Can You Name The Classic TV Show Just From The Cast?
Over the years, the world has seen all kinds of classic TV shows hit the tube. Indeed, some of them date back to when that was an accurate way to describe a television. But as fond as people’s memories can be when they look back on some of these shows with a nostalgic eye, those memories have a way of fading.
While memory can fade, some people have a knack for this sort of thing even decades later, and they’re about to face the ultimate challenge! Let us know in the comments how you did!
What period show featured this loving family?
A. The Waltons
B. The Real McCoys
C. Upstairs, Downstairs
D. Little House On The Prairie
Answer: Little House On The Prairie
Based on a largely autobiographical series of children’s books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House On The Prairie was a wholesome portrait of frontier family life in the late 19th Century. Ingalls Wilder was played by Melissa Gilbert in the series, which centered around her family’s adventures.
What soap opera was Meg Ryan on before she rose to fame?
A. The Days Of Our Lives
B. The Young And The Restless
C. As The World Turns
D. All My Children
Answer: As The World Turns
As The World Turns initially focused on two wealthy Midwestern families but eventually retooled its central characters throughout the decades that it was on the air. Meg Ryan was on the show between 1982 and 1984 and played Betsy Stewart, who was best known for a popular romantic plot at the time.
What hilarious sitcom brought the world this down-home family?
A. Petticoat Junction
B. The Beverly Hillbillies
C. Green Acres
D. Hee Haw
Answer: The Beverly Hillbillies
Starring the beloved Buddy Ebsen as Jed Clampett, The Beverly Hillbillies was a charming sitcom about a mountaineering family from rural Appalachia who struck oil and took their newfound riches to Beverly Hills. Just as famous for the Clampett family’s antics as for its iconic theme song, the show was often more clever than corny.
What hospital dramedy launched a surprising number of careers?
A. St. Elsewhere
B. General Hospital
C. The Doctors
D. Emergency!
Answer: St. Elsewhere
St. Elsewhere was an ’80s medical touchstone that was set in an old and neglected teaching hospital that is now known for both its clever twist ending and its famous alumni. Although only one of them is pictured here, St. Elsewhere is credited for launching the careers of Howie Mandel, Ed Begley Jr., Denzel Washington, and Mark Harmon from NCIS.
What classic sitcom inspired another popular series?
A. Dobie Gillis
B. Family Affair
C. Eight Is Enough
D. The Honeymooners
Answer: The Honeymooners
The show that made Jackie Gleason a household name saw him change the squeaky-clean format of sitcoms up to that point and introduce a welcome dose of snark. Indeed, the new paradigm The Honeymooners introduced proved so effective that The Flintstones was able to become a global franchise by essentially copying the dynamic.
What military show masterfully blended comedy with tragedy?
A. Dad’s Army
B. MASH
C. Hogan’s Heroes
D. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Answer: M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H ran for over a decade, and in that time, it saw significant changes to its cast, tone, and character dynamics. But whether viewers preferred Trapper John or B.J. Hunnicutt, they couldn’t help but tune in when the ground-breaking dramedy reached its haunting, bittersweet conclusion. Between its uproarious laughs, its stark reminders of the realities of war, and how deeply its sentiments spoke to a generation living through their own conflicts, there may never be another show quite like it.
What show made once-scary monsters sweet and charming?
A. Dark Shadows
B. The Addams Family
C. The Munsters
D. Salem’s Lot
Answer: The Munsters
Although it shared vaguely macabre themes with The Addams Family and mined similar comedy out of the characters’ “bad is good and good is bad” sensibilities, the charm of The Munsters came from the fact that they were an honest, decent family who also happened to be Universal movie monsters. Although Frankenstein’s Monster always had somewhat sympathetic qualities, Fred Gwynne’s transformation of the character into the gentle but bumbling Herman Munster was a lovable one.
What classic sitcom began with an ill-fated three-hour tour?
A. Lost In Space
B. It’s About Time
C. Land Of The Lost
D. Gilligan’s Island
Answer: Gilligan’s Island
Although each of these shows features a group trying to survive in an unfamiliar place (or time), only Gilligan’s Island included such an instantly recognizable cast of characters. Gilligan’s bumbling practically defined the show, but the Howells, Ginger, and Mary Ann are just as fondly remembered for their banter.
What workplace sitcom all but ushered in the ’80s?
A. WKRP In Cincinnati
B. The Love Boat
C. Alice
Answer: WKRP In Cincinnati
Although it only lasted a few years, WKRP In Cincinnati made quite the impact in the brief time it was on. Mining its comedy from its off-beat, eclectic cast of characters, WKRP In Cincinnati had a little something for everyone, but it also characterized some sweeping changes that were taking hold in mass media at the time.
What classic spy series featured this dynamic duo?
A. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
B. The Saint
C. The Prisoner
D. The Avengers
Answer: The Avengers
Although British secret agent John Steed had a succession of female partners throughout The Avengers, the best-known and most beloved among them was Diana Rigg’s Ms. Emma Peel. The show may be a little quaint compared to modern spy thrillers, but it’s hard not to be nostalgic for its swinging ’60s style.
What police show famously struck a gritty, pioneering tone?
A. Dragnet
B. Hill Street Blues
C. Adam-12
D. Hawaii Five-O
Answer: Hill Street Blues
Although there were certainly police procedurals before Hill Street Blues, they tended to be more idealized, and their atmosphere was cleaner, if not necessarily lighter. By contrast, Hill Street Blues earned its critical acclaim by aiming for a more realistic depiction of what it’s like to be a cop in a major city.
What sitcom introduced the world to the Sweathogs?
A. F Troop
B. Room 222
C. Welcome Back, Kotter
D. The Waverly Wonders
Answer: Welcome Back, Kotter
Although
Welcome Back, Kotter
was definitely powered by Gabe Kaplan’s titular sarcastic teacher in many ways, the biggest draw to the experience was how he interacted with a lovably troublesome group in his class called the Sweathogs. Although it’s easy to see how the series gave John Travolta his big break, all of his fellow Sweathogs were funny in their own ways.
What detective series became a landmark romantic hit?
A. Hart To Hart
B. McMillan & Wife
C. Moonlighting
D. The New Avengers
Answer: Moonlighting
Although Moonlighting is retroactively known as the series that introduced the world to both Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd, it also popularized a formula that still excites viewer interest today. That’s because their characters had a “will they or won’t they?” relationship plotline that only made audiences more invested in them. However, this honor meant that Moonlighting writers were the first to learn the hard way that definitively answering that question is the fastest way to make viewers lose interest.
What simple show ruled with clever writing and iconic characters?
A. Taxi
B. Cheers
C. Wings
D. Newhart
Answer: Cheers
While a show about a bunch of people hanging out in a tavern may not sound like a premise that can sustain 11 years of television, Cheers was able to make it work due to its clever lines and its lovable cast of characters. Although the show changed significantly after Woody Harrelson and Kirstie Alley joined the cast, their charisma made it a change that viewers welcomed.
What nostalgic show was cool, loose, and fun all at once?
A. Peter Gunn
B. Ironside
C. Kojak
D. Magnum P.I.
Answer: Magnum P.I.
Thanks in large part to Tom Selleck’s charisma, the playboy private investigator at the heart of Magnum P.I. comes off as a charming figure with an enviable lifestyle rather than an obnoxious gadfly. That’s especially true when it comes to his amusing interactions with his straight-laced foil, Higgins.
What police series had a fascinating twist that hadn’t been done?
A. The Mod Squad
B. CHiPS
C. Miami Vice
D. 21 Jump Street
Answer: 21 Jump Street
Although each of these shows was popular in their time, 21 Jump Street was powered by the fascinating idea of following an undercover police unit as they infiltrated high school and college crime rings. In addition to spawning a successful series of comedy films decades later, 21 Jump Street is also widely recognized for launching Johnny Depp’s career.
What sitcom’s topical focus made it an all-time classic?
A. The Jeffersons
B. One Day At A Time
C. All In The Family
D. Good Times
Answer: All In The Family
While part of its genius came from the delicate balance of its polarizing characters, All In The Family broke serious ground in television for the courageous and uncompromising ways it explored the hot-button social issues of the day. The fact that its showrunners found a way to do this while still being uproariously funny is a credit to what a lightning-in-a-bottle idea All In The Family was.
What female-led sitcom brought a sea change to television?
A. The Carol Burnett Show
B. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
C. The Donna Reed Show
D. That Girl
Answer: The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Although Mary Tyler Moore had already established herself on The Dick Van Dyke Show by the early ’70s, The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a major stride not just for her but for women in entertainment at large. That wasn’t just because the show was immensely popular but also because its success allowed Tyler Moore to make similarly groundbreaking shows possible through her production company, MTM Productions.
What TV Western reminded people how tough the Old West was?
A. Bonanza
B. The Rifleman
C. Have Gun – Will Travel
D. Gunsmoke
Answer: Gunsmoke
Both one of the first Western programs to hit television and perhaps the first to make Old West settings gritty (at least for the time), the realism it strove for made Gunsmoke one of the most celebrated shows in TV history. Although Deadwood would up the edginess ante decades later, Gunsmoke was nonetheless an inventive show for the way it brought film noir sensibilities to legends of Dodge City, Kansas, during the 1870s.
What sitcom’s sassiness makes it just as popular today?
A. Designing Women
B. Who’s the Boss?
C. The Facts Of Life
D. The Golden Girls
Answer: The Golden Girls
Perfectly cast and loaded with witty banter, The Golden Girls remains as comforting, funny, and enjoyable as ever. Bea Arthur, Betty White, Estelle Getty, and Rue McClanahan all step into their characters naturally and introduce enough variety between them to make their friendships both believable and filled with the potential for conflict. No wonder it has so many fans among young women today.
How did you do on this quiz? Let us know in the comments!
