5 Most Influential TV Shows Of The 70s (& 5 That Deserve To Be Forgotten)

5 Most Influential TV Shows Of The 70s (& 5 That Deserve To Be Forgotten)

The 1970s produced a number of timeless TV shows that were hugely influential but it also gave audiences experiences that are better off forgotten.

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The ’60s was a big time for revolutionary television, as the art form was being perfected. Thanks to some incredibly popular and ambitious programs, the art and potential of TV storytelling was finally being made abundant and obvious.

As such, producers and creatives needed to go even further in the ’70s. TVs were becoming more widespread, and budgets were increasing. Suddenly, television served as a decent companion to film. Definitely not on the same level (at least not as much as the 2000s and 2010s), but certainly getting there. These are five of the most influential TV shows of the ’70s, and five that deserve to be forgotten.

10 Influential: Battlestar Galactica (1978-79)

Battlestar Galactica certainly didn’t last long, but it left behind an incredible reputation. The show undoubtedly took influence from Star Trek, but it helped expand what was possible in science fiction TV.

Unfortunately, it didn’t prove very popular with mainstream audiences and was canceled after just 24 episodes. However, it left behind an incredibly devoted fan base, and it helped the overarching Battlestar Galactica franchise, which includes one of the greatest sci-fi shows of all time in the 2004 reboot.

9 Forgotten: Supertrain (1979)

Supertrain aired for just nine episodes throughout the spring of 1979, and there’s a good reason for that. The show was greatly marketed at the time, as it was the most expensive television program ever produced.

NBC desperately wanted a return on their extravagant investment, which of course only resulted in even more money spent on advertising. And while the set design is admittedly great, it can’t cover up awful writing and bland storytelling. It was a monumental critical and commercial disappointment, and it was canceled after just nine episodes.

8 Influential: Charlie’s Angels (1976-81)

Created by both Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and produced by Aaron Spelling, Charlie’s Angels proved a huge hit throughout the late ’70s. The show ran for five seasons and 115 episodes between 1976 and 1981, led of course by the thrilling performances of Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, and Cheryl Ladd.

The show was often criticized for taking advantage of its female leads (known then as Jiggle TV), but it still proved greatly influential in female empowerment. It also spawned a media franchise that is still going to this day.

7 Forgotten: Three’s A Crowd (1979-80)

Three’s a Crowd is often regarded as one of the most infamous game show failures of all time.

Obviously having been influenced by The Newlywed Game, Three’s a Crowd wasn’t nearly as fun or as innocent. With the bizarre tagline “Who knows a man better, his wife or his secretary?,” Three’s a Crowd saw men answering personal questions, and both his wife and secretary competing to answer them to see who “knows the man better.” The show received tons of backlash, mainly for promoting marital discord for entertainment.

6 Influential: M*A*S*H (1972-83)

M*A*S*H remains one of the most important television shows of all time, owing to the incredible legacy that it has left behind. This show depicted the lives of army doctors during the Korean War, beautifully blending elements of wacky and absurd comedy with grounded realism and hard-hitting personal drama.

The blending of genres was incredibly unique, and elements of it can still be seen today in “workplace comedy/dramas” like Scrubs. Despite numerous shows “borrowing” its DNA, there will never be a program like M*A*S*H again.

5 Forgotten: Me And The Chimp (1972)

CBS had its fair share of smash hits. But it also had its share of duds, and Me and the Chimp was one of the worst. Just reading or hearing that title is enough to cause someone to break into hysterics. The show primarily concerns Mike Reynolds, his family, and his pet chimp Buttons that often causes problems for the family.

Despite being created by TV legend Garry Marshall (who would later develop Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley), Me and the Chimp was a major flop for CBS, and it was cancelled after just thirteen episodes.

4 Influential: Dallas (1978-91)

Coming in at the tail end of the ’70s was Dallas, perhaps the most popular soap opera of all time.

This wasn’t just a primetime soap – it was a piece of American culture. Millions of people were glued to their screens every week, and the iconic “Who Shot JR?” cliffhanger and subsequent marketing campaign essentially changed television forever. The following episode, Who Done It, was viewed by an incredible 90 million people, or about three-quarters of all American TV viewers. If a modern show utilizes cliffhangers, it has Dallas to thank.

3 Forgotten: Holmes & Yoyo (1976-77)

Detective shows were hugely popular throughout the ’70s. Holmes & Yoyo is probably one of the worst ones ever released. This show followed a detective named Alexander Holmes who is paired with an experimental robot police officer named Yoyo.

The show was constantly gleaming comedy out of Yoyo’s numerous malfunctions, which included breaking out into dance, picking up Swedish radio signals, and acting like a skipping record. It was critically maligned and is now regarded as one of the worst shows ever made.

2 Influential: S.W.A.T. (1975-76)

S.W.A.T. is not often remembered, but that doesn’t make it any less influential. As is obvious from its title, S.W.A.T. follows the adventures of a S.W.A.T. team in an unnamed California city. The show was enormously influential for its realistic portrayal of violence on television, which was a popular and divisive talking point at the time.

It helped revolutionize the way that both violence and the police were portrayed on television, and it helped give rise to the literally countless police periodicals that would follow.

1 Forgotten: Mr. T And Tina (1976)

Serving as a spinoff of the iconic show Welcome Back, Kotter, this show sees Japanese inventor Taro Takahashi moving from Tokyo to Chicago to set up an American branch for his employer. The show garnered some truly horrific reviews, and while it was one of the first TV shows to feature a predominantly Asian American cast, it also resorted to gross stereotypes and borderline racist humor.

The terrible reviews and casual racism resulted in abysmal ratings, and the show was canceled after just nine episodes (leaving four unaired).

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/worst-most-influential-tv-shows-1970s/

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