Television was a lot different in the 1960's than it is today. There were only three channels to choose from. Most sets were black and white and the reception had to be finely tuned with a set of rabbit ears. And the closest thing to a remote control was telling your youngest child to 'go change the channel'. But one thing that was unique about television in the 60's was how it brought families together. The 'boob tube' was the centerpiece of most living rooms in the United States and families would faithfully gather to watch and laugh at some of television's greatest funny people. Here are just some of the best TV comedies of the 1960's.
Bewtiched-
Every week advertising executive Darrin Stevens would have his hands full with his wife Samantha, an attractive and crafty witch who tries her best to be a normal housewife. But her special powers, derived by the wiggle of her nose, would always get her in trouble as Darrin would run ragged trying to hide his wife's secret powers from his boss and co-workers. The comical and silly 'Bewitched' aired from 1964 to 1972 and starred Dick York and later Dick Sargent as Darrin and Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha.
I Dream of Jeannie-
Similar to 'Bewitched', and from the same producers, 'I Dream of Jeannie' features Tony Nelson, an astronaut, played by Larry Hagman, who crash lands on a beach and finds a bottle. A scantily clad genie played by Barbara Eden, pops out of the bottle and devotes herself to her new master. The two eventually wed and Tony Nelson finds himself trying to hide his wife's secret powers as she causes havoc week after week. This funny and popular comedy aired on NBC from 1965 to 1970.
The Beverly Hillbillies-
As the theme song explains, the Clampett's, a family of hillbillies, strikes it rich when oil is discovered on their land. So they packed up their belongings and moved to Beverly Hills, California. J.D., Granny, Elly May, and Jethro find themselves in the middle of two cultures, the uncivilized country ways they're used to and the civilized and extravagant ways of the Beverly Hills elite. Each week the two cultures would clash leading to lots of laughs and hi-jinx. 'The Beverly Hillbillies' ran on CBS from 1962 to 1965 in black and white and then in color from 1965 to 1971. The show starred Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr.
The Addams Family-
'The Addams Family' was another comedy about an outcast family of eccentric and dark characters trying to fit in with normal society. The main family consisted of Gomez the charming and witty father and husband, his wife, the sexy and slightly evil Morticia, and their two children, daughter Wednesday and son Pugsley. They also live with Uncle Fester, a portly devilish man, Lurch, a tall zombie like butler, and Thing, a severed hand that lived in a box. They would also be visited at times by Cousin Itt, a walking mess of hair that spoke in gibberish. The Addams Family aired on ABC from 1964 to 1966 and later was turned into a cartoon and into a couple of movies.
The Munsters-
When you think of 'The Addams Family' you also think of 'The Munsters', another odd-ball family of freakish monsters. The show was created to be sort of a parody of other typical family based comedies. Herman Munster, the father and husband, was a working class sort who looked a lot like Frankenstein and didn't know his own strength. Lily, wife and mother, was an undead vampire who was often the voice of reason and the one breaking up squabbles between family members. Grandpa Munster was a Dracula like creature at least 600 years old who spent most of his time down in the lab working on his many potions and spells. Eddie Munster, Herman and Lily's only child, was a werewolf who tried his best to be a normal boy despite his odd family. And Marilyn Munster, the family niece, was the only normal member of the family who was staying with the Munsters while attending college. Her family would often scare off many potential boyfriends. More popular than the 'Addams Family', 'The Munsters' aired from 1964 to 1966.
These are just some of the comedies watched on television in the 1960's. It was an era of many laughs that still lives on through syndication and repeats today. Many of these shows had a direct influence on the comedies in years to come. And a few of these shows have even been brought to the silver screen as major motion pictures. But most of all these great comedies were a great way to escape from real life and spend quality time with the family.