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What are your top 5 favorite shows from the 1960s? (1 Viewer)

benbess

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Probably most of us would agree that the 1960s was a very good decade for network television shows. Here's my top 5 list. Doesn't have to be a show that started in the 60s, but just one that aired in that decade. The reason I'm asking is that even though I was born in 1964, there are a lot of shows from that decade I still haven't watched, and I'm trying to branch out. This is in part because there's not much tv today that I really like. My biggest discovery the last few years from the 1960s has been the Western The Virginian.

1. Star Trek
2. The Twilight Zone
3. Gilligan's Island
4. The Virginian
5. (tie) The Andy Griffith Show/The Dick Van Dyke Show

Well, I guess I couldn't keep it to 5. There were lots of silly comedy shows that I watched in reruns in the 70s that I liked as a kid that I've haven't yet gone back to, like Green Acres, I Dream of Jeanie, Bewitched, Beverly Hillbillies, the Munsters, etc. I don't know if I'd like them today or not. I tend a bit more toward drama these days, although actually I like laughing at silly stuff when I let myself do it.

And there are a lot of shows from that decade I've never seen, like Combat!, Gunsmoke, High Chaparral, Peyton Place, etc.

Anyway, hope others will post some lists of favorite shows from this decade too.
 

ScottHM

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Star TrekThe Andy Griffith ShowMission: ImpossibleThe Twilight ZoneThe Outer Limits

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Ron1973

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The Beverly Hillbillies
Hee Haw (first aired in 1969)
Star Trek TOS
My Favorite Martian
Gomer Pyle, USMC
 

JMas

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I have every episode of these 4 and still watch them regularly.

Gunsmoke 1955-75
The Fugitive 1963-67
Perry Mason 1957-66
Peyton Place 1964-69
 

jimmyjet

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fugitive is my all time favorite

bonanza would be in there

there are so many others that i dont know if i could pick just 3 more

plus i think i would need to re-watch them again as an adult. most of them i still havent seen since their original airings
 

Ejanss

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I'll see most everyone else's default choices (Star Trek, Dick Van Dyke, Twilight Zone, M:I), and add my dark horses:

- The Flintstones (which you have to watch as an adult, to appreciate the amazingly blended mix of satire, sarcasm and silliness that almost suggests the funnier years of the Simpsons' overstated-humor mixed with the more benign out-of-nowhere cartoony influence of Jack Benny)
- The Addams Family (almost every other silly-60's sitcom played their "wackiness" over the top, but John Astin and Carolyn Jones showed how to make more silliness believable by playing it more deadpan)
 

Jack P

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Narrowing it to five would be VERY tough. If pressed here's what I would say today (and in no particular order)

The Dick Van Dyke Show
The FBI
Dragnet
The Twilight Zone
Burke's Law
 

benbess

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Ron1973 said:
The Beverly Hillbillies
Hee Haw (first aired in 1969)
Star Trek TOS
My Favorite Martian
Gomer Pyle, USMC
Ron1973: By any chance would you be willing to say a few words about why The Beverly Hillbillies is your favorite? I watched it sometimes in the 70s and laughed and enjoyed it, but this is one of those where I fear my memory is a bit rose colored. From your listing maybe not. And how are the DVDs for this show in terms of PQ?
 

benbess

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Ejanss said:
I'll see most everyone else's default choices (Star Trek, Dick Van Dyke, Twilight Zone, M:I), and add my dark horses:

- The Flintstones (which you have to watch as an adult, to appreciate the amazingly blended mix of satire, sarcasm and silliness that almost suggests the funnier years of the Simpsons' overstated-humor mixed with the more benign out-of-nowhere cartoony influence of Jack Benny)
- The Addams Family (almost every other silly-60's sitcom played their "wackiness" over the top, but John Astin and Carolyn Jones showed how to make more silliness believable by playing it more deadpan)
I really liked both of these shows as a kid. Good to hear they stand up.
 

benbess

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JMas said:
I have every episode of these 4 and still watch them regularly.

Gunsmoke 1955-75
The Fugitive 1963-67
Perry Mason 1957-66
Peyton Place 1964-69
You are listing four shows that somehow I don't think I've ever seen. Don't know how I've missed them all these years. If you're willing, I'd like to hear a bit about why Gunsmoke is your favorite. And did you know there's a new book about the show, call The Gunsmoke Chronicles by David Greenland. It's mind boggling to believe that any show could last 20 years, going from a black and white 30 minute show, to an hour long black and white show, to an hour long color show. Is this one of those shows that's being remastered by CBS into hd? I forget....
 

benbess

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Jack P said:
Narrowing it to five would be VERY tough. If pressed here's what I would say today (and in no particular order)

The Dick Van Dyke Show
The FBI
Dragnet
The Twilight Zone
Burke's Law
Somehow I've never heard of Burke's Law. I'll try to look that one up. I remember the FBI was based on real cases, and so was Dragnet iirc.
 

benbess

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classicmovieguy said:
The Lucy Show
Bewitched
That Girl
The Mothers-in-Law
The Munsters
Bewitched and That Girl were shows I sometimes watched. Somehow I've never heard of The Mothers-in-Law. Anyway, thanks.
 

benbess

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What are the shows from the 60s on blu-ray? Let's see, we've had Star Trek for 5 years, or something like that. And the Twilight Zone and The Dick Van Dyke show are both blu now. And currently the Andy Griffith Show is being released.

Wonder what might be next? Which show do you think would be best on blu?
 

benbess

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Matt Hough said:
The Twilight Zone
The Andy Griffith Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Get Smart
The Fugitive

Runner-Up: Green Acres
Wow, the Fugitive is really on a lot of lists. I should check that one out. Is it a show that actually has an ending?
 

Gary OS

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benbess said:
Wow, the Fugitive is really on a lot of lists. I should check that one out. Is it a show that actually has an ending?
Yes to your question. And "Yes", you should check it out. It's my #1 show of all time as well. I'll get a list together later today.


Gary "the best show ever, I tell you - best ever" O. :dancing-banana-04:
 

Walter Kittel

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Wonder what might be next? Which show do you think would be best on blu?
No predictions, but I fervently hope that my favorite 60's show makes it to Blu-Ray (top of the following list)...

[*]The Outer Limits
[*]Star Trek: TOS
[*]Twilight Zone
[*]Mission Impossible
[*]The Fugitive (yep, it is pretty good. :) )
[/list]
- Walter.
 

Dave Lawrence

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I was born in '74, so my experience with 60s shows is limited to what's been rerun over the years and what's made it to DVD and Blu. Still, most of my all-time faves come from the 60s and 70s, so it's easy to come up with 5 60s favorites. The problem is limiting the list to only 5. But I'll try.

1) The Twilight Zone - Excellent anthology series that still holds up. Great actors and great scripts (esp. those by Serling and Matheson).

2) I Dream of Jeannie - Obviously, there's the Barbara Eden factor, but Larry Hagman is also perfect in this. His comedic chemistry with Eden, as well as with Bill Daily and Hayden Rorke gives this show the edge, for me, over the other supernatural/oddity sitcoms of the era. (Though I like most of those as well.)

3) Dark Shadows - The original post didn't restrict the list to prime time shows, so I'm including this one. It kind of dropped off a bit in the last year, but overall this was a great, fun gothic/horror soap opera. The first 2 years were especially strong. I'm glad that the whole thing is available on DVD.

4) The Wild, Wild West - I love this merging of the western and spy genres. Also, Robert Conrad and Ross Martin made a great team.

5) Batman - It worked well as an action/superhero series when I was a kid, and works as a hilarious comedy for me as an adult. Adam West was, is, and will always be amazing because of his work in this. So glad this is finally getting a DVD release this year.


Note: If you did want to keep the lists focused solely on prime time shows, then instead of Dark Shadows, I would put Alfred Hitchcock Presents/Alfred Hitchcock Hour in its place. While I think TZ has the edge in the script department, this is still a top-notch anthology. And Hitchcock as host never fails to amuse, especially when he's being sarcastic about the sponsors.
 

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