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What Decade Was The Best For American Television?

Posted on 11/2/16 at 3:24 am
Posted by John Keating
College Green, Ireland
Member since Jan 2015
2593 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 3:24 am
The market is quite competitive and saturated today. Perhaps more hit and miss in today's world but the variety is certainly there and it seems there should be something for everyone. Is there any way to qualify which decade is the best? I suppose it comes down to opinion and conjecture?

1950s
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Dragnet
Father Knows Best
Gunsmoke
I Love Lucy
Lassie
Playhouse 90
The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet
The George Burns & Gracie Allen Show
The Honeymooners
The Jack Benny Program
The Jackie Gleason Show


1960s
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Batman
Bewitched
Bonanza
Get Smart
Gilligan's Island
Green Acres
Gunsmoke
Hogan's Heroes
I Dream of Jeannie
Lassie
McHale's Navy
Mission: Impossible
My Three Sons
Perry Mason
Petticoat Junction
Star Trek: Original Series
The Addams Family
The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Williams Show
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Bob Newhart Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Jackie Gleason Show
The Mod Squad
The Monkees
Twilight Zone


1970s
Alice
All In The Family
Baretta
Barnaby Jones
Barney Miller
Cannon
Charlie's Angels
Columbo
Fantasy Island
Good Times
Happy Days
Kojak
Little House on the Prairie
Marcus Welby, MD
M*A*S*H
McCloud
McMillan & Wife
Mork & Mindy
Quincy ME
Sanford & Son
Soap
Taxi
The Brady Bunch
The Carol Burnett Show
The Incredible Hulk
The Jeffersons
The Love Boat
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mod Squad
The Odd Couple
The Rockford Files
The Waltons
Three's Company
Welcome Back Kotter
WKRP in Cincinnati


1980s
Alf
Alice
Benson
Cagney & Lacey
Cheers
China Beach
Dallas
Designing Women
Diff'rent Strokes
Fall Guy
Family Ties
Fantasy Island
Full House
Growing Pains
Hill Street Blues
LA Law
MacGyver
Magnum, PI
Married With Children
Miami Vice
Mork & Mindy
Mr. Belvedere
Murder, She Wrote
Newhart
Night Court
Silver Spoons
Simon & Simon
St. Elsewhere
Star Trek: Next Generation
Taxi
The A Team
The Cosby Show
The Dukes Of Hazard
The Equalizer
The Facts Of Life
The Golden Girls
The Incredible Hulk
The Jeffersons
The Love Boat
The Wonder Years
Three's Company
Too Close For Comfort
Webster
Who's The Boss
WKRP in Cincinnati


1990s
Ally McBeal
Beverly Hills 90210
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Coach
Doogie Howser MD
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Dream On
Ellen
ER
Evening Shade
Everybody Loves Raymond
Frasier
Friends
Full House
Home Improvement
LA Law
Law & Order
Mad About You
Major Dad
Married With Children
Murder, She Wrote
Murphy Brown
Nash Bridges
Northern Exposure
NYPD Blue
Picket Fences
Quantum Leap
Roseanne
Seinfeld
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Next Generation
The Drew Carey Show
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
The Larry Sanders Show
The Nanny
The Practice
The Simpsons
The Wonder Years
The X-Files
Touched By An Angel
Wings
3rd Rock From The Sun


2000s
Alias
American Idol
Arrested Development
Breaking Bad
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
CSI
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dancing With The Stars
Dawson's Creek
Desperate Housewives
Dexter
Entourage
ER
Everybody Loves Raymond
Family Guy
Firefly
Friday Night Lights
Friends
Gilmore Girls
Grey's Anatomy
Heroes
House
How I Met Your Mother
Law & Order
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Lost
Mad Men
Malcolm In The Middle
Monk
NCIS
Project Runway
Psych
Rescue Me
Scrubs
Sex & The City
Six Feet Under
South Park
Survivor
That '70s Show
The Amazing Race
The Apprentice
The Biggest Loser
The King Of Queens
The Office
The Practice
The Shield
The Simpsons
The Sopranos
The West Wing
The Wire
Two and a Half Men
Weeds
Will & Grace
24
30 Rock


2010s
Alone
American Idol
Better Call Saul
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Dancing With The Stars
Downton Abbey
Empire
Family Guy
Fargo
Game Of Thrones
Glee
Goliath
Grey's Anatomy
Homeland
House Of Cards
How I Met Your Mother
Last Man On Earth
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Louie
Mad Men
Maron
Mike & Molly
Modern Family
Mr Robot
Nashville
NCIS
Orange Is The New Black
Parks And Recreation
Preacher
Project Runway
Psych
Scandal
South Park
Survivor
The Amazing Race
The Americans
The Apprentice
The Bachelor
The Big Bang Theory
The Biggest Loser
The Good Wife
The Simpsons
The Voice
The Walking Dead
True Blood
Turn
Veep


*I'm trying to make a point to add everyone's recommendations to the lists.
This post was edited on 11/3/16 at 4:53 pm
Posted by Cow Drogo
Member since Jul 2016
7399 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 3:36 am to
This one

Game of thrones
Walking dead
Posted by Chief10
Member since Sep 2016
202 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 8:10 am to
You're missing a few shows in the 80s and 90s era. 80s with Hunter, McGyver(sp),quantum leap, unsolved mysteries.
90s with Full house, dinosaurs, growing pains. It's a toss up between 80s n 90s...leaning towards 90s



Posted by OlGrandad
Member since Oct 2009
3495 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 8:22 am to
Jack Benny tv show is available on youtube.

Jack with Mr and Mrs Jimmy Stewart
Posted by Paul Allen
Montauk, NY
Member since Nov 2007
75206 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 8:32 am to
1. 90's
2. 70's
3. 2010's
Posted by Tiger Voodoo
Champs 03 07 09 11(fack) 19!!!
Member since Mar 2007
21785 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 8:53 am to
2000s
1990s

1980s
2010s
Posted by Jack Ruby
Member since Apr 2014
22767 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 8:59 am to
70s and 90s for Network TV, 2000s for cable.
Posted by H-Town Tiger
Member since Nov 2003
59104 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 9:03 am to
quote:

2000s

quote:

The Wire
The Sopranos
The Shield



Posted by saint amant steve
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2008
5695 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 9:04 am to
quote:

1970s
Alice
All In The Family
Baretta
Barney Miller
Charlie's Angels
Columbo
Fantasy Island
Good Times
Happy Days
Kojak
Little House on the Prairie
Marcus Welby, MD
M*A*S*H
Mork & Mindy
Sanford & Son
Soap
Taxi
The Brady Bunch
The Carol Burnett Show
The Incredible Hulk
The Jeffersons
The Love Boat
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mod Squad
The Odd Couple
The Rockford Files
The Waltons
Three's Company
Welcome Back Kotter
WKRP in Cincinnati


How in the actual frick do you leave Roots off of this list?
Posted by Fewer Kilometers
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2007
36050 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 9:05 am to
Why the 70's win:
quote:

1970s
Alice
All In The Family
Baretta
Barney Miller
Charlie's Angels
Columbo
Fantasy Island
Good Times
Happy Days
Kojak
Little House on the Prairie
Marcus Welby, MD
M*A*S*H
Mork & Mindy
Sanford & Son
Soap
Taxi

The Brady Bunch
The Carol Burnett Show
The Incredible Hulk
The Jeffersons
The Love Boat
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mod Squad
The Odd Couple
The Rockford Files

The Waltons
Three's Company
Welcome Back Kotter
WKRP in Cincinnati
Posted by LanierSpots
Sarasota, Florida
Member since Sep 2010
61668 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 9:28 am to
quote:

2010s


quote:

American Idol


quote:

Survivor


No


Not sure how you are categorizing them but a lot of these shows started before 2010




But I will go with the 1990's by your list


Posted by Captain Lafitte
Barataria Bay
Member since Nov 2012
6377 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 9:55 am to
quote:

Growing Pains
Series was on air 1985-1992

After looking at the 2000's and 2010's, I can't believe how little TV I've watched. Especially the OTA networks.

So, I can't give an overall best.

I'm leaning '70s and 80s and then '90s.

ETA: Missing a few others:

Nash Bridges (1996-2001)
Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989-1993)
Evening Shade (1990-1994)
Parker Lewis Can't Lose (1990–1993)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996)
Dream On (1990–1996)
Major Dad (1989-1993)
Simon & Simon (1981-1989)
The Equalizer (1985-1989)
This post was edited on 11/2/16 at 10:53 am
Posted by airfernando
Member since Oct 2015
15248 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 10:16 am to
quote:

1985-1992

This is very close. I'd say 1985 to 1995.
Posted by Captain Lafitte
Barataria Bay
Member since Nov 2012
6377 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 10:30 am to
quote:

1985-1995
Oh, do you mean best TV?

I meant that Growing Pains ran from '85-'92.

If you mean the former, I can agree with you.
Posted by LSUDVM1999
North Carolina
Member since Aug 2010
2084 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 1:05 pm to
No Fall Guy from the 1980s??

Posted by SoFla Tideroller
South Florida
Member since Apr 2010
30108 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 1:41 pm to
I thought the 70s would win in a walk, but now that I look at the 60s it's closer than I thought.
Posted by DesignTiger
Buford, Georgia
Member since Jun 2011
1518 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 2:36 pm to
Forgot to put The Fresh Prince of Bel Air in the 90's...
Posted by tiderider
Member since Nov 2012
7703 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 3:17 pm to
quote:

quote:
1970s
Alice
All In The Family
Baretta
Barney Miller
Charlie's Angels
Columbo
Fantasy Island
Good Times
Happy Days
Kojak
Little House on the Prairie
Marcus Welby, MD
M*A*S*H
Mork & Mindy
Sanford & Son
Soap
Taxi
The Brady Bunch
The Carol Burnett Show
The Incredible Hulk
The Jeffersons
The Love Boat
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mod Squad
The Odd Couple
The Rockford Files
The Waltons
Three's Company
Welcome Back Kotter
WKRP in Cincinnati


How in the actual frick do you leave Roots off of this list?


how in the actual frick do you not understand the list is of full time series and doesn't include a miniseries movie?
Posted by Bumble Bee
Northwest, La
Member since Jan 2011
753 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 3:40 pm to
As a kid of the 80s, you left off a few from the top of my head. Technically, Seinfeld & Quantum Leap debuted in 89 but they are more 90's shows to me.

1980s
ALF
Alice
Benson
Bosom Buddies
Cagney & Lacey
Cheers
China Beach
Dallas
Designing Women
Diff'rent Strokes
Family Ties
Fantasy Island
Growing Pains
Head of the Class
Hill Street Blues
LA Law
MacGyver
Magnum, PI
Married With Children
Miami Vice
Mork & Mindy
Mr. Belvedere
Murder, She Wrote
Murphy Brown
My Two Dads
Newhart
Night Court
Perfect Strangers
Roseanne
Silver Spoons
St. Elsewhere
Star Trek: Next Generation
Taxi
The A-Team
The Cosby Show
The Dukes Of Hazard
The Facts Of Life
The Golden Girls
The Incredible Hulk
The Jeffersons
The Love Boat
The Wonder Years
Three's Company
Webster
Who's The Boss?
WKRP in Cincinnati
Posted by witty alias
Member since Nov 2012
1398 posts
Posted on 11/2/16 at 3:53 pm to
2000s
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