What was the number one show the year you were born?

[Sweetstop]

Howdy Doody or Milton Berle

In my birth year, 1948, 4 networks (NBC, CBS, ABC and DuMont) began a full prime time schedule, 8 to 11pm Eastern Time 7 days a week.

As woy (not his year ) noted earlier, Texaco Star Theater w/ Milton Berle and The Howdy Doody Show were the biggies.

[westofyou]

In my birth year, 1948, 4 networks (NBC, CBS, ABC and DuMont) began a full prime time schedule, 8 to 11pm Eastern Time 7 days a week.

As woy (not his year ) noted earlier, Texaco Star Theater w/ Milton Berle and The Howdy Doody Show were the biggies.

See... I knew that history of television class would come in handy.

[NYMoose]

As many others...Bonanza (1966)

[redsfan30]

The 1985 version of the Cosby Show.

[TeamMorris]

Laugh-In

[Roy Tucker]

It was an interesting social phenomenon. It was written to ridicule racism and bigotry. Archie was not a man to be admired for his ignorance and insensitivity.

But a huge part of the population made him their hero, a man who "told it like it was".

The young people of the day identified with "Meathead" and Gloria, while the old guard loved Archie.

My ex-father-in-law called me Meathead when I'd go off on one of my anti-war rants.

Upon occasion (usually not a very good one), my dad called my mom Dingbat.

[savafan]

Laverne & Shirley

[Sweetstop]

I miss Saturday night back in the early 70's. CBS had their killer lineup of "All in the Family," "Mash," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Bob Newhart Show" and "The Carol Burnett Show".

It was the early years of our marriage, and my husband and I would fix a big pot of spaghetti and eat on tv trays, pigging out and laughing all evening. Cheap entertainment.

[SunDeck]

1965:

14. Daktari CBS 12,870,150

"Dak-tareeee!"

I think Erin Moran was on that show at some point.

[TRF]

Laugh-In

[redsmetz]

Well, I was surprised, but then, in retrospect, not. It's "I Love Lucy", although I would have guessed it was Milton Berle, but he was not even in the Top 10 - we're talking 1954 and those were some seriously small screens then, I'm told.

[Sweetstop]

See... I knew that history of television class would come in handy.

I took a couple of film classes (history and criticism) years ago, but never any tv.

[max venable]

Mine's Laugh-In, too.

In looking at my year's list (1969) it's interesting how many shows were named for their star. Look at these boring titles:

7. The Red Skelton Hour
10. The Doris Day Show
11. The Bill Cosby Show
12. The Jim Nabors Show
13. The Carol Burnett Show
14. The Dean Martin Show
17. The Johnny Cash Show
20. The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
27. The Ed Sullivan Show

C'mon guys, let's try something original!

[westofyou]

I took a couple of film classes (history and criticism) years ago, but never any tv.

I majored in Video/Film, I had a classes on Video Art, Russian Cinema, German Silent Film, French New Wave, etc.... I could write a thesis on the fantasy television and the Vietnam war... or maybe I'll wait and do it on all the terrorist driven cop/forensic drama of current television and our current administration?

[NJReds]

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In