Old TV Shows: Classic Series by Decade, From the 1950s to the 1990s

For decades, American television meant a few networks, a weekly schedule and shows the whole country watched at the same time. These old TV shows are some of the best remembered, decade by decade. Air dates refer to the original US runs.

1950s

• I Love Lucy (1951–1957): the sitcom template, still in reruns.
• The Honeymooners (1955–1956): just one season of the classic half-hour version, endlessly repeated.
• Gunsmoke (1955–1975): the long-running western; see old western TV shows.
• The Twilight Zone (1959–1964): anthology science fiction with twist endings.

1960s

• The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968): small-town warmth in Mayberry.
• The Flintstones (1960–1966): the first prime-time animated sitcom.
• Bewitched (1964–1972): a witch tries to live as a suburban housewife.
• Star Trek (1966–1969): cancelled after three seasons, then a phenomenon in reruns.
• The Brady Bunch (1969–1974): the blended family everyone knows.

1970s

• The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977): a single woman's career in a TV newsroom.
• All in the Family (1971–1979): sitcom comedy about real arguments.
• M*A*S*H (1972–1983): war comedy-drama with a record-breaking finale.
• Happy Days (1974–1984): 1950s nostalgia in the 1970s.

Landmark Black TV shows

Show	Years	Why it matters
Sanford and Son	1972–1977	A junk dealer and his son; a huge 70s hit
Good Times	1974–1979	A Chicago family facing hard times with humor
The Jeffersons	1975–1985	"Movin' on up" to the East Side; one of TV's longest-running sitcoms
A Different World	1987–1993	Life at a historically Black college
Living Single	1993–1998	Friends in Brooklyn, ahead of its time
Martin	1992–1997	A Detroit radio DJ and his circle
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air	1990–1996	A Philadelphia teen in a wealthy LA family

Kids' TV favorites

• Howdy Doody (1947–1960): one of TV's first children's hits.
• Captain Kangaroo (1955–1984): gentle weekday mornings for decades.
• Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968–2001): kindness, calm and the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
• Sesame Street (1969–): the educational show that changed children's TV.
• Saturday morning cartoons: a weekly ritual of its own; see Saturday morning cartoons.

1990s

• Saved by the Bell (1989–1993): high school sitcom for a generation.
• Family Matters (1989–1998): remembered for its unexpected breakout neighbor.
• Boy Meets World (1993–2000): growing up, one school year at a time.
• The X-Files (1993–2002): conspiracy, aliens and monsters of the week.

Shows from the 2000s are starting to feel "old" too, and a new generation is discovering them on streaming.

Where to watch old TV shows

• Classic TV channels on broadcast subchannels air old series daily.
• Studio streaming services and free ad-supported streaming carry many complete series.
• DVD box sets from libraries, often with original extras.
• Archives: a few early programs are in the public domain; see public domain movies.