What "old" series are you watching?

[Birdie Num Nums]

IMO after Don Knotts left the show it went downhill from there. He was on a few color episodes, but I believe that was after he had already left the show and thereafter made sporadic appearances. It seemed boring after he left, the fun was gone.

Funny thing is, the show was still a hit even after Knotts left. (It was #1 1967/68, per this TV history book I have in my hands.) Andy Griffith just grew tired of the role in 1968, so the series evolved into "Mayberry RFD"--with its first episode having Andy marry Helen and moving on, and Aunt Bee then moving in with the Ken Berry character's family.

"Mayberry RFD" was still a top series during its three-year run. It was #4 during the 1968/69 & 1969/70 seasons; and #15 during 1970/71. But CBS then did its infamous cancellation of countless "rural" TV series (even popular ones) around 1971/72 in an effort to become more "hip" with the younger audience.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

Funny thing is, the show was still a hit even after Knotts left. (It was #1 1967/68, per this TV history book I have in my hands.) Andy Griffith just grew tired of the role in 1968, so the series evolved into "Mayberry RFD"--with its first episode having Andy marry Helen and moving on, and Aunt Bee then moving in with the Ken Berry character's family.

"Mayberry RFD" was still a top series during its three-year run. It was #4 during the 1968/69 & 1969/70 seasons; and #15 during 1970/71. But CBS then did its infamous cancellation of countless "rural" TV series (even popular ones) around 1971/72 in an effort to become more "hip" with the younger audience.

I am very surprised at that. For me anyways, after Knotts left the show was never the same.

 

[Yoheadden]

Depends on your definition of old. We've been on a detective series binge of late: The Closer, Mentalist, Monk. This was after exhausting several similarly themed British series which we prefer: Prime Suspect, DCI Banks, etc. If this pandemic keeps on for much longer we may run out.

We really enjoyed The Mentalist when that was on.

Recently just watched all of The Little Rascals and Honey Mooners. Jackie Gleason was one of the best

Also more recent shows, King of Queens & Rules of Engagement.

 

[Time2]

I recently watched several episodes of 'The Pretender' although it's a youngster at only 20 years old.

 

[Christine]

Online try " Uncle Earl's classic TV. It's free to use.

Thank you for this - one of the few that isn't blocked for us foreigners.

 

[Jeb-NY]

I am collecting episodes of Pretender and Highlander with Plex to rewatch but waiting for a few more episodes to fill in. Unfortunately they only play once a week so it takes awhile to get them all. Some other shows in my collection play 6 to 50 times a week and they don't take long to get a full set recorded to start watching. Love Plex. I currently have about 5TB of old TV and Movies stacked up on Plex for future viewing and you can skip commercials.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

I don't know if it counts as "old, but I started watching Game of Thrones this week.

I suppose "old" can mean TV series that are no longer being produced--especially if you had never watched them before now. If so, I recently have been watching and enjoying many rerun episodes of "Modern Family." For some reason, I never watched it before, catching only snippets of it while it was being first broadcast.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I love the black and white Andy Griffith shows--but once they converted to color they are no good.

Heh! You beat me to posting this. How true.

I also recall when shows were subtitled "IN COLOR" and the NBC Peacock station ID with the slogan "in living color." Not that we could tell at home; Dad was seriously into LBYM long before we ever heard that term. We were watching the old black and white set he bought in the 50's until the mid-70s when he probably couldn't get the various tubes any more. Remember having to warm up the TV?

 

[harllee]

I don't like the old classic black and white movies (like "Holiday Inn") that were "colorized." I wonder if any old TV shows were colorized.

 

[folivier]

The old Carol Burnett show, used to enjoy seeing how long Harvey Corman could go without cracking up at Tim Conway.

 

[Time2]

I don't like the old classic black and white movies (like "Holiday Inn") that were "colorized." I wonder if any old TV shows were colorized.

It looks to me like at least some of the Bonanza episodes were colorized.

 

[razztazz]

It looks to me like at least some of the Bonanza episodes were colorized.

Bonanza was all color from the very first episode. RCA owned NBC at the time and wanted a showcase to titillate people into buying color TV's which, at the time, were mostly made by RCA.

There have been some B&W shows that were colorized. One I can think of was McHale's Navy. Nearly all of them had some "Angle" for the colorization. McHale's Navy=lots of tropical / outdoorsy scenery. Looks better in color. Wasted in B&W. Same with Adventures in Paradise. Of course none of these found a market or the appreciation of TV viewers. There are even several Three Stooges shorts that are colorized but you never ever see them. Stooge fans have become some sort of "classic cinema Purists" a la Turner Classic Movies watchers.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

I don't like the old classic black and white movies (like "Holiday Inn") that were "colorized." I wonder if any old TV shows were colorized.

Turner colorized the early B&W episodes of "Gilligan's Isle"--which was another one of those TV series that converted to color 1965/66.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

Not on the topic of color vs B&W, but The Dick van Dyke Show and Bob Newhart are two more great shows I am not sure have been mentioned. BTW both these stars are still living!

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

I like "Beyond belief:fact or fiction" with Jonathan Frakes. It's just very good. It's usually like 4 or perhaps 5 stories that are highlighted and at the end of the show it's revealed which ones are true and which are fiction. It's a well done show. It's on Pluto tv.

 

[steelyman]

What "old" series are you watching?

Already mentioned: Johnny Carson TV has been added to my Sling lineup (Orange+Blue). It’s a great go-to when nothing else is of interest. They show complete episodes. It reminds me why Carson was “King of Late Night” (definitely when compared to current offerings).

 

[Rianne]

Friends. Now that I’m older, they seem timeless, funny and quirky. Jennifer Anniston has a great career going. She hilarious in the movies “ The Millers” and “Bad Bosses”

 

[old medic]

Bought the Emergency DVD series after catching a few episodes on ME TV.. It helped lead me into my career...
We have several over the air channels that play nothing but old series... Its like going back in time.. Yesterday one ran a Leave it to Beaver marathon... hope they don't run a Star Trek one next weekend... I'll watch that.. MASH 2 episodes every day...

Wife bought me a T-Shirt....
"1300 Channels on satellite, and I'm watching Andy Griffith reruns"

 

[harllee]

Bought the Emergency DVD series after catching a few episodes on ME TV.. It helped lead me into my career...
We have several over the air channels that play nothing but old series... Its like going back in time.. Yesterday one ran a Leave it to Beaver marathon... hope they don't run a Star Trek one next weekend... I'll watch that.. MASH 2 episodes every day...

Wife bought me a T-Shirt....
"1300 Channels on satellite, and I'm watching Andy Griffith reruns"

Andy Griffith is one of the best ever, a classic. We have a whole town here in NC devoted to that show--Mt Airy.

 

[REWahoo]

Frasier, usually the last thing we watch before bedtime. A mental palate cleanser.

 

[pb4uski]

I binge watched The West Wing and The Newsroom back a while ago on HBOMax. Both great, smart and funny shows... I wish that there were more shows like that available.

 

[zinger1457]

It was funny watching a couple episodes of the old Kung Fu series with David Carradine. The new big screen TV's really magnify how bad the makeup was back then. All of the bald headed monks were wearing head covers that wasn't so noticeable back in the day when watching it on a small screen low def. TV, but it really shows through now.

 

[harllee]

I binge watched The West Wing and The Newsroom back a while ago on HBOMax. Both great, smart and funny shows... I wish that there were more shows like that available.

Madame Secretary is very similar to West Wing, not sure where Madame Secretary is showing but I bet it is on somewhere on reruns.

 

[gauss]

The Ed Sullivan Show
Star Trek N.G.
Columbo


-gauss

 

[gauss]

Heh! You beat me to posting this. How true.

I also recall when shows were subtitled "IN COLOR" .. Remember having to warm up the TV?

Yes! - and the dot in the center of the screen when it was turned off.

Also, if I am not mistaken, remember the National Anthem played at the end of the "broadcast day" before the test pattern or the' snow' went up. All B&W of course in the late '60s at our house. LOL

-gauss