Andy Griffith Dies at 86: What Was the Best TV Show of the 1960s?
SLIDESHOW: What Was the Best TV Show of the 1960s?
“The Andy Griffith Show”
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.”
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“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.
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“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.
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8,545 votes
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53% | |||
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1,409 votes
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9% | |||
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1,469 votes
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9% | |||
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1,029 votes
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6% | |||
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220 votes
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1% | |||
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2,080 votes
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13% | |||
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658 votes
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4% | |||
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595 votes
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4% | |||
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?
Top Opinion
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“The Carol Burnett Show”
+11I 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.
Barbara Eden may have been every boy's favorite, but the best shows are not even listed here-- Hogan's Heroes, Rat Patrol, Combat, Twilight Zone, The Avengers, Get Smart, McHale's Navy.
And THE BEST show was, of course, Star Trek!
"Laugh-in" Too dated to be called a favorite today even though it's one of the two newer shows in the list. The comedy most everywhere else, though older in all but one case, doesn't feel dated - it's timeless.
"Beverly Hillbillies" A little too much of a one-joke show, just like "Addams Family" and "The Munsters"
"That Girl" Kind of the precursor to the Mary Tyler Moore show, cute, but not really very funny.
"Carol Burnett" This one borders on not belonging to the list, because though it started in the 60s, most of its run was in the 70s, and it's that period that most people remember. The only reason I didn't pick it myself is that I don't think of it as a 60s show.
"I Dream of Jeannie" and "Bewitched" Two very similar shows, very funny, very beautiful lead actresses (Barbara Eden is still gorgeous), but ultimately not as funny as my personal top two.
"Andy Griffith" This was truly a very close second. Funny as it was, from a pure comedy standpoint it wasn't as funny as the one I picked. Not because it didn't have funny stuff, but because a lot of it was jus...
"Laugh-in" Too dated to be called a favorite today even though it's one of the two newer shows in the list. The comedy most everywhere else, though older in all but one case, doesn't feel dated - it's timeless.
"Beverly Hillbillies" A little too much of a one-joke show, just like "Addams Family" and "The Munsters"
"That Girl" Kind of the precursor to the Mary Tyler Moore show, cute, but not really very funny.
"Carol Burnett" This one borders on not belonging to the list, because though it started in the 60s, most of its run was in the 70s, and it's that period that most people remember. The only reason I didn't pick it myself is that I don't think of it as a 60s show.
"I Dream of Jeannie" and "Bewitched" Two very similar shows, very funny, very beautiful lead actresses (Barbara Eden is still gorgeous), but ultimately not as funny as my personal top two.
"Andy Griffith" This was truly a very close second. Funny as it was, from a pure comedy standpoint it wasn't as funny as the one I picked. Not because it didn't have funny stuff, but because a lot of it was just light-hearted drama. Kind of like the more heavy-handed "M*A*S*H" in the 70s - lots of great comedy but lots of serious stuff, too.
"Dick Van Dyke" I don't know if it's just because I have always been a fan of this guy or what, but this show was consistently funny and funnier than any other show of that decade. Plus it featured a very funny young Mary Tyler Moore whose 70s show would rank near the top of THAT decade's list, too.
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RIP Andy.
Harvey Colman, Bernadette Petters!!! Gone with the Wind - dressed with curtins and the curtain rods!! The secutary that did her nail and could not answer the intercom,! Grate music also!
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