, a chimpanzee who was once part of the space program. Lasting only 13 episodes, it was created by Garry Marshall and Thomas L. Miller.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

MUST READ: That Girl Cast — A Look Back at the Groundbreaking '60s Sitcom

25. The Paul Lynde Show (1972 to 1973)

Paul Lynde had been connecting with audiences so well through various guest spots — especially as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched — that ABC wanted to give him a show of his own. While the humor of this family sitcom actually still works today, at the time the audience didn’t go for it. Maybe they didn’t believe in Lynde as a family man or — as the more popular theory goes — he was much stronger in small doses than in a show from start to finish. All we know is that we were and remain fans!

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

MUST READ: 12 Spookily Fun Unknown Facts About the Original Bewitched

26. Sanford and Son (1972 to 1977) / Sanford Arms (1977)

Developed by Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin, this show excelled in edgy racial humor, in many ways serving as a flipside to All in the Family. Fred and Lamont Sanford run a junkyard, but this show was anything but, landing in the Top 10 for five out of its six seasons.

In the 1977 spinoff Sanford Arms, Teddy Wilson plays widower Phil Wheeler, who buys the Sanford Arms rooming house in a spinoff to Sanford and Son that was pretty much a disaster.

WHERE TO WATCH/STREAM: Peacock Premium

MUST READ: Sanford and Son — 10 Surprising Secrets About Life in the Comic Junkyard

27. Temperature’s Rising (1972 to 1974)

When this hospital sitcom failed in the ratings, the decision was made to add Paul Lynde to the mix and rebrand the show from Temperature’s Rising to The New Temperature’s Rising. Despite co-stars like Cleavon Little (who would star in 1973’s Blazing Saddles), the attempt didn’t work.

WHERE TO WATCH/STREAM: Not currently available

28. Wait Till Your Father Gets Home (1972 to 1974)

Tom Bosley (Howard Cunningham from Happy Days) voices Harry Boyle, a conservative who goes up against the rest of his family over the issues society was dealing with in the early 1970s. One of his kids was voiced by Willie Aames, who would go on to Eight is Enough and Charles in Charge.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Available for purchase on Amazin, Apple TV+ and Google Play

29-32. Short-Lived Sitcoms Based on Movies

The 1970s may have given us movie-to-TV successes in the form of The Odd Couple and M*A*S*H, but there were four others that simply didn't connect (five if you count the aforementioned Barefoot in the Park). It began with 1973's Adam's Rib, based on the 1949 with Ken Howard as assistant DA Adam Bonner, while his wife, Amanda (Blythe Danner) is a junior partner at a law firm. Needless to say, they end up in conflict with each other in court and back at home.

WHERE TO WATCH/STREAM: Not currently available

The same year gave us Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, a watered-down version of the R-rated 1969 film of the same name, which fully embraced the sexual revolution. Being this was an American TV show in 1973, it didn’t stand a chance. The cast did include Robert Urich and Anne Archer.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: fubo

Based on the 1959 film of the same name, in 1977 to 1978's Operation Petticoat there are hijinks on the high seas when a U.S. submarine has to take on a group of female nurses. Their influence is profound, particularly noticeable when the sub is suddenly painted pink. The cast includes Jamie Lee Curtis and John Astin.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

Next up, from 1979 to 1980, was the TV version of The Bad News Bears, based on the successful film series. Swimming pool cleaner Morris Buttermaker (Jack Warden), to avoid jail time, agrees to coach the Bears Little League baseball team. They’re called the Bad News Bears for a reason.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

33. Calucci’s Department (1973)

James Coco is Joe Calucci, supervisor in the New York State Unemployment Department, and the show chronicles his interaction with coworkers and the public.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

34. Diana (1973)

The late Diana Rigg — best known for playing Emma Peel in The Avengers TV show, James Bond’s short-lived wife in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and, of course, on Game of Thrones — starred on this American sitcom as Diana Smythe, a woman who, following a divorce, decides to move from London to New York to work as a fashion coordinator at a Fifth Avenue department store.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

35. The Girl with Something Extra (1973 to 1974)

Newlyweds Sally and John Burton (Sally Field and John Davidson) are beginning their lives together when Sally develops ESP and suddenly finds herself able to read minds. Needless to say, wackiness ensues. We know Sally hated starring in The Flying Nun, though we’re not sure what her feeling was about this one.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

MUST READ: 14 Must-See Photos of Young Sally Field That Prove She Was Born to Be a Star

36. Lotsa Luck (1973 to 1974)

Dom Deluise is a bachelor Stanley Belmont, who struggles with the fact that he’s living with his mother, sister, and his unemployed brother-in-law. The show was co-created by Carl Reiner. The show's lack of longevity at least paved the way for Deluise to enjoy some big screen fun with Burt Reynolds throughout the 1970s.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

37. Needles and Pins (1973)

He ain’t Mr. Roper in this one, but Norman Fell certainly looks like him, doesn’t he? And he has the same ‘tude. Needles and Pins is set in the fashion district of New York City, with Norman playing clothing manufacturer Nathan Davidson.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

38. Chico and the Man (1974 to 1978)

The perfect pairing with Sanford and Son back in the 1970s. Freddie Prinze is Chico Rodriguez, who seeks out a job with cantankerous garage shop owner Jack Albertson (just a couple of years since playing that mooch Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory). Sadly, Freddie would commit suicide in the middle of the show’s run. They tried to carry on without him, but it didn’t work.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Tubi

39. Good Times (1974 to 1979)

The Norman Lear spinoff machine continues, with this one coming out of Maude and featuring Esther Rolle’s Florida Evans, who had been a maid for the Findleys, and her family in the Chicago housing projects. Also starring Ralph Carter, Bernadette Stanis, Ja’net DuBois, John Amos and Jimmie Walker, whose catchphrase “Dyn-o-mite!” entered the popular vernacular for a time.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Peacock Premium, freefee

MUST READ: Good Times Cast Then and Now — Catch Up with the Evans Family

40. Happy Days (1974 to 1984)

It’s Richie, the Fonz, Potsie, Ralph, and, of course, the Cunningham family. The Fonz became a true phenomenon in this light-hearted show about life in the 1950s that played throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Prime Video, Paramount+, Pluto TV

MUST READ: See the Happy Days Cast Then and Now — And Find Out What They're Doing Today!

41. Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers (1974 to 1975)

Paul Sand is Boston symphony violinist Robert Dreyfuss, who is constantly falling in love without much success. He comes to the decision that he would be better off hanging out with his brother and sister-in-law (Michael Pataki and Penny Marshall, who was this close to starring in Laverne & Shirley).

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

42-43. Rhoda (1974 to 1978) / Phyllis (1975 to 1977)

The success of The Mary Tyler Moore Show resulted in a pair of popular spinoffs, first in the form of Rhoda, starring Valerie Harper as Mary's best friend, Rhoda Morgenstern. The show is brilliant in its own right, just so long as she doesn't marry her boyfriend, Joe ... Wait, she does? Bye, Rhoda. Then there was Phyllis, starring Cloris Leachman as Phyllis Lindstrom, Mary's former landlady and friend who has moved back to her hometown of San Francisco.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Neither currently available

44. That’s My Mama (1974 to 1975)

Describes IMDB: “Clifton likes being a barber in Washington, D.C., where he works in the business started by his father. He also enjoys being single, but his widowed mama Eloise has other ideas and wants him settled like his sister Tracy and her conservative husband Leonard. In the photo are Clifton Davis, Theresa Merritt and a pre-Love Boat Ted Lange, whose character was a mailman. He liked to enter the scene saying, “I got it …. I got it … and I gotta report it!”

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Tubi

45. Barney Miller (1975 to 1982)

A great ensemble of actors brings the cops of New York’s 12th Precinct to comic and dramatic life. A great approach with an amazing cast, including Hal Linden as Captain Barney Miller.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Tubi, Antenna TV

MUST READ: Actor Hal Linden Shares 10 Barney Miller Behind-the-Scenes Secrets

46. The Bob Crane Show (1975)

Hogan’s Heroes star Bob Crane is former insurance salesman Bob Wilcox, who has come to the mid-life decision to attend medical school and needs the support of his family with the curriculum (not to mention complications coming from the fact he’s one of the older students there).

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

MUST READ: Here's What Really Happened to the Hilarious Hogan's Heroes Cast

47. Doc (1975)

In a nutshell, there’s plenty of gentle humor coming from Barnard Hughes as an old-fashioned family doctor named Joe Bogart.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

48. Fay (1975 to 1976)

Lee Grant’s Fay Stewart begins navigating a new job and dating again in her 40s following years of marriage. Created by Susan Harris, who would go on to create Loves Me, Loves Me Not; Soap, Benson, I’m a Big Girl Now, It Takes Two, Hail to the Chief, The Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Good & Evil, Nurses, The Golden Palace and The Secret Lives of Men. That’s some track record.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

49. Hot l Baltimore (1975)

Created by playwright Lanford Wilson, for its time it was considered pretty racy as it followed the carrying on of guests in the old hotel, whose “E” burned out but was never replaced. In tried to treat the characters seriously — with comedy, of course — but it didn't connect with viewers.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

50. The Jeffersons (1975 to 1985)

Another spinoff from All in the Family, with the Bunkers’ next-door neighbors George and Louise Jefferson movin’ on up (to the Eastside). Starring Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford, this one was a huge success in its own right.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Antenna TV

MUST READ: The Jeffersons Cast: A Look Back at the Hilarious Sitcom and the Stars Who Brought It to Life

51. Karen (1975)

Fresh off her Emmy-winning performance on Room 222, Karen Valentine stars in this sitcom as Karen Angelo, who lives in the nation’s capital and works for Open America, an advocate group for the average citizen.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

52. One Day at a Time (1975 to 1984)

Norman Lear’s winning streak continues in this comedy about single mother Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin) and teenage daughters Julie (Mackenzie Phillps) and Barbara (Valerie Bertinelli) Cooper. Sillier humor is provided by building super Dwayne F. Schneider (Pat Harrington). It ran until 1984 and was rebooted with a new cast in 2017.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Available for purchase at Apple TV+, Google Play, Amazon

MUST READ: One Day at a Time 1975 Cast: Where Are They Now?

53. On the Rocks (1975 to 1976)

Alamesa minimum-security prison has four inmates in a friendly rivalry with their guards and warden — definitely the lighter side of prison life.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

54. Welcome Back, Kotter (1975 to 1979)

Gabe Kotter returns to his high school to teach the unruly students known as The Sweathogs as portrayed by John Travolta (in a role that put him on the map), Robert Hegyes, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and Ron Palillo. Mr. Kotter is played by Gabe Kaplan.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Rewind TV

MUST READ:

Welcome Back, Kotter — 10 Fun and Revealing Secrets About the '70s Classroom Sitcom

John Travolta Young — Must-See Photos of the Superstar Through the Years

55. We’ll Get By (1975)

George Platt (Paul Sorvino) is a lawyer who lives with his family in a middle-class neighborhood in a New Jersey suburb. The Platt’s, George and Liz (Mitzi Hoag), have three teenagers, Muff (Jerry Houser), Kenny (Willie Aames), and Andrea (Devon Scott). That’s your set up. Sorvino, of course, would really rise to fame with Law & Order and Goodfellas.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Available for purchase at Apple TV+

56. When Things Were Rotten (1975)

Coming off of the one-two punch of Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks decided to spoof the Robin Hood legend. The cast includes Dick Gautier, Dick Van Patten, Bernie Kopell, Richard Dimitri, Misty Rowe and David Sabin.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

MUST READ: Mel Brooks Movies and Shows — 27 Surprising Behind-the-Scenes Facts

57. Alice (1976 to 1985)

The 1974 feature film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore spawned this sitcom in which Linda Lavin plays aspiring singer Alice Hyatt who has hit the road with her son, but ends up staying in Arizona and working at the local diner. Also starring Vic Tayback, Beth Howland, Philip McKeon and Polly Holiday.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Available for purchase at Apple TV+, Antenna TV

MUST READ: Alice Cast — Where Are They Now?

58. Ball Four (1976)

From IMDB: “In the first episode pitcher Jim Bouton informed his teammates and coaches that he was going to write a series of articles on baseball life ‘off the field.’ Manager Capogrosso and most of the others were not very keen on the idea. Ball Four was based on a book of the same title by former major league pitcher Jim Bouton.”

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

59. The Brady Bunch Hour (1976 to 1977)

The concept of this one is so bizarre. Most of the original cast of The Brady Bunch are back, hosting a variety show, but they’re doing so in character. For instance, Mike Brady has sold his architectural company so he can run the variety show. Episodes can be found on YouTube and are worth checking out for the trippiness factor alone.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

MUST READ: 12 Brady Bunch Behind-the-Scenes Facts You Probably Never Knew

60. C.P.O. Sharkey (1976 to 1978)

Comic exploits of an acid-tongued chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy, played by the acid-tongued comedian Don Rickles (who modern audiences probably know from voicing Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story film series).

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: fubo

61. The Dumplings (1976)

Norman Lear co-created this sitcom starring James Coco and Geraldine Brooks as heavy-set couple Joe and Angela Dumpling, who runs a deli. There’s not a lot more to it than that, but it does kind of sound light a forerunner of Chuck Lorre's Mike & Molly.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

62. Holmes & Yo-Yo (1976)

Richard B. Shull is Detective Alexander Holmes who has been partnered with the first robot police officer, John Schuck’s Gregory “Yoyo” Voyonovich.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

63. Laverne and Shirley (1976 to 1983)

The classic spinoff from Happy Days featuring Penny Marshall as Laverne DeFazio and Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney, who work their job at the brewery and live life in the late 1950s/early 1960s. Co-stars are Phil Foster, Michael McKean, David L. Lander, Eddie Mekka and Betty Garrett.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Pluto TV, Prime Video

Must Read: Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Revisit the Laverne and Shirley Cast

64-66. McLean Stevenson Tries Three Sitcoms

McLean Stevenson left MASH for what he thought would be greater opportunities. Did he achieve that goal? You be the judge, but there are three samples of different shows in the 1970s. In The McLean Stevenson Show, Mac and Peggy Ferguson face the opposite of an empty nest when their two grown children plus two grandchildren move in. Then, in 1978's In the Beginning, he's by-the-book priest Father Daniel M. Cleary, who has to deal with liberal nun Sister Agnes; while in 1979 to 1980's Hello Larry he's 44-year-old divorcee Larry Alder, raising his two teenage daughters and hosting a call-in psychology radio show.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: None are currently available

67. Mr. T and Tina (1976)

Taro (Pat Morita, coming off of playing Arnold on Happy Days and this character in an episode of Welcome Back, Kotter), a single father, relocates for business reasons from Japan to Chicago. Conservative Taro wants a traditional nanny for his children Aki (Gene Profanato) and Sachi (June Angela), but he gets Nebraska born Tina Susan Blanchard), who challenges his orthodox ways.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

68. The Nancy Walker Show (1976)

Nancy runs her own talent agency, which keeps her busy while husband Ken (William Daniels) was on Naval duty. Since his retirement, things have changed — not as easy to run things when your husband is around all the time. Nearby is daughter Lorraine (Beverly Archer) and husband Glen (James Cromwell), plus gay housemate Terry (Terry Folson). It all sounds complicated.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

69. Sirota’s Court (1976 to 1977)

Night shift Judge Matthew Sirota (Michael Constantine, who had previously starred in Room 222) tries to keep his urban courtroom running with a combination of humor and a dose of common sense. There’s also a casual romance with his clerk, Maureen (Cynthia Harris), plus he is constantly coming between battles of idealistic defender Gail Goodman (Kathleen Miller) and zealous prosecutor Bud Nugent (Fred Willard).

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

70. Tabitha (1976 to 1978)

A spinoff from classic TV witch-com Bewitched, with Lisa Hartman as a grown-up Tabitha Stephens. Also starring Robert Urich, Mel Stewart, and David Ankrum.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

71. The Tony Randall Show (1976 to 1978)

A year after The Odd Couple finished its run, Tony Randall found himself playing fastidious Philadelphia Judge Walter Franklin, who has a housekeeper who’s perpetually unhappy, a sloppy court clerk (guess Jack Klugman was tied up on Quincy, M.D.), an icy secretary, and an obnoxiously ingratiating Assistant District Attorney. A much funnier show than it was given credit for at the time coming from MTM (Mary Tyler Moore productions).

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

MUST READ: Tony Randall — Much More Than One Half of The Odd Couple

72. What’s Happening (1976 to 1979)

A trio of youths — played by Ernest Thomas, Heyworld Nelson, and Fred Berry — learn about life, love, friendship, credit cards, gambling, and a variety of other things while growing up in an urban environment.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

73. The Betty White Show (1977 to 1978)

This one was not a spinoff from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, even though both Betty and Georgia Engel were both recurring characters on it. The show focuses on the exploits of hack TV actress Joyce Whitman (Betty), star of the fictitious Undercover Woman series. John Hillerman also stars.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

MUST READ: 29 Photos of Betty White Over the Years in Honor of Her 99th Birthday

74. Busting Loose (1977)

Offers IMDB, “Following his graduation from engineering school, 24-year-old slacker Lenny Markowitz (Adam Arkin) moves into his own rundown apartment (his first time away from home), and next door to a gorgeous older redhead (Melody, played by Barbara Rhoades). Ignoring his engineering background, he goes to work at a shoe store owned by Cabell (Paul B. Price) and staffed by jive-talking Raymond (Ralph Wilcox). He also finds time to play poker and get into trouble with his childhood pals.”

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

75. Carter Country (1977 to 1979)

Culturally different police officers overcome their differences for the common good. It actually feels like a lighter version of In the Heat of the Night. Starring Harvey Vernon, Guich Koock, Victor French, Richard Paul, Barbara Cason, Vernee Watson-Johnson, and Kene Holliday.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

76. Fish (1977 to 1978)

An unexpected spinoff from Barney Miller with Abe Vigoda as Detective Phil Fish and Florence Stanley reprising her role as his wife, Bernice. The two of them take in five foster kids, which is funny from the start when you think about Fish’s personality. Him and five kids? We thinks not!

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: fubo

77. Loves Me, Loves Me Not (1977)

Having recently finished her time as part of The Partridge Family and before she was one of the leads on L.A. Law, Susan Dey is now teacher Jane Benson, who starts dating reporter Dick Phillips (Kip Gilman) with neither one sure how they feel about each other. Things start off somewhat chaotically, but they decide to keep giving it a try to see if anything develops.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

MUST READ: Susan Dey: Find Out What The Partridge Family and L.A. Law Star is Doing today

78. Quark (1977 to 1978)

Life on a space garbage collector with its captain (Richard Benjamin) and his crew. Also starring Tim Thomerson, Conrad Janis (soon to join Mork & Mindy), Patricia Barnstable and Richard Kelton. Bottom left: Tim Thomerson, center: Richard Benjamin, top right: Conrad Janis, Cyb/Patricia Barnstable (in gold lame), bottom right: Richard Kelton. It had its following, but not much of one — the show only lasted eight episodes.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

79. On Our Own (1977)

Two secretaries (Bess Armstrong and Lynnie Greene) in a high-powered New York advertising agency are promoted and begin their new careers with enthusiasm — sometimes with too much enthusiasm accompanied by ensuing chaos.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

80. The San Pedro Beach Bums (1977)

Five friends since high school decide to share a houseboat in beautiful southern California. Adds IMDb, "Charming Buddy (Christopher Murney) is their leader, Boychick (Chris DeRose) the ladies man; Stuf (Stuart Pankin) believes big is beautiful, Dancer (John Mark Robinson) is a fidgety type and kind Moose (Darryl McCullough) lifts weights."

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

81. Soap (1977 to 1981)

A satire on daytime soap opeera, the series revolves around a rich family, the Tates, and a blue-collar family, the Campbells. With stories mostly centered around crazy characters and sex, the escapades are as soapy as you can get: divorce, homosexuality, adultery, kidnapping, organized crime, war flashbacks, custody battles, murder and amnesia. Hey, there's young Billy Crystal!

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Antenna TV

82. Three’s Company (1977 to 1984)

Hey, it’s the place where the kisses are hers and hers and his: Suzanne Somers, Joyce DeWitt, and John Ritter in the ’70s classic that has been credited along with Charlie’s Angels as ushering in the era of “jiggle TV.”

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Pluto TV, Spectrum, Antenna TV

MUST READ:

10 Shocking and Hilarious Behind-the-Scenes Facts About Three's Company

Three's Company — Follow the Stars Through Time

83. We’ve Got Each Other (1977 to 1978)

Basically, it’s a role reversal with Judy Hibbard going out to work for photographer Damon Jerome, while her husband, Stuart, works at home and does the cleaning and cooking. Believe it or not, this was quite the shake-up at the time that few people were actually used to.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

84. Apple Pie (1978)

The show is set in Kansas City during the Depression, with Rue McClanahan as Ginger-Neil Hollyhock, who decides to end her loneliness by taking out a newspaper ad to recruit a new family for herself. Dabney Coleman and Jack Gilford are among those who decide to answer. The show was created by Norman Lear.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

85. Baby, I’m Back (1978)

Ray Ellis (Sanford and Son's Demond Wilson) returns to his wife after seven years of abandonment, only to find she is engaged to another man. Also starring Helen Martin, Denise Nicholas, Tony Holmes and Kim Fields (later of The Facts of Life).

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

86. Diff’rent Strokes (1978 to 1986)

The wealthy Philip Drummond (Conrad Bain) adopts the children of his late housekeeper (the kids played by Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges). Also featuring his daughter, Kimberly (Dana Plato) and, early on, housekeeper Mrs. Garrett (Charlotte Rae).

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Rewind TV

87. Free Country (1978)

The story of a Lithuanian couple (Judith Khan, Rob Reiner) who immigrated to New York City at the turn of the 20th century. Reiner plays Joseph Bresner, who in the present of the 1970s was 89-years-old and looking back at his youth, which the majority of the episode would be set in the early 1900s. Five episodes and out!

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

88. Grandpa Goes to Washington (1978 to 1979)

With Chico and the Man behind him, Jack Albertson takes on the role of Senator Joe Kelley, a political professor who gets elected to the U.S. Senate — despite his lack of experience. It didn't work and was taken off the air 11 episodes in.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Not currently available

89. Mork and Mindy (1978 to 1982)

Na-noo, na-noo! Another spinoff from Happy Days, this one highlighted the previously-unknown Robin Williams as alien Mork from Ork, who is taken in by Mindy McConnell (Pam Dawber). The jokes are flying faster than you can keep up with, which makes the show — especially the first couple of seasons — so much fun and brilliant comedy.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Pluto TV, Prime Video, Antenna TV, Rewind TV

MUST READ:

Origin of 'Nanu, Nanu' and More Little-Known Secrets About the Mork & Mindy Cast

Mork and Mindy Star Pam Dawber on Robin Williams, Mark Harmon and Her Return to TV

Robin Williams Movies and TV Shows — Reflecting on the Comedy Icon's Remarkable Career

90. Taxi (1978 to 1983)

Another wonderful ensemble series focusing on the employees of the Sunshine Cab Company. And what a cast: Judd Hirsch, Andy Kaufman, Christopher Lloyd, Marilu Henner, Danny DeVito and Tony Danza.

WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH: Paramount+, Pluto TV, freevee

MUST READ: Cast of Taxi — Where Are the Stars 45 Years After the Iconic Show Debuted?

91. The Ted Knight Show (1978)

This one lasted just six weeks. It’s about two guys (Ted Knight and Norman Burton) who decide to open a high-class escort service in New York City. Wait, what?

1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Not currently available

92. Who’s Watching the Kids? (1978)

Garry Marshall created this show about a pair of Las Vegas showgirls who are working and room together, and each has a younger sibling staying with them. The cast Lynda Goodfriend (Happy Days), Larry Breeding, Caren Kaye, Scott Baio and Tammy Lauren.

1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Not currently available

93. WKRP in Cincinnati (1978 to 1982)

Ensemble comedy focusing on the eccentric workers at the WKRP radio station. With this show, Loni Anderson really caught people’s attention. Also making audiences laugh were Richard Sanders, Gordon Jump, Tim Reid, Frank Bonner, Gary Sandy, Howard Hesseman and Jan Smithers.

1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Available for purchase at Apple TV+

MUST READ: WKRP in Cincinnati Cast — Surprising Facts About This Hilarious Radio Show Sitcom

94. A New Kind of Family (1979 to 1980)

Two single mothers rent the same house, sight unseen, from an unscrupulous real estate agent. With their money gone and nowhere else to go, they decide to move in together with their total of four children. Sounds like a weird hybrid of The Goodbye Girl and The Brady Bunch. Pictured.

1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Not currently available

95. Angie (1979 to 1980)

Angie Falco (Donna Pescow, who had caught people’s attention in 1977’s Saturday Night Fever) is a middle-class Italian-American who marries the wealthy Brad Benson (Robert Hays, so close to Airplane), and she soon learns how to adjust to her new lifestyle by being thrown headfirst into it. Everybody Loves Raymond's Doris Roberts also stars as Angie’s mother.

1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Not currently available

96. Archie Bunker’s Place (1979 to 1983)

A spinoff to All in the Family, with Archie Bunker co-running a bar while raising his nieces and somehow managing to be a decent human being. Guess he finally started taking his advice to Edith and dummied up. Above is Danielle Brisebois, Martin Balsam and Carroll O'Connor. 1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: fubo, Antenna TV

97. Benson (1979 to 1986)

This spinoff to Soap features Robert Guillaume as the title character, who goes from being Jessica Tate’s butler to climbing the ladder working for Governor Eugene Xavier Gatling (James Noble).

1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Prime Video, fubo, The Roku channel

MUST READ: Benson's Cast — Where Are They Now?

98. Delta House (1979)

This entry of 1970s TV sitcoms is spun off from Animal House and it just doesn't work — it's really tough to take an R-rated comedy and turn it into an all ages comedy TV series. Among those reprising their roles from the feature areJames Widdoes, Bruce McGill, John Vernon, and Stephen Furst.

1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Not currently available

99. The Facts of Life (1979 to 1988)

Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae), from Diff’rent Strokes, takes charge at a girls boarding school, helping to guide the young ladies through life. At the start there are a variety of young ladies, which get whittled down to Lisa Whelchel, Mindy Cohn, Kim Fields and Nancy McKeon.

1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Tubi, The Roku Channel, Antenna TV

MUST READ: The Facts of Life Cast Then and Now — Catch Up with the Ladies of Eastland Academy

100. House Calls (1979 to 1982)

The challenges of a romance between surgeon Charley Michaels (Wayne Rogers) and the hospital’s administrative assistant, Ann Anderson (Lynn Redgrave). Based on the film of the same name.

1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Not currently available

101. Makin’ It (1979)

You can always count on a hit film spawning a TV series designed to cash in on it, and that’s what this is: inspired by Saturday Night Fever, it focuses on a pair of Italian brothers (David Naughton and Greg Antonacci) who hit up the disco at night.

1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Not currently available

102. The Ropers (1979 to 1980)

A spinoff from Three’s Company starring Norman Fell and Audra Lindley as Jack, Chrissy, and Janet’s former landlords, the Ropers. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work and the duo couldn’t return to the original series due to the fact that Don Knotts had been hired as Ralph Furley. Nobody said life in 1970s TV sitcoms was fair.

1970s TV SITCOMS— WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Tubi, Pluto TV, Spectrum, Antenna TV

103. Struck by Lightning (1979)

In the annals of 1970s TV sitcoms, this is a weird one: Ted Stein, a science teacher, inherits an old New England inn and discovers that he’s a descendent of Dr. Victor Frankenstein. Then he discovers that the inn’s caretaker, Frank, is actually the Frankenstein monster. Wackiness ensues from there. Jack Elam is Frank while Jeffrey Kramer — the deputy sheriff from the first two Jaws movies — is Stein.

1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Not currently available

104. Turnabout (1979)

Thanks to a mysterious statue, the married Sam and Penny Alston (John Schuck and Sharon Gless) find that they’ve swapped personalities. Shades of Freaky Friday!

1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Not currently available

105. Working Stiffs (1979)

In retrospect, and given the cast, it seems unbelievable that this show only lasted three episodes, but you know in the world of 1970s TV sitcoms that we ain’t lying. Janitor brothers Ernie O’Rourke (Jim Belushi) and Mike O’Rourke (Michael Keaton) are determined to work their way up in their uncle’s office building.

1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Not currently available

106. Big John, Little John (Honorable Mention, 1976)

We can’t let 1970s TV sitcoms get away from us without mentioning this Saturday morning kid’s show that was produced by Lloyd J. Schwartz, son of The Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island creator Sherwood Schwartz. It stars Herb Edelman (later Dorothy’s ex-husband on The Golden Girls) and Robbie Rist (Cousin Oliver from The Brady Bunch and is about an adult who encounters the Fountain of Youth and finds himself becoming a younger version of himself and then back to his own age — at the most inopportune times, naturally.

1970s TV SITCOMS — WHERE TO STREAM/WATCH THIS SHOW: Not currently available