The Best Classic Shows of the 50s, 60s & 70s That We’ve Completely Forgotten About

Starring: Ray Walston, Bill Bixby, Alan Hewitt, Pamela Britton
First Aired: September 29, 1963
Number of Seasons: 3
Estimated Production Cost: $70,000* per episode with inflation

Back in the ‘60s, life on other planets was a hot topic. America was determined to get to the moon and by the end of the decade, they would succeed. In the meantime, audiences were entertained by shows like My Favorite Martian. 

My Favorite Martian @ForgottenShows / Twitter.com

Jack Chertok produced this three-season CBS series, setting John L. Greene in charge of the core format creation and developing all the characters. The first two seasons had seventy-five episodes in total, and the third season had thirty-two, marking a time where networks have way more episodes per season.

When a young reporter comes across an alien that looks like a human, he does the decent thing and takes him in, giving him time to fix his broken spaceship. Viewers initially liked the show as it was similar to other popular ones of the time like I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched. However, ratings dropped significantly by the third season, leading CBS to put it out to pasture. 

Starring: Richard Long, Andrew Duggan, Arlene Howell, Van Williams 
First Aired: October 5, 1959
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: Unknown

Moody private-eye dramas have always been a hit with viewers, just look at the successful runs of Columbo and Murder, She Wrote. Unfortunately, Bourbon Street Beat didn’t have the right mix to keep it on air for more than one season. 

Bourbon Street Beat @esupertrain1 / Twitter.com

During the 1950s, chains like Dunkin’ Donuts and Denny’s weren’t the only things getting started. Bourbon Street Beat was one of the first major shows to feature a private detective agency. The show came from Warner Bros. Studios, but it wasn’t as successful as the other shows, though it was similarly formatted.

The premise followed characters Rex Randolph (Long) and Cal Calhoun (Duggan) as they solved cases for 39 episodes before the show was axed, but they would get a second chance. Rex was moved to 77 Sunset Strip and introduced as a new man about town, while Cal dropped by for one episode before hanging up his badge for good. 

Starring: Lon Chaney, Jr., Thomas Mitchell
First Aired: August 3, 1951
Number of Seasons: 2
Estimated Production Cost: $40,000* per episode with inflation

American Horror Story might have propelled the anthology genre back into the spotlight over the last decade, but rewind a few years and shows like Twilight Zone were the OG champions. Tales of Tomorrow was a huge inspiration for the aforementioned series, starring Lon Chaney, Jr., and Thomas Mitchell as a plethora of characters. 

Tales of Tomorrow @Tales of Tomorrow / Facebook.com

Unlike Netflix’s American Horror Story, the episodes of Tales of Tomorrow were much shorter, with just twenty-five minutes per episode. The series had a total of eighty-five episodes. Stories like Frankenstein and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea were just some of the tales revamped and captured in the captivating black and white series. 

Each episode focused on a different story and was also broadcast live on ABC. Numerous actors would also guest star, including Boris Karloff and Leslie Nielson. Despite only lasting two seasons, 85 episodes were made so it was more than just a flash in the pan. Tales of Tomorrow often gets forgotten in the shadow of Twilight Zone, but it paved the way for the series. 

Starring: Scott Brady
First Aired: October 24, 1959
Number of Seasons: 2
Estimated Production Cost: $52,000* per episode with inflation

Western TV shows and movies were incredibly popular in the 1950s, so much so that audiences had begun to tire of them towards the end of the decade. Viewers wanted something different from the standard template, which is why Shotgun Slade proved popular. 

Shotgun Slade @WesternsOnTheWeb / Pinterest.com

This genre-blending Western mystery (which you can still rent on Amazon) had guest appearances from big-name stars at the time, such as Jeanne Cooper, Walter Coy, Frank Ferguson, Ernie Kovacs, Brett King, Brad Johnson and more. The modern jazz score was far different from the Western music that usually played, one of several novelties of this show.

Slade was a private investigator who would take on special cases, which was unusual in a Western. The series ran for two seasons and 78 episodes, proving to be a good career move for star Scott Brady. After the series wrapped, the actor continued to work in various television shows and movies, memorably starring as Sheriff Frank in 1984’s Gremlins.

Starring: Kathryn Witt, Connie Sellecca, Pat Klous, Howard Platt
First Aired: August 28, 1978
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: Unknown

While the ‘50s and ‘60s had been largely dominated by male-led TV shows, the ‘70s saw more female orientated creations rise up through the ranks. One of them was Flying High, a tongue-in-cheek comedy-drama about three beautiful air hostesses. Production directly went after models to star in the show, hoping their looks would attract viewers. 

Flying High @Sean Mc / Youtube.com

Harvey Shephard, then the sales head of CBS, was one of the biggest reasons that the show was made in the first place. After he saw the three models on the elevator after the pitch, he called the head of the network and said, “We need this show.”

Although the network had high hopes for the series, it ultimately lacked substance and didn’t strike the right chord. Flying High was scrapped after 18 episodes, thanks in part to negative reviews and unflattering comparisons to the uber-successful Charlie’s Angels. 

Starring: Peggy Cass, Jack Weston, Marcy Grace Canfield, Harvey Lembeck, Barbara Perry
First Aired: October 6, 1961
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: Unknown

They say never work with children or animals, but ABC didn’t get the memo when they ordered The Hathaways. The odd-ball comedy starred Peggy Cass and Jack Weston as loving parents living out in the ‘burbs, but there was a twist. The kids were chimpanzees. 

The Hathaways @RetroAlexander / Youtube.com

This show, which was sponsored in part by General Mills competitor Ralston Purina, was one of the earliest sitcoms to feature animals on TV. The sitcom wasn’t really commercially successful, but The Hathaways did get a semi-spinoff: the show released its own comic book series featuring the show’s famous chimps in 1962.

It was a disaster from the get-go, costing the network a fortune. Sponsors weren’t interested, so ABC had to foot the bill themselves alongside animal food company Ralston-Purina. Critics called the show “possibly the worst series ever to air on network TV” and dubbed it “utterly degrading.” On the other hand, monkey enthusiasts loved it.

Starring: Wendell Corey, Marsha Hunt, Patty McCormick, Ray Ferrell
First Aired: 1959
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: $45,000* per episode with inflation

The biggest problem with 1959’s Peck’s Bad Girl was that audiences just didn’t get it. In an era where white picket fences and Lucille Ball ruled supreme, parodies weren’t understood or welcome. The idea behind the family sitcom was to go so far overboard with storylines that it poked fun at other shows. 

Peck's Bad Girl @tvrewind / Youtube.com

The original film Peck’s Bad Girl was actually a silent film released in 1918. The movie had guest appearances from Earle Foxe, Corinne Baker, Riley Hatch, Eddie Sturgis, and Edward M. Favor. The CBS show also had celebrity guest appearances from the era, though the show was less successful than the fifty-minute MGM film.

Narrated by little Patty McCormick as Torey Peck, many have speculated that viewers at the time may not have noted it was a comedy at all. The show was shelved never to be seen again almost as soon as it was released. In fact, so little information about the series exists today that there isn’t even a Wikipedia page on the subject. 

Starring: Edward Andrews, Dick Sargent, Sheila James, Kathleen Nolan, Joan Staley
First Aired: September 20, 1964
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: $65,000* per episode with inflation

So many war dramas focus on the male side of things that it was a welcome relief when Broadside rolled around in 1964. The show focused on the women of the Navy in World War II, with Kathleen Nolan in a starring role. Ratings for the show remained good throughout the run, which is why it was such a shock when it was axed. 

Broadside @clarkhallman / Pinterest.com

Most military-set series (especially Navy shows) look like they could also function as advertisements for Huntington Ingalls or Boeing, but Broadside was different. The clever scripts, good direction, and enthusiastic cast were the bread and butter of the show. Fun fact: the cast all got honorary Teamsters memberships, which allowed them to legally drive the show’s vehicles.

The production company simply didn’t have enough space to use the tropical exteriors on the lot, so they decided to cancel the show after 32 episodes. Broadside got the short end of the stick as another show that used the same exterior lot got to move to Italy to continue filming.

Starring: John Gavin
First Aired: September 17, 1965
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: $12 million*

Broadside wasn’t the only war-based TV casualty in the mid-60s. NBC’s Convoy followed Commander Dan Talbot (John Gavin) and his crew on a cargo ship as they helped supply troops with food and other items in World War II. One of the show’s biggest barriers was that it was shot in black and white to accommodate old war footage used. At the time, audiences were more attracted to new, exciting technicolor shows. 

Convoy / Pinterest.com

John Gavin was an actual naval officer before he became an actor. He admitted that even he had issues with the way in which NBC depicted Naval life on Convoy. NBC also was worried that women wouldn’t like the show until someone told execs that women in WWII also traveled in convoys. 

Ratings were low from the get-go as the show couldn’t compete against other programs on at the same time. Instead of becoming the breakout dramatic hit that the network wanted it to be, Convoy sank to the bottom of the ocean like the dead weight it was. 

Starring: Jack Sher, Lee Hewitt
First Aired: September 25, 1976
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: $40,000* per episode with inflation

Every network knows that getting a good duo on-screen is invaluable. Look at Starsky & Hutch, or Cagney & Lacey. If it’s done right, it can go down in history. Sadly, Holmes & Yo-Yo fell short of the mark, despite high expectations from ABC. The network hoped that making YoYo an android would prove a popular twist to the standard detective comedy.

Holmes & Yo-Yo @adambrodsky / Twitter.com

Far from being the high-tech hit show that Netflix detective series and Sherlock-based shows are today, Holmes & Yoyo was a little less cutting-edge, though still ambitious. The producer was a former staff writer for the show Get Smart, and he based the Yoyo character on Stymie. Stymie, in many ways, was Yoyo’s prototype.

The series was instantly panned as a complete disaster, but it did make a mark…albeit not the one that ABC was hoping for. Holmes & Yo-Yo has been named on TV Guide’s List of the Worst 50 TV Shows of All Time. 

Starring: Stephen Dunne, Mark Roberts, Barney Phillips
First Aired: September 24, 1960
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: Unknown

Considering how low-budget The Brothers Brannagan was, the series did fairly well production-wise. The story followed two brothers, Mike and Bob as they used their detective skills to solve crimes that came their way. It wasn’t a new premise by any means, which ultimately led to its short run.

The Brothers Brannagan @FrankMalfitano / Twitter.com

The Brothers Brannagan might not have had the budget that mainstream CBS or NBC shows had at the time, but the cast was still enthusiastic. The show even had high-profile guest stars, including actors and actresses like Ann McCrea, Christopher Dark, Sterling Holloway, Flip Mark, Ron Hagerthy, and even Burt Reynolds.

Stars Stephen Dunne and Mark Roberts shot 39 episodes of the show which were broadcast over the course of a few months in the early 1960s. Although it didn’t prove enormously popular, it was a standard piece of TV drama that could’ve easily struggled on a bit longer if the production costs had stretched further. 

Starring: Rod Cameron
First Aired: September 6, 1960
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: $60,000* per episode with inflation

Rod Cameron was a popular face in the 1950s and 60s, so when he was cast in Coronado 9 executives were hoping his pull would help get the series off the ground. The series focused on Dan Adams (Cameron) as he used his US Navy experience to solve cases as a private investigator. 

Coronado 9 @Samuel Williamson / Youtube.com

Revue Studios produced the show, clips of which you can see for free on YouTube. Though the show was short-lived, with just one season and thirty-nine episodes, there were guest appearances from famous faces like Beverly Garland and Doug McClure. Timeless Media released the series on DVD in December of 2010.

Despite a lot of fanfare over its release, the show fell flat and production halted after 39 episodes. At the time, Cameron was going through a lot of turmoil in his personal life as he divorced his wife and married her mother, prompting director William Witney to call him “the bravest man I’ve ever seen.” 

Starring: Allen Swift, Frank D. Freda, Suzanne Turner
First Aired: January 4, 1960
Number of Seasons: N/A
Estimated Production Cost: Unknown

Back in the ‘60s kids were a lot easier to please than today’s youth. Smartphones didn’t exist and the only entertainment came from imagination and non-computerized toys. Cartoons were infinitely popular, as was Diver Dan. 

Diver Dan @Diver Dan / Youtube.com

Diver Dan wasn’t made by a huge network like Disney or CBS. Instead, Brian Cartoons made the show, and ITC Entertainment distributed it. It would later be syndicated to NBC affiliates, and local stations would re-edit them into half-hour blocks. John Ferlaine was the creator of the series. A cartoonist himself, he developed the idea from his comic strip called Fish Tales.

The series focused on a diver as he explored the underwater world. Filmed as a live-action series with puppet fish, the effects were created by shooting through an aquarium. 104 shorts were made in total, with some of them accumulated to make 30-minute shows and others factored into other programs like Felix & Diver Dan. 

Starring: Lou Antonio, Kim Basinger, Matt Clark 
First Aired: March 5, 1977
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: Unknown

Dog and Cat capitalized on the success of Kim Basinger’s popularity at the time. Having already established herself as one of the models of the decade, the star hoped to transition into acting. Although she would go on to star in numerous titles over the coming years, Dog and Cat wouldn’t be a career-defining move for the star as it lasted just six episodes.

Dog and Cat @TVTimeMachine / Twitter.com

Lawrence Gordon was the pitchman for the show, which was distributed by CBS, though it originally aired on ABC. Paramount was the producer, and it was the first show to be supervised by ABC executive Brandon Tartikoff. Dog and Cat replaced the show Most Wanted, which snagged the coveted Monday night TV timeslot. 

Basinger starred alongside Lou Antonio as two partners working together in the Los Angeles Police Department. The series was panned for tackling some unsavory plot lines and, like many other detective shows featuring a female lead, was criticized for trying to emulate Charlie’s Angels.