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.
television
“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.
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!
Who had one of these ‘My Name Records’ when they were kids? We found a few vintage covers from personalized 45 RPM record singles featuring Captain Kangaroo songs!
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.
The Batman TV show was a live-action series that aired on the ABC network from 1966 to 1968. The show was based on the DC Comics character Batman, a superhero who fought crime in Gotham City.
Intellivision gaming systems from the 80s were supposed to be more realistic than anything else available at the time. You may be surprised to see (or remember) how simplistic and pixelated the games really were!
Say, kids, what time is it? Kids: It’s Howdy Doody Time! First gracing the airwaves in 1947, marionette Howdy Doody was a pioneer of American TV programming.
Lee Majors starred in the Six Million Dollar Man TV series as astronaut Steve Austin, who, after a crash that nearly killed him, was remade in a bionic man – essentially a cyborg – and turned into a government agent.
In the ’80s, The Incredible Hulk & Courtship of Eddie’s Father actor Bill Bixby was the spokesperson for Dietac diet pills… at least until the over-the-counter medication was taken off the market.
Introduced in the late 1970s, Underoos were a popular brand of colorful children’s underwear featuring characters from popular franchises like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Star Wars.
The old Disneyland TV show, known by various titles since its introduction in 1954 (and currently entitled The Wonderful World of Disney) was Walt Disney’s first foray into the weekly television show format.
Before gummy vitamins existed, there were several other chewable supplements for kids – but none was more iconic than Flintstones vitamins.
Anyone who lived through the great videotape format war of the late 1970s to early 1980s will never forget the big question: VHS or Beta? Here’s the Betamax side – the player that ultimately lost.
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.
Check out these vintage Tiger Beat magazine covers to see who teens were screaming about and obsessing over back in the 70s — decades before there were K-Pop and reality TV stars.
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!
See Jimi Hendrix play ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ live at Woodstock on August 18, 1969 – and what he thought of his own performance.
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.
Through these vintage celebrity interviews (and an article bylined by the star himself), get to know Mike Connors, the star of the Mannix TV show, which was a big hit detective drama in the ’70s.
Take a look back at actress Elizabeth Montgomery — from the early days of her career in 1955 up until her 1972 heyday!
’80s sleeping bags were super-popular because they were functional often featured favorite cartoon characters, TV shows – even everyday products. Here, take a trip back a few decades to see some of the most popular slumber bags of the eighties!
Anyone obsessed with vintage Strawberry Shortcake probably dreamed of these pieces of sugary sweet delight featuring their favorite gal – dolls and toys, of course, but also bedding, wallpaper, roller skates and more.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
