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!
television
Dragnet was one of the original police procedurals, which began as a radio show, then as a (now-iconic) TV show from 1951-1959 — later followed by a faithful reboot from 1967 to 1970. They all starred Jack Webb as police sergeant Joe Friday.
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!
Star Trek’s original run lasted three seasons – but soon thereafter, it became a huge hit in syndication, inspired several TV series and more than a dozen movies.
Considering it spawned two revival series, a movie, books and comic books, it’s hard to believe that the original Battlestar Galactica TV series had such a humble beginning.
More than one billion Colorforms sets have been sold since the ’50s. They started with basic geometric shapes, then moved on to branded playsets.
Take tic-tac-toe, toss in nine celebrities, stir in some questions and add fabulous prizes. What do you get? The original Hollywood Squares game show!
While boxes of Jell-O pudding pops may be but a memory, we can still remember their glory days through these magazine ads and TV commercials!
The Banana Splits Adventure Hour lasted only 31 episodes, but its funky psychedelia had a lasting impact. Take a look – and a listen!
Here Come The Brides was an hour-long comedy/Western TV series set in Seattle in the 1870s about a family of loggers who brought in 100 women as potential brides. The show launched Bobby Sherman and David Soul as teen idols.
While she was known to millions as Carol on The Brady Bunch, Florence Henderson had a vibrant, successful career as both an actress and singer.
What were popular ’50s floors like? They might have bold stripes, checkerboard squares, or many other classic and creative ideas. Take a look back!
Many critics were surprised that the ‘Emergency!’ TV show was a success. One factor for sure: actors Randy Mantooth and Kevin Tighe, who played paramedics John Gage and Roy DeSoto, made indelible impressions on viewers.
Here, look back at 14 brands and varieties of crunchy and smooth vintage peanut butter goodness from the last 120-plus years, including popular favorites as well as once-famous spreadables that are now gone.
Since 1952, Mad Magazine has poked fun at everything from Superman to Yoda, M*A*S*H to hippies. But it’s about more than humor – it’s big business, too.
When the Disney Channel started in 1983, it was a cable subscription service with shows like Mousercise and Mickey Mouse Club, along with many of the famous Disney movies. See some of the schedules and more here!
Bald, Tootsie Pop-snacking Kojak was the king of the police procedural on TV, from 1973 through 1978. Here’s a look back!
‘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!
Based on the famous books, The Hardy Boys-Nancy Drew Mysteries TV series debuted in 1977, starring Parker Stevenson & Shaun Cassidy as the brothers Frank & Joe, and Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy.
It used to be that superheroes zipped through the air, pure & uncomplicated. In vintage Marvel comics, however, they became complex, abnormal, alienated and schizoid. The comic book universe hasn’t been the same since.
Who invented television? Unfortunately for anyone looking for a quick answer, the first TV sets weren’t made by one single person — there were several inventors who were incredibly important to its creation and evolution. Here’s a look!
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.
CHiPS, a light-hearted one-hour action-adventure series, follows the exploits of a pair of young California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers on the busy Los Angeles freeways, and their encounters with the infinite variety of people who drive there.
The Monkees may have been a prefab TV band, but there was nothing made up about their real-world success. Here’s a look back!
21 Jump Street was a cop show that debuted in 1987, and immediately found an audience: teenagers, especially girls. That was fair, since the show was about police officers who pretended to be teens. Johnny Depp was the series’ breakout star.
The Foundations were a band that burst onto the music scene in the late 1960s with a fantastic soul sound that was straight out of Motown. Except it wasn’t.
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.
The Waltons was a story of a large family living in Virginia during the Great Depression. The classic TV show originally aired from 1972 through 1981. Find out what the cast thought of the program here.
This vintage ad featured the tagline ‘I had a headache this big… and it’s got Excedrin written all over it.’ That sentence ended up becoming one of the most enduring slogans of the eighties.
‘Sliders’ was a sci-fi TV show that told the story of four adventurers who discover a passageway between dimensions that transported them to parallel worlds.
While the stars were still aligning for her first big acting role, young Mariska Hargitay, daughter of the legendary Jayne Mansfield, took on other jobs.
Hot buttered Cheerios – a quick, easy snack made with Cheerios cereal. Make a bowl right now, and you’ve got Hot Buttered Os – plus 5 variations to try.
The ’80s hit song ‘Fish Heads’ didn’t just sound strange, but it was co-created by vintage ‘Lost in Space’ TV show actor Billy Mumy. Find out more here!
Buddy Holly was one of rock and roll’s early pioneers. He remains influential to this day, despite his untimely death in a plane crash. Here’s a look back at his career!
The Godfather of Soul. Mr Dynamite. The Hardest Working Man in Show Business. Whatever you called him, James Brown was a music legend who released hit records in four different decades.
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.
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!
Back in the seventies, the vintage soap operas ‘Another World’ & ‘Days of Our Lives’ escaped the short half-hour program format, and were the first to hit the airwaves in one hour blocks.
Johnny Cash kicked off his country-music series, The Johnny Cash TV Show, with guests Bob Dylan, singer-songwriters Joni Mitchell and Doug Kershaw, and comedienne Fannie Flagg. Here, see a video performance with Roy Orbison.
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.
In the ’80s, vintage Crispy Critters cereal had little animal shapes like rhinos, hippos, lions and camels, and a lightly-sweetened crunch. Remember it?
When these vintage Zenith ‘Space Command’ TV remote controls first came out, they were revolutionary tech – and everyone wanted one.
When The Bold and the Beautiful soap opera first hit the airwaves in the eighties, they probably didn’t imagine the show would be still going after even 8000 episodes. Here’s how it began!
Priscilla Presley wasn’t just the former wife of mega-star Elvis Presley – she was a model and actress in her own right, and has the receipts to prove it.
When he was making Star Trek, actor William Shatner could skip blithely from Shakespeare to riding in the saddle in a psychological Western movie – and yet, in his view, all that wasn’t good enough.
When color TV was first invented, people wondered if you could convert a black & white TV to color, and which shows would appear in color – and when. Here are some of the answers they were given.
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 man who moved on to play ‘McDreamy’ on Grey’s Anatomy was just 21 years old when this article was published. Find out more about young Patrick Dempsey here!
‘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.
Columbo, a ’60s & ’70s crime TV show set in Los Angeles, starred Peter Falk as a homicide detective with a unique way of investigating and questioning suspects.
The classic Nintendo Entertainment System came with a robot, a light-sensing video gun, ‘true-to-life’ graphics and a library of games. Here’s a look!
Shaun Cassidy was born for show business: His mother is Shirley Jones, an Oscar-winning actress-singer; his father was the late Jack Cassidy, star of Broadway musicals and TV; and his brother was David Cassidy.
Star Trek: The Next Generation, set in the 24th century, the updated USS Enterprise boldly went where no one had gone before – and enthralled millions.
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.
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!
Talk show host Johnny Carson created a line of suits in the seventies – mostly all polyester, and they came in dozens of different colors and styles.
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.
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!
During the 1978 Saturn Awards ceremony, William Shatner, as Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, performed what can most accurately be described as a bizarre spoken-word rendition of ‘Rocket Man.’
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.
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!
After she wondered if humans have a primal craving for hamburgers – hot, juicy and so simple – here’s Cybill Shepherd’s favorite hamburger recipe.
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.
With his memorable voice and pro patter, DJ Jocko Henderson entertained the ears of millions – and advanced American culture at the same time.
Her name is Carol Burnett, and her elongated, restless, expressive and oddly beautiful face is one of show business’s favorite funny valentines.
Lynda Carter, television’s wonderful Wonder Woman, had the strength of Hercules, the wisdom of Athena, the speed of Mercury and the beauty of Aphrodite.
Years ago, kids loved weekends because they could catch up on their favorite Saturday morning cartoons & TV shows. Here’s a look back!
Funny, fictitious Bullwinkle J. Moose leaped to fame on the popular cartoon series Rocky and His Friends. Here’s a look back!
In ‘Full House,’ a widowed talk-show host whose brother-in-law and best friend, a comic, helped him raise his three young girls.
Actress Betty White never gives up – and that’s the secret to her success. Here’s why, in the words of none other than her mother.
The original Hawaii Five-O TV show hit the airwaves in the ’60s, and the Aloha State would never be the same again. Here’s a look back.
Shields & Yarnell, the talented and dynamic husband-and-wife mimes, entertained audiences all across America courtesy of the television. Take a look back!
How much does The Sound of Music movie differ from the true story 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.
In 1957, accordion player/band leader/TV show host Lawrence Welk was the most popular musician in US history, and made millions doing what he did best.
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!
M*A*S*H actress Loretta Swit snagged the role of the haughty, by-the-book chief nurse, Major Margaret (Hot Lips) Houlihan for the TV series, and made it all her own.
Larry Hagman has a juicy, lip-smacking role, and he plays it to campy perfection. His J.R. Ewing on Dallas is rotten to the core. If he had a redeeming feature, he’d probably swap it for cash.
Few people thought Bonanza would last long, but the mythical Ponderosa, the larger-than-life inhabitants and the horseback morality plays will glow on tubes around the world for years to come.
Magnum PI, an ’80s adventure-crime drama set in Hawaii, turned Tom Selleck from an in-demand male model into a full-fledged TV actor. Here’s how it happened, and more about the show!
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.
For 7 seasons, the original Fantasy Island TV show featured Ricardo Montalban as the mysterious Mr Roarke, the overseer of a mystical island where people could live out their fantasies,
The Twist was one of the first big dance crazes, and dozens of artists recorded copycat songs. But there was a question: Is The Twist immoral? Religious leaders weighed in.
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!
Each episode of Adam-12 portrayed a day in the life of an LAPD ‘policeman’ as realistically as possible, with officers Malloy and Reed facing the tragic and amusing events of life in a big city.
Featuring stars like Morgan Freeman and Rita Moreno, ‘The Electric Company’ was a fab ’70s TV show for kids too old for Sesame Street. With lots of humor and music, this troupe made reading fun.
When Dr Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! originally aired in December 1966 no one expected the cartoon to become a part of American pop culture legend.
Eight Is Enough premiered on March 15, 1977, and ran for five seasons before wrapping up in August of 1981. Starring Dick Van Patten, the show focused on Tom Bradford and his eight children.
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.
Leave it to the kids if you want an honest opinion of TV’s effect on family life (1955) by Jack Cluett – June 1955 When
The Addams Family TV series portrayed the everyday life of one kooky and spooky family. Although the show had a huge impact on pop culture, it only ran for two seasons – from 1964 to 1966. Meet the cast and hear the snappy theme here!
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.
MTV, a ’round-the-clock television channel for viewers who grew up on rock ‘n’ roll, started with a library of 400 80s music videos, and went on to delight millions of viewers.
In the mid-80s, Dallas actress Linda Gray & Ed Thrasher had an open, informal ranch house north of Los Angeles – complete with a dog, two horses, three cats, and five adopted peacocks.
