Occasionally, top TV show theme songs aren’t just popular – they join the soundtrack of a generation. These 16 hits won acclaim for being more than being the tune played over opening credits. Have a listen!
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From “What you talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” to “Make it so,” these 80s TV catchphrases took over pop culture — and some are still around today.
When Green Acres hit TV screens in 1965, it flipped the usual sitcom formula on its head. Instead of small-town folks trying to make it
‘Family Ties’ has the most enviable time slot in network TV, following ‘The Cosby Show.’ But the four-year-old sitcom has managed to create its own following, and now clocks in at #2.
The Love Boat set sail in 1977 and became a TV favorite. Here’s how it mixed romance, comedy and guest stars to create a lasting pop culture hit.
The Courtship of Eddie’s Father was a TV sitcom about a widower and his son, Eddie that debuted in 1969. The memorable theme song was by Harry Nilsson.
The Bob Newhart Show turned the world of comedy upside down with its straight-faced humor and wry wit – let’s take a look back!
Discover why the Taxi TV show remains a classic, with its unforgettable cast, sharp comedy, and heartwarming moments that still resonate today.
Remember I Love Lucy & the chocolate factory episode? Many people consider this classic scene from ‘Job Switching’ one of the series’ funniest.
Revisit the iconic Cheers TV show, where unforgettable characters and timeless stories made a Boston bar feel like home.
Celebrate The Dick Van Dyke Show with a look back at the sitcom’s timeless comedy, iconic moments and cultural impact.
What do you get when you mix equal parts Mel Brooks and James Bond? Get Smart – one of the most hilarious spoofs on spies and private eyes ever. (Also see the memorable opening credits!)
In one of the stranger television concepts in history, Sally Field played the title role of The Flying Nun – the 90-pound Sister Bertrille, who could use her starched cornette to take to the skies if the wind was just right.
Vintage lunch boxes from the mid-century are a very specific, quirky slice of Americana. Featuring fanciful designs, lunch boxes back then featured everything from scenes
Gimme a Break! was a sitcom that aired in the early 1980s. Originally airing on NBC from 1981 to 1987, the show became a part
Soap, a groundbreaking American sitcom, wasn’t your run-of-the-mill family comedy. Instead, it combined the intrigue of a soap opera with laugh-out-loud moments, challenging societal norms and redefining what could be done on TV.
Remember Barney Miller? This the ’70s police comedy keeps fans coming back. With unforgettable characters and a jazzy theme song, its legacy thrives.
Premiering on CBS in 1975, One Day at a Time was a revolution – both for the humor, as well as the way it portrayed a divorced mother raising two children. Let’s reminisce!
From 1963 to 1966, the old My Favorite Martian TV comedy was broadcast, starring Ray Walston alongside future Incredible Hulk star Bill Bixby. Here’s a look back!
Good Times wasn’t just about humor; it tackled pressing social issues of its time — including unemployment, racism, and poverty.
First appearing on TV in 1975, Welcome Back Kotter would go on to become one of America’s best-loved sitcoms. Most notably, it starred a young John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino.
From the hilarious misunderstandings to the lovable characters, “Three’s Company” has an enduring appeal. Reminisce with us!
Take a look back at “The Odd Couple” — a classic comedy about friendship, divorce & making the most out of life’s second chances.
See how “Chico and the Man” made an early and enduring impression in the world of 70s sitcoms!
My Sister Sam’s Pam Dawber lands the Sexiest Man Alive — Moonlighting’s Mark Harmon
Gary Coleman stars as Arnold, a street-wise youth from Harlem, who is adopted by a white millionaire and becomes confused and suspicious about his sudden change of fortune on the comedy series, Diff’rent Strokes.
“I Love Lucy,” a domestic comedy TV series, reduces the role of husband to roughly that of the male spider, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if, at the end of the season, Miss Ball ate him.
In this sitcom, WKRP in Cincinnati was a struggling radio station. Then someone new turns the station into a top-40 rock music outlet, and things get interesting.
On TV, the I Dream of Jeannie bottle was magical – from the pretty painted outside to the plush, jeweled interior. Find out about the wizardry that made it work!
NBC TV’s midseason situation comedy series, ‘Sanford and Son,’ about an aging black Los Angeles junk dealer, appears to be an instant, impressive hit.
Laverne & Shirley was a series about two spirited young women – Penny Marshall as Laverne DeFazio and Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney – who worked in a brewery and managed to have fun on and off the job in Milwaukee in the 1950s.
M*A*S*H debuted on TV in 1972, and centered around a team of doctors during the Korean War in the early 50s. M*A*S*H was a huge success, lasting for 11 seasons, and broke records on its way out.
Let’s look back at the popular sitcom The Facts of Life – meet the actresses, hear that catchy theme song one more time, and get the lyrics for the hit show’s opening credits!
Take a look back at actress Elizabeth Montgomery — from the early days of her career in 1955 up until her 1972 heyday!
The new comedy series is a story of a mountain family who suddenly finds itself with $25 million after oil is found on its property, and then moves to Beverly Hills, California. See the opening credits, hear the theme song, and get the lyrics here!
Revisit the picture-perfect view of the ’50s with the Cleaver family, and their oh-so-retro daily ups and downs on the classic TV show, ‘Leave it to Beaver.’ You’ll also find out how Alfred Hitchcock was involved with this success story!
For two years, Tom Hanks pounded the streets of the city searching for a job. Then he was flown to LA, screen tested, and finally selected for the role of Kip Wilson in ‘Bosom Buddies.’ And so a star was born.
Spooky sitcom stars Fred Gwynne & Yvonne De Carlo talked about their lives & what it was like to film the vintage 1960s Munsters TV show in these classic cast interviews!
‘All in the Family’ was a huge hit TV show that aired on CBS from 1971 to 1979, and was number 1 in the Nielsen ratings from 1971 to 1976. Find out about the series here, and see the famous opening credits, too!
What was the Partridge Family TV series about? In an eggshell: Five siblings made the big-time playing rock ‘n’ roll music, and, led by their mom, toured the country. Squabbles, catchy tunes and hijinks ensued.
On this 1982 sitcom, the Square Pegs were Patty Greene (a young Sarah Jessica Parker) and Lauren Hutchinson (Amy Linker). Patty was the smart, skinny, nearsighted one; Lauren was the one with baby fat and braces. The round hole was Weemawee High School.
Jim Nabors’ popular character on The Andy Griffith Show, joined the Marines and got his own spin-off TV series in 1964 – Gomer Pyle: USMC.
The Andy Griffith Show – with its memorable theme tune – ran between 1960 and 1968, which was more than enough time to establish itself as an icon of Americana, and start the career of a Hollywood legend.
‘The Jeffersons’ was an offshoot of ‘All in the Family’ that took on a life of its own, and made a star out of Sherman Hemsley, who played George Jefferson.
Mork & Mindy was a sitcom that starred a hilarious young Robin Williams as alien visitor Mork, and Pam Dawber co-starred as his earthling girlfriend (later his wife) Mindy McConnell.
The popular Benson TV show, a sitcom offshoot of Soap, starred Robert Guillaume as Benson DuBois, director of household affairs for a widowed state governor.
At age 25, John Stamos believed his teen idol days were behind him, as the ‘Full House’ star was trying to make an acting career with longevity.
Happy Days starred Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham and Henry Winkler as Fonzie, and showed life in 1956 – or at least the 1956 some like to believe existed.
In ‘Full House,’ a widowed talk-show host whose brother-in-law and best friend, a comic, helped him raise his three young girls.
Take a look at young ‘Leave it to Beaver’ actors Jerry Mathers & Tony Dow — and then see what the two men looks like as adults!
After moving to a new house, a man named Wilbur finds the previous owner left behind a horse. It’s Mister Ed, a talking horse! But Ed will talk only to Wilbur, meaning confusion and hijinks soon ensue.
Gilligan’s Island was the hit sitcom that ran for a total of 98 episodes over three seasons – from 1964 to 1967. Find out more about the show and sing along to the theme song here!
The Mary Tyler Moore Show stars Mary in the role of Mary Richards, a small-town single girl who moves to the big city and lands a job as associate producer of a news program on a local TV station.
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids was innovative Saturday morning TV with a message for kids (1972-1985)
In the ’70s & ’80s, many parents didn’t mind Saturday mornings at home with the kids. One reason was “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,” one of the best examples of how television had improved for children.
In the popular ’80s sitcom Silver Spoons, a child-like millionaire meets the son he never knew – and that kid (Ricky Schroder) teaches his newfound dad how to be a grown-up.
‘The Cosby Show’ enters millions of American living rooms precisely because it so well mirrors those living rooms. Sure, the Huxtable family is funnier, wealthier and more idealized than most.
Find out about the classic TV sitcom Rhoda, and meet the star, Valerie Harper, in two different vintage interviews!
Do you remember these groovy TV catchphrases of the ’70s? Are there any that you still find yourself saying every now and then?
Get a blast from the past with this 1978 article about the popular TV sitcom, “What’s Happening!!”, which soared past expectations and entertained millions.
Maude was a groundbreaking television series starring Bea Arthur that broke all the molds when it first aired in 1972.
Come ride the little train that is rolling down the tracks to Petticoat Junction – and the Shady Rest Hotel – in this classic TV sitcom from the sixties!
The Flintstones TV cartoon sitcom ran for 6 seasons in the ’60s. Find out how the story began, plus see the opening credits & the catchy theme song lyrics!
The Betty White Show was a snappy, well-executed 1970s comedy TV show that was meant to appeal to anyone who likes to laugh at real humor – witty, cerebral humor.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the 1985 TV season is the success of ABC’s “Growing Pains,” a family sitcom starring former talk-show host Alan Thicke as psychiatrist Jason Seaver.
Bob Crane, a breezy, articulate ex-drummer and recent disc jockey-turned-actor, stars in Hogan’s Heroes, a CBS comedy series which has Col. Hogan (Crane) as the leader of Allied prisoners in a German POW camp in World War II.
Bewitched ‘is for viewers who want to have the fun of losing themselves in fantasy. Our witches, Samantha and Endora, are believable. The audience can identify with them. They are treated as much as possible as humans with special gifts.’
Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow grew up in somewhat of a fairytale world on television’s ‘Leave It to Beaver.’ 20 years later, in 1977, both actors talked about what it was like to be childhood stars who had to grow up and cope with the adult world.
Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, with their progeny David and Rick, are synonymous with the American family image both on and off television. The Nelson boys are perhaps the only people who have literally grown up before the eyes of millions of weekly viewers.
Do you remember these classic TV catchphrases of the ’60s — and are there any that you still find yourself saying sometimes?
Dick York is probably best known for his role as Darrin Stephens on Bewitched, the character he played for 156 episodes between 1964 and 1969.
