MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Television shows that used to be staples...

Television shows that used to be staples but almost never broadcast today

posted 6 years ago by BiffGG (662)
33 replies | jump to latest

Gilligan's Island. That show was ALWAYS on in the afternoon growing up. I know it has a high element of slapstick but was generally entertaining. And when it was produced it was entirely possible to be marooned since satellite technology was still not wide spread never mind Google Earth or any other tracking technology. No less believable than a witch living with an advertising exec or in more modern times a shlub (George Costanza) having a new hot girlfriend every other month or somewhat current bikers in a close range gun battle that never seem to hit one another (Sons of Anarchy).

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72380) 6 years ago

Threes Company
Diff'rent Strokes
Roseanne

And lol to the SOA comment
AK-47 at 20 feet
Miss!

[–] Frogarama (12942) 6 years ago

Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum
What might be right for you, may not be right for some
A man is born, he's a man of means
Then along come two, they got nothing but their jeans

But they got, Diff'rent Strokes
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72380) 6 years ago

'whatchu talkin bout Froggy?!?'

Used to love this one!
Sadly i think they are mostly gone
I have to google Willis...

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72380) 6 years ago

Happy to report that Todd 'Willis' Bridges is alive and well and is working
Now thats what Willis was talking about the whole time!

[–] Frogarama (12942) 6 years ago

Good to hear. Also you just made me realize that I had been picturing the Jeffersons characters instead of the correct ones, and I don't know why. I was certainly far more familiar with Diff'rent Strokes, which I watched as a kid. I've probably only seen two episodes of Jeffersons.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72380) 6 years ago

Oh The Jeffersons was so fun!
George was the reverse Archie...hilarious stuff
And like Archie Bunker he usually looked like the big dummy at the end of every episode
Good stuff

[–] BiffGG (662) 6 years ago

A fair amount of tragedy and misery surrounding Diff'rent Strokes such as Dana Plato's suicide probably makes the show hard to watch.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72380) 6 years ago

Agreed
It would just be a bummer now
Very fun back in the day
Except that bike shop episode...

[–] BiffGG (662) 6 years ago

The bike shop is the pedophile episode? It can't be much fun to play such a character. Since we are mentioning All In The Family here there was an episode about Edith's 50th birthday (she looked more like 65) and a rapist broke into the Bunker home. The actor who played the rapist commented in an article that for many years later he received threats of violence including death for playing such a character.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72380) 6 years ago

It was the pedo one

And yes i recall the 'Family rapist ep...

They really did make groundbreaking episodes on some of these shows back then but damn i was just too young for some of this stuff...
I remember either the pilot or second ep of Facts of Life (pretty sure ... It was the one with several cute girls in a fancy school) had a joke about teen suicide
I was very young and that freaked me out
Jeez...some heavy stuff back then

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72380) 6 years ago

Sadly it would not
Brilliant show...a favorite
I dont mind some of the PC stuff and feel like some of it is progress which we needed
But shows like this, the spin-off The Jeffersons which was very funny too and Movies like Blazing Saddles would never happen today

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Hogan's Hero is another one. All the episodes are free on youtube - no channel will touch it.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72380) 6 years ago

I forgot all about that one
'HOGANNN!!!'
Fun stuff but yup...they would be crazy to rerun a show about funny zany Nazis
Pretty whacked out idea even for the time really!

[–] beavis (3249) 6 years ago

hogan's heros is on every friday night on local tv in portland oregon along with alf

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Must be very local. I am surprised. I have never seen it on a comedy channel.

[–] beavis (3249) 6 years ago

I just watched "auto focus", funny that it is being mentioned

[–] beavis (3249) 6 years ago

hate the religious channels, they suck you in, make poor choices in life and all you got is god and a radio and tv signal

[–] Kawada_Kira (7269) 6 years ago

I've seen Hogan's Heroes on TV many times. I don't see why it would be too controversial for TV.

[–] BiffGG (662) 6 years ago

People are too stupid to see that Archie got his comeuppance when it was due.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72380) 6 years ago

Exactly
I loved it when he made the 'I give up' face in nearly every episode
One of the top shows ever

[–] BiffGG (662) 6 years ago

Another show that rotates in and out on TV Land. I will concede that TV Land is in tightwad mode in terms of having little programming depth these days.

[–] MissMargoChanning (6630) 6 years ago

Gunsmoke.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

One of my favorites and we get it on some Western station here in Canada

[–] BiffGG (662) 6 years ago

Gunsmoke is actually run heavily on such channels as TV Land. But if it is not on your own programming array then that is probably the same as never seen for you.

[–] MissMargoChanning (6630) 6 years ago

Right. I don't have cable.😉

[–] brux (14666) 6 years ago

The Big Valley
Bonanza
Gunsmoke
Lost In Space
The Flintstones
Room 222
Welcome Back Kotter
All In The Family

[–] db20db (16231) 6 years ago

The TV Land Network has a lot of these old shows, even Candid Camera. Now there's a staple for you.

[–] Stratego (29318) 6 years ago

The Flintstones
Bewitched
The Love Boat
Golden Girls
Murder She Wrote
Diagnosis Murder
Columbo
Laurel and Hardy

For a while they didn't broadcast popular British sitcoms like Dad's Army, Are You Being Served?, Keeping Up Appearances and Allo, Allo anymore, but they've started showing them again.

[–] AngularTurnip (3334) 6 years ago

"St. Elsewhere," and "Hill Street Blues" were "Must See TV" during their heyday -- but now? Good luck finding someone who's heard of these shows much less seen them.

[–] Stratego (29318) 6 years ago

Yes, for years they were repeated over here as well. Also Charlie's Angels and Magnum P.I.

[–] Kawada_Kira (7269) 6 years ago

The Flintstones isn't on TV anymore? That makes me sad. I used to watch it a lot when I was a kid, and that wasn't that long ago, late 90s-early 2000s.

I pity kids today; most of the stuff geared towards kids now is junk.

[–] MovieManCin2 (26342) 6 years ago

There's a reason for that, Biff.

😎