I have no idea if this footage was meant for a documentary but I found a few videos of people watching tv circa 1978–79 I found pretty interesting.

Apparently around the San Francisco  area

https://www.oddballfilms.com/clip/13179_22154_television4
https://www.oddballfilms.com/clip/13179_22154_television3
https://www.oddballfilms.com/clip/13179_22154_television1
https://www.oddballfilms.com/clip/13179_22154_television5
https://www.oddballfilms.com/clip/13179_22154_television2
https://www.oddballfilms.com/clip/13179_22154_television7
https://www.oddballfilms.com/clip/13179_22154_television6

The third link features Gene Gene the Dancing Machine from The Gong Show followed by Phil Donahue. Without the screen, it's only as good as radio. The fourth link has some interesting channel surfing, featuring a brief clip of Wheel of Fortune, which is likely one of a kind since at the time, the show didn't save all shows that it recorded on tape. This was before you had contemporary cartoons outside of Saturday Morning (the merchandise-driven shows changed that a few years later), so you had to be contempt with Popeye as seen there, along with Bugs Bunny or those other theatrical classics. These look to be recorded in the late afternoon/early evening, so you don't get that "family gathering" like what was more typical in those days before video games and later the Internet reduced those special get togethers outside of a few special occassions.

The third link features Gene Gene the Dancing Machine from The Gong Show followed by Phil Donahue. Without the screen, it's only as good as radio. The fourth link has some interesting channel surfing, featuring a brief clip of Wheel of Fortune, which is likely one of a kind since at the time, the show didn't save all shows that it recorded on tape. This was before you had contemporary cartoons outside of Saturday Morning (the merchandise-driven shows changed that a few years later), so you had to be contempt with Popeye as seen there, along with Bugs Bunny or those other theatrical classics. These look to be recorded in the late afternoon/early evening, so you don't get that "family gathering" like what was more typical in those days before video games and later the Internet reduced those special get togethers outside of a few special occassions.


And judging by that channel surfing they have quite a few channels. More than the “3 channels to choose from” I hear boomers talk about. Either they had early cable or a really good antenna because I don’t see any snowy channels either. Or they stopped the camera for a few hours and started filming again.

And judging by that channel surfing they have quite a few channels. More than the “3 channels to choose from” I hear boomers talk about. Either they had early cable or a really good antenna because I don’t see any snowy channels either. Or they stopped the camera for a few hours and started filming again.


There were three major networks, period. Four if you count PBS (then known as NET) which didn't have much programming back then. Any of those other stations were local "UHF" stations (the major networks broadcasted on "VHF") which consisted of some local programming and a lot of reruns of old TV shows and some movies. And they weren't on 24/7.  Technically speaking, cable existed, but absolutely nobody had it. People were still resistant to "paying for TV". Maybe a few rich people had it. And even if they did, barely anything was on it yet.

It's not nice to doubt us boomers.  ;D  ;D  ;D

There were three major networks, period. Four if you count PBS (then known as NET) which didn't have much programming back then. Any of those other stations were local "UHF" stations (the major networks broadcasted on "VHF") which consisted of some local programming and a lot of reruns of old TV shows and some movies. And they weren't on 24/7.  Technically speaking, cable existed, but absolutely nobody had it. People were still resistant to "paying for TV". Maybe a few rich people had it. And even if they did, barely anything was on it yet.

It's not nice to doubt us boomers.  ;D  ;D  ;D


I guess since SF is a large market they had quite a few VHF stations plus I assume the people who they filmed had a really good rooftop antenna so some of those stations were coming out of other markets. There was some cable in the 70s and even the 60s, but it was just other VHF/UHF stations from other markets and maybe a “Weather channel” that consisted of audio from a radio station and a black and white camera panning across a barometer.
Hey my parents are late baby boomers (early 60s borns) so it’s ok. No hard feelings.👍

Btw I have some old cable tv newspaper ads from the 60s and 70s I want to post but it won’t let me post them because they are “too large” how do I bypass that? (Dumb question)

And judging by that channel surfing they have quite a few channels. More than the “3 channels to choose from” I hear boomers talk about. Either they had early cable or a really good antenna because I don’t see any snowy channels either. Or they stopped the camera for a few hours and started filming again.


That was TV back then it only had Channels 2-13 with a rabbit antenna.

That was TV back then it only had Channels 2-13 with a rabbit antenna.
I was the same for UK television, but with only three channels to watch.

I was the same for UK television, but with only three channels to watch.


And no cable

And no cable
...and no domestic video.

And no cable

...and no domestic video.


And yet I was not unhappy. It's not like we lived in the 1700s or something with no heat and no electricity. If a time machine plopped me back in 1976 right now I would be perfectly happy. It's not like I watched a lot of TV back then anyway, I was too busy going out all the time and discovering life. The only thing I didn't like about those times was everybody smoking cigarettes all the time everywhere.

In my case, I did not have a television of my own during the late 1970s, relying on friends and family to catch up on the main programs at the time.

I lived about 80 miles north of NYC so I was able to get the city's stations. We had:

2 (WCBS)
4 (WNBC)
5 (WNEW)
7 (WABC)
9 (WOR)
11 (WPIX)
13 (WPBS)

When I lived in other places, we had the 4 networks (PBS included) and maybe 1 or 2 local stations usually on UHF.


Cat

Ok here’s a 1976 ad for cable tv. Since any image I want to attach is too big.

https://pulp.aadl.org/node/202427

One from 1972

https://www.cecildaily.com/our_cecil/ask-the-historical-society-first-cable-company/article_370c4910-8154-5a16-9aaf-35f3cce3cac5.html

An account of early cable tv

https://www.irememberjfk.com/cable-tv-the-early-version/

Ok here’s the early account of cable tv. I forgot to add it in my previous post and I’m on an iPad and I can’t modify it.

https://www.irememberjfk.com/cable-tv-the-early-version/

But I assume people who had Cablevision in the 60s and 70s were the exception and not the rule. People were more likely to have video recorders first before cable tv.

And the author of that article mentions having WTBS in 1976, it was actually called WTCG until 1979.


And as for my parents, their experiences with this stuff was more typical for most people and they didn’t get those things until 1983ish.

I was the same for UK television, but with only three channels to watch.


And you had to change the channel using the knob by getting up and then sitting down when you were tired.

And yet I was not unhappy. It's not like we lived in the 1700s or something with no heat and no electricity. If a time machine plopped me back in 1976 right now I would be perfectly happy. It's not like I watched a lot of TV back then anyway, I was too busy going out all the time and discovering life. The only thing I didn't like about those times was everybody smoking cigarettes all the time everywhere.


And not many people had phones.

I lived about 80 miles north of NYC so I was able to get the city's stations. We had:

2 (WCBS)
4 (WNBC)
5 (WNEW)
7 (WABC)
9 (WOR)
11 (WPIX)
13 (WPBS)

When I lived in other places, we had the 4 networks (PBS included) and maybe 1 or 2 local stations usually on UHF.


Cat


Yes, those were good old days of watching television.

And not many people had phones.


EVERYBODY had a phone. Maybe you're referring to mobile phones? If so you are correct. Those weren't around.


And you had to change the channel using the knob by getting up and then sitting down when you were tired.


You could sit back down before you were tired. Once you got up and changed the channel you didn't have to keep standing there. Jeez Howard, you're going to give people the impression that living back then was like living in the stone age. You know how literally some people take things here.

EVERYBODY had a phone. Maybe you're referring to mobile phones? If so you are correct. Those weren't around.

You could sit back down before you were tired. Once you got up and changed the channel you didn't have to keep standing there. Jeez Howard, you're going to give people the impression that living back then was like living in the stone age. You know how literally some people take things here.


Yeah I meant mobile phones.

EVERYBODY had a phone. Maybe you're referring to mobile phones? If so you are correct. Those weren't around.




Not in the U.K. We didn’t get a telephone in the house until the early eighties, and my dad worked for the telecoms company! We were one of the first among my friends to get a phone. Before that we either used the phone box or went to my grandparents house. A neighbour had a phone that my mum used once in an emergency

Yeah I meant mobile phones.


Actually there was a version of a mobile phone, introduced by Motorola in 1973. They were often referred to as "brief case phones" as they were so large they were carried in a brief case like container. They weighed 2.5 pounds and could be used for up to 30 minutes and then needed to be charged for ten hours. These things were unwieldly and expensive so very few people had them save a handful of rich people who used them like electronic toys. I recall some rock stars talking about them in interviews in the 70s. There were also "car phones" but those operated on a different principal.

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ArpuYCKk8c/XlxWI_meLgI/AAAAAAAAUGE/sKUIY2nnTMwYklqbMG36uVj6ppBQTgFmACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/mobile_phones_history%2B%25283%2529.jpg

This was probably from the '80s but talking about mobile phones.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF-iAV9YOqY


Cat

Actually there was a version of a mobile phone, introduced by Motorola in 1973. They were often referred to as "brief case phones" as they were so large they were carried in a brief case like container. They weighed 2.5 pounds and could be used for up to 30 minutes and then needed to be charged for ten hours. These things were unwieldly and expensive so very few people had them save a handful of rich people who used them like electronic toys. I recall some rock stars talking about them in interviews in the 70s. There were also "car phones" but those operated on a different principal.

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ArpuYCKk8c/XlxWI_meLgI/AAAAAAAAUGE/sKUIY2nnTMwYklqbMG36uVj6ppBQTgFmACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/mobile_phones_history%2B%25283%2529.jpg


Those phones must've been so heavy to carry around!  :o

Those phones must've been so heavy to carry around!  :o


That's why they were called "Bricks."


Cat

That's why they were called "Bricks."


Cat


https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/u3YAAOSwnw9aCM64/s-l640.jpg

I loved the times where you had fewer tv channels. You'd often watch shows you'd never dream of watching, which in turn makes you more well rounded. It was also easier to discuss shows with people around you, as everyone watched the same thing lol.

What I do find weird is looking at old tv schedules. Some days there'd only be a few things worth watching, but I suppose back then people did other things and weren't so tied to home. We used to tape a lot of shows which filled in the gaps, but I think that was more early 80s than 70s.

I loved the times where you had fewer tv channels. You'd often watch shows you'd never dream of watching, which in turn makes you more well rounded. It was also easier to discuss shows with people around you, as everyone watched the same thing lol.

What I do find weird is looking at old tv schedules. Some days there'd only be a few things worth watching, but I suppose back then people did other things and weren't so tied to home. We used to tape a lot of shows which filled in the gaps, but I think that was more early 80s than 70s.


Yes, this is correct. The part about everybody watching the same thing is what I have brought up occasionally on several threads here as "the monoculture". A few people here misunderstood that term, thinking it meant "everybody thought the same way", and they didn't like the idea of that at all. But what it means is that everybody knew the same things, because essentially that's all there was. As you say, they knew the same TV shows, the same top 40 songs, etc. It didn't mean everybody had to like them, you just KNEW them.

You're right about he well-rounded thing too. Even if you bought an album it turns out you weren't crazy about you would listen to it over and over anyway because you only had so many albums and they cost money so you listened to what you had. And you ended up knowing albums by heart that you didn't even like that much! Or maybe you came to appreciate what was on them through repeated listenings.

And yes people watched less TV in those days, or tried to claim they did. TV was still looked down on a bit back then, and was derisively referred to as "the idiot box".  It wasn't cool to let on how much TV one actually watched, if one did. Now it seems all these Netflix original movies and such are considered an art form.

I like your term "monoculture" - it's fitting. It's like everyone of a certain age will know all the Saturday Morning cartoons and tv themes.

I also remember watching foreign language films in the UK late at night - stuff I'd never dream of watching now to be honest. Lots of European cinema.

As a kid in the 80s, I also vividly remember just tuning in and watching random old Elvis films etc.

Being young in the 80s, it wasn't so much the idiot box but more the "it'll give you square eyes" lol.

I loved the times where you had fewer tv channels. You'd often watch shows you'd never dream of watching, which in turn makes you more well rounded. It was also easier to discuss shows with people around you, as everyone watched the same thing lol.

What I do find weird is looking at old tv schedules. Some days there'd only be a few things worth watching, but I suppose back then people did other things and weren't so tied to home. We used to tape a lot of shows which filled in the gaps, but I think that was more early 80s than 70s.


I think back in the 1970's having fewer TV channels was easier like you said because it wasn't like today where you have over 500 channels, back then there was only Channels 2-13, Channel 21,25,31,41,47,50 and I think channel 68 too.

https://i.pinimg.com/474x/e8/87/d4/e887d4dd4083e0a2e52916545dc8e104.jpg
TV Guide of the 1970's

https://www.tvguidemagazine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TVG02_C1_Outlander_News-291x415.jpg
TV Guide 2020

Do you notice the difference?

https://www.tvguidemagazine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TVG02_C1_Outlander_News-291x415.jpg
TV Guide 2020

Do you notice the difference?
The Television Guide for 2020 has on the cover Summer Olympics, when the it has been deferred to next year now.

My favorite late 70s cartoon is Challenge of the Super Friends!

https://i.pinimg.com/474x/e8/87/d4/e887d4dd4083e0a2e52916545dc8e104.jpg
TV Guide of the 1970's

https://www.tvguidemagazine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TVG02_C1_Outlander_News-291x415.jpg
TV Guide 2020

Do you notice the difference?


Is this a riddle we are supposed to solve? I didn't even know TV Guide still existed. It isn't really needed now with TVs themselves telling you what is on at all times. I remember the days when Sunday newspapers for all cities came with ther own TV guide booklet which would be saved and used all week by households.

https://i.pinimg.com/474x/e8/87/d4/e887d4dd4083e0a2e52916545dc8e104.jpg
TV Guide of the 1970's

https://www.tvguidemagazine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TVG02_C1_Outlander_News-291x415.jpg
TV Guide 2020

Do you notice the difference?


Much simpler in the 70s, fewer choices, like most people tuned into the Jeffersons.

We had PBS (6), NBC (7), CBS (9), and ABC (29). FOX was a Detroit station that didn’t start broadcasting up north until 1992 as 45. We lived on a hill in the sticks and some clear nights I could pull stations as far as Bay City or even Wisconsin. One night I got something on every channel from 2-13 plus some UHF stuff.

I’m surprised TV Guide still exists. I haven’t looked at one in 25 years. Nowadays there are so many channels that I wonder how they would even go about it. Probably easier to look online, I could do that even with a dialup connection last year.

https://i.pinimg.com/474x/e8/87/d4/e887d4dd4083e0a2e52916545dc8e104.jpg
TV Guide of the 1970's

https://www.tvguidemagazine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TVG02_C1_Outlander_News-291x415.jpg
TV Guide 2020

Do you notice the difference?

Is this a riddle we are supposed to solve?
Is there a difference in the price?

Is this a riddle we are supposed to solve? I didn't even know TV Guide still existed. It isn't really needed now with TVs themselves telling you what is on at all times. I remember the days when Sunday newspapers for all cities came with their own TV guide booklet which would be saved and used all week by households.


Now Televisions with cable come with a TV Guide on one of the channels.
I wonder why the booklet version of TV Guide disappeared?

Much simpler in the 70s, fewer choices, like most people tuned into the Jeffersons.

We had PBS (6), NBC (7), CBS (9), and ABC (29). FOX was a Detroit station that didn’t start broadcasting up north until 1992 as 45. We lived on a hill in the sticks and some clear nights I could pull stations as far as Bay City or even Wisconsin. One night I got something on every channel from 2-13 plus some UHF stuff.

I’m surprised TV Guide still exists. I haven’t looked at one in 25 years. Nowadays there are so many channels that I wonder how they would even go about it. Probably easier to look online, I could do that even with a dialup connection last year.


I'm pretty sure TV Guides still exist but they come in a magazine form.

Is there a difference in the price?


I think TV Guides back then were cheap but now I believe they're a bit expensive.

Now Televisions with cable come with a TV Guide on one of the channels.
I wonder why the booklet version of TV Guide disappeared?
I have it all on an app now.

Is this a riddle we are supposed to solve? I didn't even know TV Guide still existed. It isn't really needed now with TVs themselves telling you what is on at all times. I remember the days when Sunday newspapers for all cities came with ther own TV guide booklet which would be saved and used all week by households.


Our local paper still has that. It just goes right into the recycling pile.


Cat

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/40/68/b6/4068b6bd119f9e9a43f9bd33b107fcf2.jpg

And this was the TV set people had in their household.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/40/68/b6/4068b6bd119f9e9a43f9bd33b107fcf2.jpg

And this was the TV set people had in their household.


Correct. TVs and stereos were big pieces of furniture back then. They were quite nice actually, but heavy as heck to move.

Correct. TVs and stereos were big pieces of furniture back then. They were quite nice actually, but heavy as heck to move.


and getting up to change the channel was a pain in the ass!  ::)

and getting up to change the channel was a pain in the ass!  ::)


Yes, but we didn't really know it because we had no other frame of reference.

Yes, but we didn't really know it because we had no other frame of reference.


Yes sometimes in addition to changing the channel you had to adjust the antenna. My grandpa had marks on his rotor box and it would light up and you would wait for it to turn. You looked at the newspaper or TV guide and decided what you wanted to watch. Channel surfing wasn’t much of a thing, it wasn’t so easy.

Yes sometimes in addition to changing the channel you had to adjust the antenna. My grandpa had marks on his rotor box and it would light up and you would wait for it to turn. You looked at the newspaper or TV guide and decided what you wanted to watch. Channel surfing wasn’t much of a thing, it wasn’t so easy.


Not to mention there just weren't very many channels to surf.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/40/68/b6/4068b6bd119f9e9a43f9bd33b107fcf2.jpg

And this was the TV set people had in their household.



This was the one that I bought in 1988.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50454234558_d548d85d90.jpg

I finally retired it in 2018 and put it up on Craigslist and sold it for $25.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50454948446_15bb1e0365.jpg

(Yeah, I still had the owner's manual. The remote died but I was using a universal one.)

Believe it or not, after 30 years, it still worked but the picture was AWFUL! It was repaired back in the '90s when the picture was basically a strip. It took the guy months to figure out what was wrong with it (a part-can't remember what part) but because it took so long, he didn't charge me very much to repair it. (I was VERY grateful because in those days money was VERY tight.) I was kind of sorry to see it go because it has been with me for so long. But, it is nice to have a t.v. that you can really SEE the picture.


Cat

A lot of stereos or "hi-fi's" looked like this. They generally had a radio as well as a turntable. These things sounded surprisingly good considering that they were for "families" rather than audiophiles. Sometimes they had cabinets in the front for album storage. In the one pictured here the space to the right of the turntable was for storage of albums.

http://i.pinimg.com/originals/62/ed/77/62ed77f25452b09a503ffb4688ade016.jpg

A lot of stereos or "hi-fi's" looked like this. They generally had a radio as well as a turntable. These things sounded surprisingly good considering that they were for "families" rather than audiophiles. Sometimes they had cabinets in the front for album storage. In the one pictured here the space to the right of the turntable was for storage of albums.

http://i.pinimg.com/originals/62/ed/77/62ed77f25452b09a503ffb4688ade016.jpg


We had one along those lines, it was a Motorola. No legs but other than that pretty similar. Had real vacuum tubes. It sounded very good. Storage for maybe a half dozen albums next to the radio that was also inside. The lid had a similar hinge/latch and was 3/4 thick solid wood. One time it fell and slammed down on my thumb. Don’t know how my thumb didn’t break but it had blood under the nail for a long time.

A lot of stereos or "hi-fi's" looked like this. They generally had a radio as well as a turntable. These things sounded surprisingly good considering that they were for "families" rather than audiophiles. Sometimes they had cabinets in the front for album storage. In the one pictured here the space to the right of the turntable was for storage of albums.

http://i.pinimg.com/originals/62/ed/77/62ed77f25452b09a503ffb4688ade016.jpg
I haven't one of those for a long time!

Yes, but we didn't really know it because we had no other frame of reference.


Did changing the channel knob hurt your hand?

Yes sometimes in addition to changing the channel you had to adjust the antenna. My grandpa had marks on his rotor box and it would light up and you would wait for it to turn. You looked at the newspaper or TV guide and decided what you wanted to watch. Channel surfing wasn’t much of a thing, it wasn’t so easy.


I think back then compared to now is lesser channels to surf as to now you have so many channels and genres of things to watch.

I haven't one of those for a long time!


I haven't seen those in a long time!  :o

Did changing the channel knob hurt your hand?
Not if someone else did it for you.

Did changing the channel knob hurt your hand?


No, of course not.  ;D

If you did it constantly, it might fatigue your hand.  But we didn't have very many channels to "flip" to then.

Did changing the channel knob hurt your hand?


No, of course not. Why would it? It wasn't made of barbed wire. What a strange question.

No, of course not. Why would it? It wasn't made of barbed wire. What a strange question.


I think ours was metal.

I think ours was metal.


Did it hurt your hand?

Did it hurt your hand?
...or did it hurt anyone else's hand?

Did changing the channel knob hurt your hand?


All hail Howie and the questions he asks
In the year 2525 will we still be wearing masks?
Did changing the channel knob hurt your hand
In the days long before "TV on demand"?

O Howie! O Howie! Will the questions never cease
On and on-he gives us no peace
The only time we can get any stuff in
Is when he's eating his snack bar and muffin!

Did changing the channel knob hurt your hand?


Sometimes. I was little, and my grandpas TV had these knobs that were like a cam action, a workout for little hands. The top knob was for vhf, bottom knob for uhf, and there was either a knob or switch to select which one you wanted.

Sometimes. I was little, and my grandpas TV had these knobs that were like a cam action, a workout for little hands. The top knob was for vhf, bottom knob for uhf, and there was either a knob or switch to select which one you wanted.


I seem to recall that on a portable TV we had there was an outer dial/knob and an inner one inside it. One was for VHF and one was for UHF.

Did it hurt your hand?


Only when I changed the channel and made my hand sore since we didn't have a remote but I think some remote controls back then looked so different, anyone remember remote controls in the 1970's?

https://cdnmetv.metv.com/9uVY8-1447780035-547-blog-REMOTE_main_rel.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aBoGFFTCZJU/hqdefault.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/11/5d/a9/115da99cea8363bd659e21836a1ac7a3.jpg

...or did it hurt anyone else's hand?


It also made my hand tired.

Only when I changed the channel and made my hand sore since we didn't have a remote 


I really don't mean to fixate on this, but exactly HOW did turning a knob make your hand sore? Did you have a pre-existing condition? In that case I apologize for being a pain, but otherwise I just don't see how turning a knob is difficult. Do you turn any knobs or flick any switches today? Does your hand still get sore? I am baffled by this.

When my mother left my father, she took us youngest 4 with her. Money was very tight in those days but she bought us a t.v. It was about a 9 or 10 inch black and white. The was the only t.v. we had for the longest time. I'm not too sure what broke first. The rabbit ears were replaced by a hanger that had aluminum foil on it. The channel changer knob broke and we had to use pliers the change the channel. (There weren't too many channels in those days which made that easier.) Then the on & off knob broke. At first we used the pliers but discovered it was easier to just plug it in to turn it on and unplug it to turn it off. Sometimes plugging it in wouldn't work. I remember looking into it from the back, banging the side of the t.v. until I started to see the glow of the tubes inside and I knew it would work.

I think it was around '75-'77 that my grandmother came to live with us and brought her COLOR t.v. with her. It was our first color t.v. and we finally retired that old, sad, tiny b&w that took a beating all those years.


Cat 

I really don't mean to fixate on this, but exactly HOW did turning a knob make your hand sore? Did you have a pre-existing condition? In that case I apologize for being a pain, but otherwise I just don't see how turning a knob is difficult. Do you turn any knobs or flick any switches today? Does your hand still get sore? I am baffled by this.


Maybe it was the constant changing of the channel and no my hand doesn't get sore.

Maybe it was the constant changing of the channel and no my hand doesn't get sore.


Oh Howie, you are SUCH a card.  ;D

Oh Howie, you are SUCH a card.  ;D


I didn't have my remote control on hand.

There was one show I enjoyed watching, SOAP.
Burt and Danny were so funny, Bob the dummy, too funny.
The storylines were  hilarious
And Jessica was batsh!t crazy!

Watching TV in the late 70s
Was a joy to view tremendously
Hilarious comedy and good laughs
It was the classic Fawlty Towers for me

There was one show I enjoyed watching, SOAP.
Burt and Danny were so funny, Bob the dummy, too funny.
The storylines were  hilarious
And Jessica was batsh!t crazy!

Contigo, you also remember Three's Company with Jack Tripper?

Contigo, you also remember Three's Company with Jack Tripper?
Which was based on the British sitcom "Man About the House".

Contigo, you also remember Three's Company with Jack Tripper?

Certainly, another funny show.
Which was based on the British sitcom "Man About the House".

I have seen a few episodes of that as well.

Certainly, another funny show. I have seen a few episodes of that as well.
There were two spin-off series were later made: "George and Mildred" and "Robin's Nest". George Roper was the landlord in "Man About the House", and "George and Mildred was adapted in the United States as The Ropers.

There were two spin-off series were later made: "George and Mildred" and "Robin's Nest". George Roper was the landlord in "Man About the House", and "George and Mildred was adapted in the United States as The Ropers.

I am not familiar with those spinoffs.  I see that youtube has some episodes of both TV shows and I will have a look.

My all time favourite sitcom was from the 1960s and had its last series in the early 1970s, starring Wilfred Brambell and Harry H. Corbett, "Steptoe and Son", about a father-and-son rag-and-bone business. It was remade in the United States as Sanford and Son.

There was one show I enjoyed watching, SOAP.
Burt and Danny were so funny, Bob the dummy, too funny.
The storylines were  hilarious
And Jessica was batsh!t crazy!


SOAP was shown here on Friday nights. I used to watch it with my mum. I think it was a bit of a niche show because when I say something like “all the questions and more will be answered in this week’s episode of...” no one else seems to know what I am talking about

I used to watch a bunch of Brit-coms-"Butterflies", "Mind Your Language" (which they tried over here in the short-lived "What a Country") & "The Good Life."


Cat

I was just watching reruns of Barney Miller, an excellent IMO police comedy stretching from the mid-70's through the early 80's.  I love that show!  :)

In general I'll admit this about watching TV in the late 70's - in the grand scheme of things, I did very little of it.  :-\\

My reason was practical.  I was a university student from mid-'77 on, living in the dormitory.  We weren't supposed to have TVs in our rooms (and at that time portable TVs that were small enough to hide were not common).  What was available to us was a large community console TV in the main lounge room of the dorm building.  Not very welcoming except for "big events".  Besides, I quickly found ways to consume my normal tv-watching time in other ways; TV quickly became not very important to me.  Of course when I went home for breaks I always found a little tube time.  But by then I'd gotten fairly used to life without it.

There were two spin-off series were later made: "George and Mildred" and "Robin's Nest". George Roper was the landlord in "Man About the House", and "George and Mildred was adapted in the United States as The Ropers.


"Robin's Nest" was also adapted for American TV as "Three's A Crowd".  I always found it interesting that all the spin-offs for "Man About the House" also had US versions.  Most of the sitcoms I loved back in the day were based on British sitcoms

When I was in school in the 80s, my Grade 7 teacher had us watch the entire series of this late 70s British show called "Midnight is A Place".  The theme song to this series has always stuck with me

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I was just watching reruns of Barney Miller, an excellent IMO police comedy stretching from the mid-70's through the early 80's.  I love that show!  :)

What about any comedy sitcoms you were interested in too?

What about any comedy sitcoms you were interested in too?


Well, consider that I wrote this above:


In general I'll admit this about watching TV in the late 70's - in the grand scheme of things, I did very little of it.  :-\\


Given that, some of my other favorite sitcoms from the late 70s beside Barney Miller include Three's Company, Taxi, *The Love Boat, *Fantasy Island, *Happy Days, *Welcome Back, Kotter, *What's Happening, and The Gong Show.  Those with * I only watched regularly before college.

Occasionally I watched Benson, Different Strokes, Taxi, WKRP in Cincinnati, *The White Shadow, Fish, and Rhoda.  There may be others.  My watching of these shows then was spotty due mostly to "busy-ness".

I hardly ever watched a number of the popular shows from then including SOAP and Dukes of Hazzard.  :-\\

Well, consider that I wrote this above:

Given that, some of my other favorite sitcoms from the late 70s beside Barney Miller include Three's Company, Taxi, *The Love Boat, *Fantasy Island, *Happy Days, *Welcome Back, Kotter, *What's Happening, and The Gong Show.  Those with * I only watched regularly before college.

Occasionally I watched Benson, Different Strokes, Taxi, WKRP in Cincinnati, *The White Shadow, Fish, and Rhoda.  There may be others.  My watching of these shows then was spotty due mostly to "busy-ness".

I hardly ever watched a number of the popular shows from then including SOAP and Dukes of Hazzard.  :-\\

They do show a lot of those old comedy shows on TV Land and I think MeTv too as well.

In general I'll admit this about watching TV in the late 70's - in the grand scheme of things, I did very little of it.  :-\\

My reason was practical.  I was a university student from mid-'77 on, living in the dormitory.  We weren't supposed to have TVs in our rooms (and at that time portable TVs that were small enough to hide were not common).  What was available to us was a large community console TV in the main lounge room of the dorm building.  Not very welcoming except for "big events".  Besides, I quickly found ways to consume my normal tv-watching time in other ways; TV quickly became not very important to me.  Of course when I went home for breaks I always found a little tube time.  But by then I'd gotten fairly used to life without it.


I was like that in '89-'92 That was when I went overseas on a remote tour. We had two channels-both were basically VCRs that could be viewed from our dorms. One was t.v. shows-usually stuff that aired before I got there so most of them were repeats. The second was our "movie" channel. The VCR for the shows broke so we only had 1 channel. We could get 12 movies a month. You know how old 12 movies got when that was all you were watching? I had my own VCR and started "investing" in movies.

When I got back to the states, I lived in a cabin on a mountain. I basically had half a channel. Luckily, it was the channel that had my soap on it (One Life To Live).  :D ;D ;D  So, I continued with my VCR buying. After living there for about 2 years or so, I moved into a place that had CABLE! I felt like I had moved back into civilization. lol.


Cat

"Robin's Nest" was also adapted for American TV as "Three's A Crowd".  I always found it interesting that all the spin-offs for "Man About the House" also had US versions.  Most of the sitcoms I loved back in the day were based on British sitcoms


Yet it hardly ever happens the other way around. I can only think of Golden Girls

Yet it hardly ever happens the other way around. I can only think of Golden Girls
The only episode I watch of Bill Cosby (if I am allowed to mention his name?), was an adaption of "One Foot In The Grave", when Mrs. Worboys is locked in Victor Meldrew attic. The Cosby version was very unfunny.