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Andy Griffith Dies at 86: What Was the Best TV Show of the 1960s?

SodaHead Slideshows 2012/07/03 19:10:27

SLIDESHOW: What Was the Best TV Show of the 1960s?

“The Andy Griffith Show”
1 of 8

“The Andy Griffith Show”

Andy Griffith stole America’s heart as Andy Taylor the sheriff in small town Mayberry, North Carolina. The widower was raising his son, Opie, played by little Ronny Howard, with the help of Aunt Bee and Barney Fife.
  1. “The Andy Griffith Show”

    “The Andy Griffith Show”

    Andy Griffith stole America’s heart as Andy Taylor the sheriff in small town Mayberry, North Carolina. The widower was raising his son, Opie, played by little Ronny Howard, with the help of Aunt Bee and Barney Fife.

  2. “The Dick Van Dyke Show”

    “The Dick Van Dyke Show”

    Rob and Laura Petrie became the symbol of the young, happily married couple. He was a comedy writer, and she was a stay-at-home mom raising Richie and rocking the pedal-pushers.

  3. “The Beverly Hillbillies”

    “The Beverly Hillbillies”

    Every week “The Beverly Hillbillies” told the story of a man named Jed and his kinfolk who struck oil and moved into a mansion with their cement pond in sunny California.

  4. “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In”

    “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In”

    Long before there was “Saturday Night Live,” “Laugh-In” was bringing cutting-edge sketch comedy to TV with hip, young talents like Lily Tomlin, Goldie Hawn, Artie Johnson, and Ruth Buzzi.

  5. “That Girl”

    “That Girl”

    Marlo Thomas was every young girl’s idol in the late ‘60s. They wanted to dress like her, live in a New York City apartment, and have a boyfriend, who they did not have to marry.

  6. “The Carol Burnett Show”

    “The Carol Burnett Show”

    We’re so glad we had this time together, Carol. The ultimate variety show, it brought the world sketches like “As the Stomach Turns,” “Went with the Wind” and “The Family.”

  7. “I Dream of Jeannie”

    “I Dream of Jeannie”

    Before Larry Hagman got shot on “Dallas,” he played astronaut Major Nelson. The somewhat uptight spaceman happened upon a magic bottle and found himself a genie, played by Barbara Eden.

  8. “Bewitched”

    “Bewitched”

    Who didn’t wish they could wiggle their nose and instantly tidy up the house or change their husband’s ad campaign to woo the client? Samantha Stevens cast a bit of a spell on everyone.

Andy Griffith Dies at 86: What Was the Best TV Show of the 1960s?
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With the passing of the legendary Andy Griffith, people are waxing poetic about the good old days of television. It was a simple time on the small screen, when married couples slept in separate beds and “I Dream if Jeannie's” Barbara Eden couldn't show her belly button. But it was also a time when the medium was breaking ground, setting standards for the shows to come and creating programming that still remains popular today.

Sure, "The Andy Griffith Show" on the surface was a down-home, feel-good family sitcom, but it was also the first series to feature a single dad, who was raising his boy, Opie, with the help of his family and friends.

Meanwhile, Marlo Thomas' "That Girl" showed young women they didn’t have to be married and have a family to define themselves. And "The Carol Burnett Show" took the variety show to new heights, and its comedic genius has never been surpassed by any series in the genre that's followed.

"Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" dared to go where no comedy show had gone before. It brought the hippie culture to the mainstream and introduced such catchphrases as “Sock it to me!” and “Here comes the judge.” Click through our slideshow and let us know: What was the best TV show of the 1960s?
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Top Opinion

  • Georgia50 2012/07/04 04:31:14 (edited)
    “The Carol Burnett Show”
    Georgia50
    +11
    I watched them all and liked them all, but there was nothing quite like the cast of the Carol Burnett Show cracking up in the middle of an improv.

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  • bill.fi... akhippie 2012/07/10 11:17:34 (edited)
    bill.fife.3
    +1
    Thank you! You have really done your research. I was working from memory but you know how long it has been...
    I do remember Aunt Pearl and the Bodines from Petticoat Junction. Sort of a spinoff show that grew in popularity for a while.
    (..Um, 'Granny Moses', then? Oh, boy.)
  • akhippie bill.fi... 2012/07/12 08:44:46
    akhippie
    I still watch them on DVD, would buy more if could find them. They never seem to get old.
  • bill.fi... akhippie 2012/07/12 13:20:04 (edited)
    bill.fife.3
    I love it! Am all for preserving the past and knowing where we came from (to know where we're going). OK now what about movies? You probably know Andy Griffith got his start that way but actually began on TV, moved to film then back then another series returned to TV in spinoff form based on the film. I'm talking of course about No Time For Sergeants and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (Goh-ohh-lee! Shazam!)
    OK my trivia question: Who were the actors that played the sergeants in NTFS and GP/U.S.M.C.? And no they weren't the same. Without looking. : )
  • bill.fi... bill.fi... 2012/07/14 19:09:26
    bill.fife.3
    USAF Sgt. King in No Time For Sergeants was played by Myron McCormick and USMC Sgt. Carter was played by Frank Sutton on Gomer Pyle.

    The characters of the two drill sergeants had completely different personalities: Sgt. King was a nervous worrier who hated anything that might rock the boat and "make waves" as he put it while Carter was a driven, OCD-type that was always putting the pressure on all the time. But between the two it was King that took things really seriously while Carter had the abililty to actually loosen up and join the fun.
  • akhippie bill.fi... 2012/07/17 08:56:00
    akhippie
    Sgt. Carter was Gomers D.I., you got me on the NTFS though.
  • Sinister Ken Doll™ 2012/07/05 20:32:14
    “I Dream of Jeannie”
    Sinister Ken Doll™
    +5
    jeannie was a cute show

    i dream of jeannie gif
  • Dave 007 Siniste... 2012/07/07 15:06:16
    Dave 007
    It would have been more cute if they could have used today's fashion standards for her outfit.
  • bill.fi... Dave 007 2012/07/10 11:22:45
    bill.fife.3
    LOL depends which standards you mean. Remember where she was from.
  • Gryffindor53 2012/07/05 20:28:05
    “Bewitched”
    Gryffindor53
    +3
    So many choices...I love Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, and The Dick Van Dyke Show, though. Beverly Hillbillies was pretty good too, and while I didn't watch it as much, The Andy Griffith Show was good as well.

    Also, where is Gilligan's Island on this list???

    <--'90's kid who grew up on '60's sitcoms, lol. Why can't TV Land be that good anymore? Heck, why can't television be that good anymore?
  • mae Gryffin... 2012/07/06 04:32:53
    mae
    +1
    'Cuz too many of us settled for'reality'TV...
  • TikkiPurdy 2012/07/05 20:26:30
    “The Beverly Hillbillies”
    TikkiPurdy
    +1
    And Bonanza!
    bonanza
  • Boss 2012/07/05 20:21:11
    “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In”
    Boss
    +3
    must have lots of non libs voting...rowan martin was by far the best...
  • Bunk11 Boss 2012/07/06 04:52:55
    Bunk11
    I'm no liberal, but I liked Rowan & Martin.
    "Very interrrresting, but not funny."
    "I lost you at the bakery." "I didn't go to the bakery." "No wonder I lost you."
  • gaylehelen 2012/07/05 20:20:35
    “The Dick Van Dyke Show”
    gaylehelen
    +1
    That was my favorite, but there were some good ones and some very bad ones. Like today.
  • Rachel 2012/07/05 19:35:56
    “Bewitched”
    Rachel
    It's between "Bewitched" and "I Dream of Jeannie" for me. =)
  • Groundskeeper Willy 2012/07/05 19:13:50
    “I Dream of Jeannie”
    Groundskeeper Willy
    +3
    Green Acres Petticoat Junction, or Gomer Pyle USMC,
  • Tennessee3501 2012/07/05 18:52:55
    “The Andy Griffith Show”
    Tennessee3501
    +1
    All of the above shows were and are still great! The best test is how many of them are still being shown today? " The Andy Griffith Show" still is, so that makes it one of the greatest., if not the greatest!
  • boneman1 2012/07/05 18:20:03
    “The Andy Griffith Show”
    boneman1
    +2
    I'd vote for Andy Griffith as the best tv show ever. I think most of them in the list are better than 99% of what we have today.
  • mae boneman1 2012/07/06 04:34:14
    mae
    So true.
  • “The Andy Griffith Show”
    ✩Batman's✩Epic✩Understudy✩
    I used to watch this show every night at my grandparents house when I went to stay over for a week or two. Awesome show! I've had the Andy Griffith Show theme song stuck in my head since I heard of Andy's passing a few days ago.
  • the fuze 2012/07/05 17:11:09
    “Bewitched”
    the fuze
    +3
    But I'd take ANY of them over today's current crap.
  • eNewsAlerts 2012/07/05 17:07:39
    “The Andy Griffith Show”
    eNewsAlerts
    +2
    They don't make em like they used to.
  • amber 2012/07/05 17:00:19
    “Bewitched”
    amber
    TheBEST WAS I LOVE LUCY
    BUT I LOVED THAT GIRL CUZ MY FRIENDS CALLED ME HER IN HIGH SCHOOL
    I WANTED TO B BEWITCHED OR I DREM OF JEANIE AND BEVERLY HILLBILLYS I LUVED 2 I loved all the above
  • mind-pilot 2012/07/05 16:45:28
    “The Beverly Hillbillies”
    mind-pilot
    Really, there was a lot of good shows in the 60's. Primarily because we all usually got 3 stations and there wasn't all this corporate commercialism. ButThree of the better ones was: The Marty Feldman/ Half-a-Comedy Hour, Fractured Flickers and, of course, Shin-Dig....for the best music that wasn't Ed Sullivan. It's not like today. You could set your calendar to it too. Andy Griffith Show was kinda-cute. Mostly filler. But I loved it.
  • rand 2012/07/05 16:42:07
    “The Dick Van Dyke Show”
    rand
    +3
    ...but the Emmy award winning Don Knotts portrayed a character unparalleled in comedy.
  • Stephanie 2012/07/05 16:37:52
    “I Dream of Jeannie”
    Stephanie
    +1
    I actually like Get Smart, but this is the only show from this list I've seen.
  • ☆FritzW☆ 2012/07/05 16:34:11
    “The Andy Griffith Show”
    ☆FritzW☆
    +1
    Talk about the perfect picture image of American life for most.. Mayberry was it. I watched this show through it's reruns upon reruns and when I see it now and again... it amazes me that 50 years have passed and how different a world we live in. For those of you too young, take a peek at the show and you'll see what life was like in the mid 20th century. Amazing life.. safe time; doors left unlocked and windows opened. Everyone knew everyone and helped each other. It was a way different life and I feel sorry for those now and in the future who never experienced this type of lifestyle. I miss it.
  • RogerCoppock 2012/07/05 16:31:16 (edited)
    “The Andy Griffith Show”
    RogerCoppock
    +1
    I was a real fan of the other Andy Griffith show, "Salvage I."
    It was made in 1979-80.

    Salvage 1 Opening Narrative:

    "Once upon a time, a junkman had a dream. So he put together a team; an ex-astronaut and a fuel expert. They built a rocket ship and they went to the moon. Who knows what they'll do next."

    http://www.crazyabouttv.com/s...

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
  • Saye Saye RogerCo... 2012/07/05 21:31:33
    Saye Saye
    I remember that movie.
  • RogerCo... Saye Saye 2012/07/05 23:31:02
    RogerCoppock
    It was a two hour made for TV move, followed by two seasons of TV series.
  • Proud 2012/07/05 16:28:03
  • mae Proud 2012/07/06 04:45:36
    mae
    Right! We would actually finish homework and supper early just to watch that show--Sunday nights, if I remember right.
  • mikeyavelli 2012/07/05 16:24:23
    “The Dick Van Dyke Show”
    mikeyavelli
    +2
    the babes on bewitched and on i dream of barbara eden made those shows the best, however, to be real, dick van dyke spawned modern TV, while elizabeth montgomery and barbara eden spawned many a young mans hebetic joys.
  • norma.j.wertz 2012/07/05 16:21:41
    “I Dream of Jeannie”
    norma.j.wertz
    +2
    My ornery brother would sing I dream of Jeanie in a cellophane bikini.
  • us 2012/07/05 16:16:46
    “I Dream of Jeannie”
    us
    I watch all the show some more than others. but also sports was always on,
  • AquariusNX01 2012/07/05 16:05:22
    “I Dream of Jeannie”
    AquariusNX01
    +2
    Jeannie rules! I Dream of Jeannie
  • bill.fi... Aquariu... 2012/07/06 15:10:49
    bill.fife.3
    Stole the pic.
    Barbara was the bomb and Larry didn't always talk Southern!
  • RS 2012/07/05 16:05:04
    “I Dream of Jeannie”
    RS
    +3
    I laugh to this day with I Dream of Jeanie...but you only have comedy. I truly think it was the best Decade for escapist TV....Here are a few others worth note...My Three Sons,The Wild Wild West, Star Trek,Voyage to the Bottom Of the Sea,Hogan's Heroes,F Troop and so on. How could the above list be complete without Gilligan's Island!!!!!
  • weenyboy 2012/07/05 15:59:48
    “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In”
    weenyboy
    +1
    Absolutely one of the best shows EVER on television of that genre. Great guests, GREAT comedians, GREAT skits and Richard NIxon at his best... Sock it to ME?
  • waterlady 2012/07/05 15:52:40
    “The Carol Burnett Show”
    waterlady
    +1
    I watched the Andy Griffith Show, but I likes Carol Burnett better.

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