The Best of 1960s Television
Top 5 shows of the groovy sixties
A lot has happened during my time away. I was in a play, there was schoolwork, other boring stuff. blah blah blah. BUT, also, a very important thing has happened in my life.
For many years now, I have dreamed of owning rats. I really want rats. I have the perfect rat names picked out and everything- RATrick Mahomes and TRATvis Kelce. My parents are not fans of rodents, so that was a non-starter when I lived at home.
A few weeks ago, I wandered into a pet store and there was the smallest most darling little mouse I had ever seen. I fell in love immediately. I rushed home and asked if I could get him. The answer was a resounding NO. Then my dad pulled me aside and told me something life-changing.
“You’re an adult. You have your own money and you don’t live here.”
I took this to mean, yes, you can buy this mouse if you want. A few days later, I returned, and my little guy was gone. But they had his brother in the back, and that I could get him IF I was buying him as a pet and not snake food (I really confused the lady when she asked if it was as a pet or food, and I responded with “why would I eat a mouse?”)
So this was a long-winded way of saying that I now have my very own pet. His name is Gizmo. He has the same coloring and big ears as the beloved 1980s film character. He is perfect and the best part of my life now.
But, I do feel bad for neglecting this newsletter. So as a thank you for the support and patience and all the love on my last post, I will finally answer the question I have been getting a lot.
Why do I hate Matt Damon so much?
He is aware of why.
I may have grown up in the 2000s, but I grew up with 1960s television shows. These were the shows my parents loved. These were the shows that we watched.
This was groundbreaking TV. By the 1960s, most families had television sets in their homes. Radio was out, and TV was in. Even COLOR TV.
So, I’m ranking my top five television shows of the 1960s. This was a hard list to make. There are so many good shows. There are some I feel bad leaving off, and some that would never make this list in a million years (I Dream of Jeannie).
I will also point out that one of my favorite ever shows is Scooby Doo, Where are You. However, it premiered in 1969 and including it felt kind of like cheating since it mostly ran in the 1970s. So, yes, if I ever do a 1970s list, Scooby Doo will be very, very high on it. If I had thought of it as a 1960s show, one of the following would have been bumped.
This is my list, meaning I compiled my personal top five favorites. These are definitely not the critic’s choice best of the era, and they’re definitely not the most revolutionary. But these are the ones I rewatch and love the most.
Gilligan’s Island (1964-1967)
The shipwreck show for the ages! Gilligan’s Island follows seven people who have been shipwrecked on an island. They go on all kinds of misadventures in an effort to get off the island and are usually foiled by Gilligan — it is really quite amazing that they don’t at some point try to drown Gilligan.
The cast comprises of the skipper of the little boat that crashed (known only as “Skipper”), the silly first mate (titular Gilligan), the millionaire AND his wife, the movie star, the brilliant professor, and the sweet farm girl.
The show never makes clear why a millionaire, a movie star and a farm girl were all on the same three-hour cruise. Then, it never really explains why they all brought so much luggage and so many outfits for a three-hour cruise.
Its zany and wacky and all around fun! The best part about this show is that when people ask where in Kansas my mother grew up, I just say where Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island is from. I’ve since learned that this works really well with older generations and not so much with my generation.
This is a fun watch for a while. But, yeah, the episodes are all the same and at some point not really much point in watching more. Honestly, this show being at five is generous, but this is my list and I’m giving it a shoutout.
Tinseltown Episode Recommendation: The Invasion (Gilligan and The Skipper find a government briefcase with top secret information).
The Jetsons (1962-1963)
This is the quintessential 1960s futurism. I know right off the bat that putting this instead of The Flintstones is controversial, but I have my reasons.
The Jetsons are your modern Stone Age- I mean future family. The show follows George Jetson, his boy Elroy, daughter Judy, Jane- his wife. There is also their dog, Astro the space mutt, and their maid robot Rosey.
The reason I have included this show is that it contains all the fun of 1960s animation and the genius of Hanna-Barbera Productions. The reason I have picked The Jetsons over The Flintstones (which wasn’t that hard since these shows are very, very similar) is that I think the space age setting is way more fun than the stone age. While cars that you have to power through the courtesy of Fred’s two feet is a fun novelty, flying cars and technology is way more entertaining to me. The 1960s version of the future is WAY better than our current future (where is MY hoverboard?). I think this show, from an aesthetic point of view, is one of, if not the best show from this time.
Tinseltown Episode Recommendation: Miss Solar System (Jane signs up for a beauty pageant and George is one of the judges).
The Addams Family (1964-1966)
I love this show. A LOT. I have seen many episodes multiple times. We recently had to write about an episode of this for one of my film classes, and it was the best day ever. I had a lot to say.
Charles Addams created the Addams family as a cartoon in The New Yorker. It has since become a staple in American media. There have been numerous films about this iconic gothic family over the years (most famously in the 1990s).
The Addams are creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky … and just your everyday family — if the average family ate bats and eyeballs instead of chicken.
There is a debate over Addams versus Munsters I am settling the debate. The Munsters are fine, but The Addams Family is better! One of my favorite fun facts to pull out at parties (probably why I am not invited to parties) is that The Munsters and Addams Family premiered with only a week in between them. Nobody knows if there was any copycat stuff going on — it’s fascinating that they came out at basically the same time in 1964.
This show was groundbreaking in one way: It showed a loving couple on screen. For the most part, sitcom couples were fed up with each other and had plenty of issues that became the crux of the show. Not Morticia and Gomez. Gomez would do anything for his wife.
This show might be No. 3 on the list, but it is very near and dear to my heart.
Tinseltown Episode(s) Recommendation: Morticia’s Romance part 1 and part 2 (The story of how Gomez and Morticia fell in love — featuring guest star Wizard of Oz’s own Wicked Witch- Margaret Hamilton!!!!)
Batman (1966-1968)
SAME BAT TIME AND SAME BAT CHANNEL. This is the best version of Batman. Adam West is the best Batman. Cesar Romero is the first, and still THE best Joker (plus he didn’t method act and traumatize his cast mates).
The show has the spandex-wearing Batman and the boy wonder Robin (or “Boy Blunder” as the Joker called him) fight villains of Gotham City. All of the villains are perfect — they’re more mischievous than evil, more goofy than cruel. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously and because of that, it allows for the show to be silly and SO MUCH fun.
This was Batman as he was originally created - the World’s Greatest Detective. He can figure out the Joker’s plans from a single strand of hair… somehow. And then he tells Robin it was obvious all along.
Another reason I love this show is that one of my favorite singers, Lesley Gore, is actually a guest star in this show. She plays the sidekick to Julie Newmar’s Catwoman. Oh, yes, Julie Newman is the best Catwoman.
I have nothing but love for this show. I like to believe it affected me in a positive way. But more importantly in affected me in a way that makes me force all my friends to watch it with me.
Tinseltown Episode(s) Recommendation: The Zodiac Crimes, The Joker’s Hard Times, The Penguin Declines.
I want to explain my pick for my recommendation. If you watch nothing else, watch these three episodes (they go together). If giant clams, turning water into jelly, and zodiac crimes appeal to you, THIS is for you! It has both the Joker and the Penguin. I seriously can not recommend this enough. Please.
Bewitched (1964-1972)
I know that this show technically goes on into the 1970s BUT I don’t think it’s fair to hold the show’s popularity against it. It is a 1960s show that just kept going because it was so awesome and popular.
Bewitched follows Samantha, a witch, and her adventures into domesticity with her human husband Darrin (who is played by two different actors who look nothing like each other). Darrin, for some reason, is against witchcraft, and he wants Sam to be a normal wife. She responds by twitching her nose and magicking all kinds of trouble. The show was based on the 1942 movie I Married a Witch (totally worth a watch. Veronica Lake is a stunning witch).
Sam is one of my favorite all-time TV show characters. She is witty, pretty, and MAGICAL (both in her on-screen presence and, ya know, her supernatural abilities). Younger me wanted to grow up to be her. I could be found wiggling my nose. As of yet, I haven’t had any success making that work, but I am still hopeful!
Upon my research, I found that Hanna-Barbera actually produced the iconic animated opening and closing. How cool is that? Hanna-Barbera can do no wrong. I am actually a little embarrassed I didn’t know that already.
I can’t rave enough about how incredible this show is. It’s the 1960s sitcom formula with the added supernatural drama.
Tinseltown Episode Recommendation: Love is Blind (Darrin worries that his friend Kermit will fall for Sam’s friend Gertrude, who may or may not be a witch — with guest star ADAM WEST!)
Please feel free to let me know your favorite TV shows of the 1960s! I feel pretty good about my list, but there are so many good shows of the time that I feel that at least two of these shows are debatable.
Happy watching!
Good list. Mine would have included Get Smart. I still say "Would you believe" or "Missed it by that much" at least once a week.
Great list, although though I didn’t watch the Adams Family, and I probably would put the Flintstones ahead of the Jetsons. I watched Batman and Gilligan’s Island religiously. I can’t believe you left of the Beverly Hillbillies. I’d say my favorite show from the 60’s has to be Star Trek. It’s the one show (excluding football) that as a kid I watched every week with my dad, so pretty special.