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29 Bits of Trivia About Classic TV Shows

A one-liner accompanied by a freeze-frame. Our facts and classic TV go hand-in-hand

29 Bits of Trivia About Classic TV Shows

September 15, 2024

The act of comfort-watching is a form of experiential control. It’s not only a nice little hit of nostalgia, but there’s some serious anxiety relief when you already know what’s going to happen. That’s why we love classic TV.

Sure, these facts about your favorite classics are unknown, but if you breathe and try to push through some anxiety, they’ll be well worth it.

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29

It's a wonder we didn't have an Avengers TV show in the '80S. The Incredible Hulk was the most successful, but Captain America, Thor, and Doctor Strange all had their own abortive TV attempts. CRACKED.COM — Source

28

Mad Men was partly inspired by a particular old-school French movie. The movie is Les Bonnes Femmes, and it was shot in Paris, in the era in which Mad Men takes place - and it influenced the show's production design. CRACKED.COM — Source

27

Lloyd Braun, the former chairman of ABC Entertainment, got the idea for the show Lost after he watched the movie Cast Away. 0 ST CAST AWAY CRACKED.COM — Source

26

CRACKED.COM THE OFFICE was heavily influenced by THE SOPRANOS. The Sopranos was actually the biggest influence on The Office, actor and producer В. J. Novak has said. The way Michael Scott will say something very serious but mispronounce a word I feel is a direct descendant of the Tony Soprano sense of humor. — Source

25

CRACKED.COM THE GOLDEN GIRLS was inspired by MIAMI VICE. In 1984, NBC shot a humorous skit titled Miami Nice, starring two older actresses, for a special advertising their new shows (like Miami Vice). Execs liked it, and the idea was developed into a full series about old ladies living in Miami. — Source

24

I Love Lucy 1953 CRACKED.COM The first televised birth (well, not graphic birth) goes to Lucille Ball, who wasn't even allowed to say the word 'pregnant' because it was too taboo. — Source

23

Leave It to Beaver 1957 CRACKED.COM Although not quite the first show to feature a toilet (it was edited out for being too scandalous), it was the first show to show a toilet tank and certainly one of the first to even include a bathroom. — Source

22

Candid Camera 1948 Candia Camela CRACKED COM The show (originally a radio show called Candid Microphone) was the first televised reality show, featuring regular members of the public as its stars. — Source

21

L.A. Law 1991 CRACKED.COM The show featured a bisexual woman who kissed a colleague. It was the first same-sex kiss shown on U.S. television. — Source

20

Mary Kay and Johnny 1947-1950 CRACKED.COM The very first U.S. sitcom featured the first time a couple slept in the same bed and the first time a woman's pregnancy was shown on TV. — Source

19

The First Belly Button After half a decade being denied Barbara Eden's navel in I Dream of Jeannie, America got to see Cher's, like, all the time, on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. CRACKED.COM — Source

18

The First Major Character Death 570 Jean Hagen Actress Jean Hagen left The Danny Thomas Show in 1956. Producers decided an unexplained death would be less controversial than divorce. CRACKED.COM — Source

17

The first content warning 1971 The program you are about to see is ALL IN THE FAMILY. It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices and concerns. CRACKED.COM All in the Family featured several of the first slurs to appear on TV, and was preempted by this warning to contextualize them-kind of like how Disney+ warns kids about their racist crows and cats. — Source

16

Mork & Mindy CRACKED.COM Mork from Ork originally appeared on Happy Days, attempting to kidnap Richie Cunningham. The episode was technically one long dream sequence, but people loved Robin Williams' performance so much, they edited the ending and spun off a four-season show. — Source

15

Happy Days RONNY-HOWARD CRACKED.COM The Happy Days crew started out on an episode of Love, American Style, which was basically an anthology of unconnected rom-com pilots. Their episode was meant to be a pilot for an entirely different show that was never picked up. Two years later, the characters and settings were yoinked for Happy Days. — Source

14

Xena: Warrior Princess CRACKED.COM Xena was supposed to be killed off after a three-episode arc on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, but was so popular she got a six-season starring role instead. — Source

13

NCIS CRACKED.COM The source of several spinoffs is, itself, a spinoff of JAG. Four main castmembers from JAG went on to appear in various NCIS...es. — Source

12

The Andy Griffith Show CRACKED.COM The world was introduced to Andy Griffith in an episode of The Danny Thomas Show. Thomas takes time off from being a good comedian and terrible father to get arrested in the small town of Mayberry. — Source

11

The Simpsons CRACKED COM America's favorite jaundiced family first appeared as a short on The Tracey Ullman Show. — Source

10

Family Matters CRACKED.COM Long before Urkel stole the show, the spotlight was supposed to be on Harriette Winslow. She was a breakout success on Perfect Strangers, where she played a sassy elevator operator whose cop husband used to drop by from time to time. In this scene, she delivers the line: excuse me baby, this is a family matter, and you're in the line of fire. — Source

9

Beavis And Butt-Head CRACKED.COM The boys got their first taste of televised idiocy with a series of shorts on MTV's Liquid Television, a collection of animations from indie producers. Their first short is about them brutally murdering increasingly larger defenseless animals. — Source

8

seinfeld had no hugging or learning, right to the end CRACKED COM FIRST SEASON LAST SEASON NBC offered Seinfeld the most lucrative deal in TV history for a return but Jerry said no thanks. For me, this is all about timing. My life is all about timing. As a comedian, my — Source

7

The best devolution in TV history.

CRACKED BEST: RICKETY CRICKET GETS RICKETIER BY THE DAY. ALWAYS SUNNY First introduced as a priest, he's expelled from the clergy, hunted for sport, had his legs broken, got hooked on crack, became a stripper, had his face melted, had his kidney stolen, and unknowingly dated (and made out with) a dog while high on PCP. — Source

6

Kelly Bundy - Married… with Children

Kelly Bundy, now dumber with less clothes. MARRIED... WITH CHILDREN CRACKED.COM In what some call one of the most demeaning personality changes in TV history, Kelly Bundy began as a rebellious, witty teen, her IQ and wardrobe took a hit in Season 2, and she became a hyper-sexualized dumb blonde stereotype. — Source

5

Dennis Reynolds

CRACKED DENNIS REYNOLDS Another big night, fellas. 164 dollars and 87 cents. IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IR This is the opening line of the entire series. Which is an incredibly normal line for someone who would evolve into one of the most psychopathic characters in TV history. — Source

4

CRACKEDC COM JOHN STAMOS KEPT THE COUCH FROM FULL HOUSE. johnstamos Baby safety gate or one of the most iconic couches in pop TV history? You, make th — Source

3

Alec Baldwin, not Chris Noth, nearly played Mr Big in Sex and the City. Baldwin was the first choice, but then Noth showed up, and the rest is TV history. CRACKED.COM — Source

2

Rashida Jones

Rashida Jones nearly quit acting before she got cast on The Office. IO She was almost 30 and decided she'd leave Hollywood and go to grad school - but then she got offered the role of Karen Filipeli, and the rest is TV history. CRACKED.COM — Source

1

The pilot led to the smallest Truth sitcom order in TV history. SEASONS 1&2 Seinfeld DYD After initially turning them down, NBC picked up four episo — Source

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