Magnum PI made Tom Selleck a star, cost him Indiana Jones and subtly rewrote how TV handled Vietnam veterans. Here’s the full story.
television
In this collection of vintage interviews, actress Nichelle Nichols (1932-2022) talked about her role as Uhura on Star Trek. Through her own words and vintage photos, you can find out about the groundbreaking star’s life both before and after the Enterprise took flight.
The Electric Company’s secret weapon for getting kids to read in the 1970s (hint: it was very funny)
The Electric Company ran on PBS from 1971-77 with Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno & Bill Cosby — and actually worked as a reading tool for millions of kids.
Adam-12 leaned on real LAPD codes, ride-alongs and an actual police dispatcher to make this 1968 cop show feel like the real deal.
Dynamite magazine was published from 1974-1992, and delivered a little bit of pop culture to kids’ mailboxes all across the US. Here’s a look back!
Bonanza almost didn’t survive its first season. Here’s how the show went from near-cancellation to the No. 1 Western on TV — and what ended it for good.
The TV remote control went from a wired ankle-hazard in 1950 to an ultrasonic curiosity to an infrared staple — here’s how it all happened.
Jerry Mathers was Beaver Cleaver. Tony Dow was Wally. Here’s what really happened after the cameras stopped rolling in 1963.
Buddy Holly packed more into 30 months than most artists manage in a career. Here’s the story of how a kid from Lubbock changed rock and roll forever.
Rocky and Bullwinkle debuted in 1959 as a kids’ cartoon – and spent five seasons smuggling Cold War satire past network censors. Here’s the full story.
Little House on the Prairie ran on NBC for nine seasons starting in 1974 — and now it’s back on Netflix. Here’s the full story.
Full House ran 8 seasons, launched the Olsen twins and nearly got canceled in week one. Here’s the real story behind TV’s favorite San Francisco family.
Lawrence Welk went from a North Dakota farm to the top of American TV. Here’s how champagne music conquered Saturday nights for three decades.
Mad magazine launched as a 10-cent comic in 1952 and grew into America’s most influential humor mag. Here’s the wild story behind Alfred E. Neuman.
Her name is Carol Burnett, and her elongated, restless, expressive and oddly beautiful face is one of show business’s favorite funny valentines.
Hawaii Five-O ran 12 seasons on CBS and made Jack Lord a TV icon. Here’s the full history of one of America’s greatest cop shows.
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.
Old peanut butter brands have a longer, wilder history than you’d think. See the vintage ads and forgotten names behind America’s favorite spread.
Wonder Woman hit TV in 1975 at exactly the right moment — here’s the story behind the show that made Lynda Carter a household name.
James Garner rose from Oklahoma to become a beloved TV and film star, known for Maverick, The Rockford Files and a career built on authenticity.
Meet Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia in Golden Girls — where friendship knows no age. A TV classic with wit, heart, and a whole lot of cheesecake.
James Brown went from shining shoes in Augusta to selling out arenas nationwide. See the vintage photos & press clippings that tell his real story.
Explore the legacy of Police Woman, a groundbreaking show that introduced audiences to Sgt. “Pepper” Anderson and inspired a generation of female-led dramas.
John Stamos rose from 1980s soap star to Full House icon and touring musician. Here’s how his career shaped modern TV nostalgia.
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.
Look back at The Rockford Files, the classic James Garner detective series that reshaped TV crime drama — plus what to know about the newly announced reboot.
In this vintage Peanuts TV special from the sixties, You’re in Love, Charlie Brown, only two school days remain before summer vacation starts, and time is running out. See the cartoon here!
Find out about The Muppet Show, an all-family comedy-musical-variety TV series from the ’70s & ’80s, and see the opening credits and theme song lyrics here!
George Takei looks back on playing Sulu, the rise of Star Trek fandom and how the series influenced his life long after the Enterprise left TV screens.
Max Headroom was a unique sci-fi satire TV show starring the inimitable Matt Frewer as the computer-generated star. Despite its short run, it made a max impact on pop culture.
Dick York on Bewitched made Darrin Stephens a TV icon. See the story behind his run from 1964 to 1969, plus a look at vintage photos from the set.
Explore the rise of the VCR, from high prices to home entertainment staples, and see how they reshaped how we watched TV in the 1970s and ’80s.
Maverick reshaped the 1950s TV Western with humor, poker and self-aware scripts. See how the series stood apart from the pack.
These 80s Christmas cards featured beloved TV and comic strip characters like Garfield, Snoopy, and the Care Bears in their holiday best.
Vintage Christmas TV specials were as much a part of the holiday as gifts and Christmas trees. Millions of people – especially kids – looked forward to them year after year. Look at more than 100 of these classics.
See how 1980s sleeping bags brought superheroes, cartoons and bright designs to sleepovers, camping trips and every kid’s favorite hangout spot.
1950s TV sets brought bold design and big features into American homes, reshaping how families watched, gathered and spent time together.
Before Flipper was a hit TV show, Luke Halpin appeared as Sandy Ricks in two movies, Flipper and Flipper’s New Adventure!
Separate beds in the 1950s weren’t just for movies — real couples, doctors, and censors all had opinions on how married people should sleep.
These cheap vintage Halloween masks & costumes proved that when you spent a couple bucks to get ready for trick-or-treating, you got what you paid for. But the kids? They loved it.
Charlie Brown? Check. Grinch? Yep. You can also see how Johnny Depp, Elvira, Martin Lawrence & Tom Hanks got into the holiday spirit years ago on these vintage Halloween TV specials.
Scooby Doo fans, here’s how a goofy cartoon dog and his mystery-solving gang turned a 1969 TV debut into decades of iconic pop culture moments.
See how the 1950 film A Date with Your Family helped define the perfect 1950s family — and why it needed to remind people how to behave at the dinner table.
Take a trip back to 1980s video games, when home consoles filled family rooms with joysticks, cartridges and pixelated adventures.
Big screen TV once meant something very different. From 17-inch Crosleys to giant projection sets, see how “big” looked from the 1950s to the 1990s.
Romper Room brought preschool to TV screens across America — explore how this unique show shaped early childhood learning for millions of kids.
Some of the most iconic 80s school supplies have been revitalized for a new generation (assuming they ever went away in the first place). Here are some of our sentimental faves that you can buy new even now!
Revisit WKRP in Cincinnati, the classic sitcom about a misfit radio crew, with cast photos, fun facts and a look back at its unforgettable TV moments.
In 1982, Little House star Melissa Gilbert opened up about growing up on TV, life off-camera, and what came next after nearly a decade as Laura Ingalls.
Battlestar Galactica launched in 1978 with bold ideas and big effects but lasted just one season. See how it made TV history before it was even canceled.
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!
Somewhere in that golden haze after Sesame Street, there was a little TV show called New Zoo Revue. Take a look back to that oh-so-retro kids’ show here!
How The Waltons, a quiet Depression-era family drama, overcame doubts and tough competition to become one of the most beloved shows on 1970s TV.
How much does real story of The Sound of Music differ from the movie version of the von Trapp family? Take a look back at the hugely-successful musical based on their lives, and find out both fact and fiction.
The original Gilligan’s Island pilot had three actors who were cut before the series began, a slightly different name, and a completely different theme song. Get the scoop here!
Years ago, kids loved weekends because they could catch up on their favorite Saturday morning cartoons & TV shows. Here’s a look back!
Remember vintage TV dinners — shiny foil trays filled with delicious-looking dinner delights, waiting in the freezer for a special night? Plus find out the history of TV dinners!
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!
Television history goes back farther than most people think. Here’s how early inventors built the first TV sets–and why it took a team to pull it off.
From “What you talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” to “Make it so,” these 80s TV catchphrases took over pop culture — and some are still around today.
McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes: The story of how a simple shake became a holiday tradition (1970s & 80s)
McDonald’s shamrock shakes have been a St. Patrick’s Day favorite for decades. Here’s the surprising history behind this minty green fast-food classic.
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
The ’70s TV classic ‘Match Game’ redefined the modern game show. It went against convention, appealed to a younger, hipper audience and ushered in a new era of television.
‘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.
Presenting the first family of the future, The Jetsons – in ultra-dynamic spectoramic, everlovin’, living color.
When you look back at how people talked about and used computers in the 1960s, it’s easy to get a feel for how exciting the technological advances were at the time. It was a whole new wild frontier.
Relive Shaun Cassidy’s rise to fame in the ’70s as a teen idol and TV star — before he built a lasting career beyond the spotlight.
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.
These vintage bullet bras (also called sweater bras) were considered flattering and sexy around the ’50s. Take a look back and see what you think of the style!
Monty Hall brought charm and suspense to Let’s Make a Deal, the game show that had America guessing. Explore its quirky history and lasting appeal!
After she wondered if humans have a primal craving for hamburgers – hot, juicy and so simple – here’s Cybill Shepherd’s favorite hamburger recipe.
What did the future look like from the ’60s? See some modernist-style retro futuristic home concepts that captured the midcentury era’s sleek style and space-age optimism.
Take a look back at some of the most popular vintage 1970s cereals that we loved – including many discontinued products we still miss. (And don’t forget about the free toys that were inside kids’ cereal boxes!)
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!
Dick Van Dyke interviews and personal appearances can be hard to come by, but we found a few times the talented actor and comedian talked about his life and career.
While television hardly needed another cop series, ‘Starsky and Hutch’ was one of the better reasons to turn on a TV back in the ’70s. Here’s why.
The vintage home of Clancy Collins White and her celebrity parents Mary Ann Mobley & Gary Collins in Beverly Hills was steeped in southern charm – and you can see it right here.
Gunsmoke, one of the longest-running TV shows in history, gave viewers a look at the old west – saloons and sheriffs, cowboys and horses.
Between Saturday morning cartoon shows, animated Schoolhouse Rock was on TV from 1973-1985. Here’s a Grammar Rock classic, Schoolhouse Rock: A Noun Is a Person, Place or Thing!
Remember I Love Lucy & the chocolate factory episode? Many people consider this classic scene from ‘Job Switching’ one of the series’ funniest.
Relive the magic of Quantum Leap, the iconic time-travel series that took viewers on unforgettable adventures and made history in ’90s sci-fi television.
After launching their career in the ’60s, in the early ’70s, Sonny and Cher turned to television, and to everyone’s surprise, they were a huge hit – leading to adventures both good and bad.
What were vintage Magic Slate Paper Savers about? Think of them like a really low-tech tablet – you could draw and then erase… and do it over and over.
Revisit the iconic Cheers TV show, where unforgettable characters and timeless stories made a Boston bar feel like home.
Vintage View-Master reels offered a trip into another dimension – ‘with stereo color pictures so real, you’ll feel you are actually part of the scene!’ Take a look!
For those who have not seen it, ‘The A-Team’ is a straightforward pile-driver of a show, a blue-collar ‘Mission Impossible’ without the finesse. Here’s a TV show review from 1983!
See how Andy Griffith’s iconic TV career started from humble beginnings. Explore his early career and photos from the past.
In the Brady Bunch family’s home-screen-home, the comedic power of the classic TV show came from combining a zany maid, two grown-ups, six kids, a dog and a cat.
David Cassidy of ‘The Partridge Family’ TV show invaded the concert field with the force of an atomic bomb and emerged from his debut as a new teenage idol.
On the original ’60s version of the ‘Lost in Space’ TV show, somewhere the universe, a family is marooned while on a voyage to colonize a new world.
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!)
A heavenly idea! Pudding in a cloud. So lovely. So light. So luscious. You get two delicious tastes in every spoonful.
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.
Who were the top TV stars of 1979? America’s teens had favorite television programs and favorite stars, but those two categories had surprisingly little to do with each other, according to a national survey.
Laugh In got people talking about television again. Its rapid-fire gags, many of them dreadful, were repeated by millions every Tuesday morning.
Explore the rich history of famous catchphrases that shaped generations and discover their timeless charm in our culture today!
Step back in time with Michael J Fox. From Back to the Future hero to Parkinson’s advocate, discover his enduring legacy in our exclusive vintage collection.
