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10 superb Seventies TV shows turning 50 years old in 2022
M*A*S*H, The Waltons, Newhart, Barker… best TV year ever??
History packed a lot of events into 1972. Vietnam, Watergate. The last American walked on the moon. The video game era began with the introduction of the first home console and Pong. The Godfather ushered in a new era of Hollywood. The Joy of Sex was published.
Television was no different. Iconic series were launched — some of which still carry on today. MeTV favorites, superlative spin-offs, sensational sitcoms… 1972 had it all. Let's take a look at 10 beloved shows that kicked off that year.
1. The Bob Newhart Show
Newhart was no stranger to TV. Heck, this wasn't even the first series titled The Bob Newhart Show — there was a short-lived variety endeavor of the same name back in 1961. He won an Emmy for it. But this would be the comedians first (of several) hit sitcom — casting him as a Chicago psychologist. A killer supporting cast, including Suzanne Pleshette as his wife, helped make this one of the sharpest comedies of the era. Well, ever. It still feels modern. Maybe not those pants.
Image: The Everett Collection
2. Emergency!
Mantooth. Tighe. The guy who played firefighters Gage and DeSoto get most of the attention, but this realistic procedural shined a light on all aspects of emergencies, from the first responders to the hospital workers. It also helped promote the very concept and need of EMTs, which were not really a thing yet in America.
Image: The Everett Collection
3. Kung Fu
The notion of bald David Carradine dispensing martial arts might seem silly to modern folks, but Kung Fu helped popularize the art form in the West — not to mention the Tao Te Ching, Taoism and calling people "Grasshopper." Keye Luke (Master Po) and Philip Ahn (Master Kan) rounded out the cast. It worked — and clicked — because it was essentially a Western. Would we have The Karate Kid or The Wu-Tang Clan without it?
Image: The Everett Collection
4. M*A*S*H
What can we say that we haven't said in hundreds of articles and quizzes? Quite simply, M*A*S*H is arguably the greatest TV series of all time. It's hard to argue with the numbers from that finale.
Image: The Everett Collection
5. Maude
The first of many spin-offs from the radically popular All in the Family, Maude is the rare spin-off to spawn its own spin-off (Good Times). The boundary-pushing (and button-pushing) Norman Lear universe truly expanded in 1972. Bea Arthur burst from the screen as the opinionated Maude Findlay, pushing progressive ideas into the living room. Awesome theme song from Donny Hathaway, too. Yes, that's how good TV was then — they got Donny freakin' Hathaway to sing a theme song.
Image: The Everett Collection
6. The Price Is Right
Okay, technically, this was "The New Price Is Right," because a game show of the same name and concept aired in 1960s. And, technically, there were two versions of The Price Is Right to kick off in 1972, including a primetime edition hosted by Dennis James. But, let's be honest, this THE BOB BARKER SHOW we are really talking about, the daytime edition that spun its big wheel in 1972 and Plinko'ed its way into America's fabric.
Image: The Everett Collection
7. The Rookies
In hindsight, this police procedural is most remembered as the launchpad for Kate Jackson, who would become a television staple thanks to Charlie's Angels, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, etc. But like Adam-12, The Rookies helped to humanize police officers and show a more grounded approach to their work.
Image: The Everett Collection
8. Sanford and Son
"I'm coming, Elizabeth!" Redd Foxx was a comedy legend by this point, thanks to decades of "party records" and hair-raising stand-up routines. Millions had listened to him. Normal Lear gave him a brilliant vehicle for physical comedy, as Foxx clutched his chest and staggered around his junkyard home. This show — a remake of the British Steptoe and Son, remember — was massive, leading to spin-offs like Grady and Sanford Arms. Oh, and another awesome theme song. By Quincy Jones!
Image: The Everett Collection
9. The Streets of San Francisco
Michael Douglas — the only Marvel Cinematic Universe hero to be an action hero in 1972, too. Before he was Ant-Man, he was Steve Keller, young partner to Karl Malden. A classic rookie-veteran pairing that would lead to countless action pairings like Lethal Weapon.
Image: The Everett Collection
10. The Waltons
By now you're realizing how amazing 1972 was for television, right? Don't peg The Waltons as mere folksy warmth. It is that, yes, but the drama delivered romance, war stories, comedy, and even a little horror. It's an immersive world that keeps luring viewers back in. The fact that it was already nostalgia helps keep it fresh, in a way. It was looking back when it aired, so it only feels natural to keep looking back. Nostalgia would become a big industry (Clearly. Just look at, well, everything today.) and it kind of all started with The Waltons. Happy Days would follow… but that's for another list in a couple of years!
Image: The Everett Collection
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144 Comments
With social media today, no one's thoughts are private any longer. Something unacceptable (by anyone's definition) said in the wrong place and the wrong time, can be reported. Possibly leading to loosing a job and their standing in the community.
It's the difference between free speech, the sovereignty of their home (i.e. privacy) and social pressure (the thought police). Not based on principle but the from the danger of incurring a consequence.
1. The Bob Newhart Show - MEH
2. Emergency! - PASS
3. Kung Fu - PASS
4. M*A*S*H - MOSTLY GREAT
5. Maude - ONE BIG PASS
6. The Price Is Right - ONLY IF NOTHING ELSE IS ON
7. The Rookies - PASS
8. Sanford and Son - WONDERFUL
9. The Streets of San Francisco - PASS
10. The Waltons - SERIOUSLY?
