In the streaming era, new television shows seem to come and go in a flash. With so many streaming services, few shows are capable of capturing the attention of popular culture at large. Back in 1972 however, most viewers were tuning in to one of three major networks, and could easily confer on which shows were among the best.

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Fifty years later, these shows share a lingering cultural significance. Even if most modern viewers haven't sat down and watched any of these shows, it's likely that they'll at least have heard of them. And half a century later, one of these shows still airs new episodes to this today.

The Streets Of San Fransisco

Streets Of San Fransisco 1972 TV Show

The Streets Of San Fransisco features Karl Malden and Michael Douglas as Lieutenant Mike Stone and Inspector Steve Keller of San Fransisco's homicide police division. Cases often get personal for the pair, and their investigations usually uncover a vast web of complex vendettas among the victims and perpetrators.

Airing for five seasons and totaling over one hundred episodes, this crime drama helped elevate the genre to a new standard of storytelling and maturity. Malden and Douglas form a prototypical "veteran cop paired with an inexperienced cop" duo and their stellar performances keep that combination from feeling cliched.

Maude

Maude drinking from a mug with a glare on her face

Maude features Beatrice Arthur and Bill Macy as an outspoken liberal housewife Maude and her store-owner husband, Walter. Maude's blunt delivery of her beliefs about social issues often lands her in hot water in her suburban community, but that doesn't deter her from voicing her opinions about ethical injustices.

A spin-off of the popular sitcom All in the Family, this show aired for six seasons and was ahead of its time for promoting values of equality that continue to withstand the test of time. But more impressively, it presented these issues with nuance, humor, and relatability, and Bea Authur's performance is among the many that contributed to her legendary legacy.

The Bob Newhart Show

The cast of the Bob Newhart show

The Bob Newhart Show features Bob Newhart and Suzanne Pleshette as psychologist Dr. Robert Hartley and his wife, a school teacher named Emily. Newhart's dry, measured demeanor helps him navigate issues with patients, friends, and family.

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Airing for six seasons, this hilarious show helped immortalize stand-up comedian Bob Newhart and his unique style. Comedy generally ages quickly and shows rarely stay funny to younger generations. However, it's still easy to see why this show is considered one of the best sitcoms of the 1970s.

Emergency!

Two paramedics explain the situation from Emergency!

Emergency! features Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe as firefighter-paramedics, John Gage and Roy DeSoto. All manner of patients are air-lifted to Rampart General Hospital where they receive further attention under the guidance of the Chief of Emergency Medicine.

Premiering with a two-hour pilot movie, the show went on to air for six seasons, combining the best elements of the medical drama and action genres. Renowned TV actor Robert Fuller delivers perhaps his greatest performance as the hospital's chief, and the groundwork for shows like Grey's Anatomy and ER is easy to see.

The Waltons

The cast of the Waltons

The Waltons features Ralph Waite and Richard Thomas as family patriarch John Walton Sr. and the eldest son, "John-Boy" Walton Jr. The Great Depression and Second World War loom large in this 1930's rural Virginia community, but the love among the family members keeps spirits high.

Airing for nine seasons, the Walton family is the prototypical nuclear American family. While their sanguine attitudes might seem outdated in the era of anti-heroes and "flawed protagonists", it's nice to see a show about a bunch of people who love and care about each other. They're easily one of the best TV families of the '70s and '80s.

ABC Afterschool Special

ABC Afterschool Special

ABC Afterschool Special is an anthology series of episodes that dramatically presented important issues for children and young adults. Episodes ranged from hunting endangered species, sexism, the human body, birth, and death.

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Airing for a staggering 25 seasons and winning over 50 Daytime Emmy awards, this show helped direct the moral compasses of generations of TV viewers. Many actors who appeared in the series went on to become A-list celebrities like Ben Affleck, Meg Ryan, and Rob Lowe.

Are You Being Served?

The staff of the ladies and gents department of Grace Brothers in Are You Being Served

Are You Being Served? features John Inman and Mollie Sugden as sales assistants Mr. Wilberforce Claybourne Humphries and Mrs. Betty Slocombe in the department store Grace Brothers. The combination of sexual innuendo and mischievous coworkers often result in a hilarious comedy of errors.

Airing for ten seasons, this British sitcom was lauded not only for the laughs it supplied audiences but also for its greater impact on gay culture, with Inman's portrayal of the "camp" Mr. Humphries. His hilarious antics are a regular occurrence throughout the funniest episodes of Are You Being Served?.

The Price Is Right

Bob Barker on The Price is Right.

The Price Is Right features contestants competing for a variety of prizes, usually by trying to guess the retail price of various purchasable items. Though the series premiered in 1956, it was canceled and later revitalized in 1972 with host Bob Barker, and has been hosted since 2007 by Drew Carey.

While all the shows on this list turn 50 this year, only one has been airing for that entire length of time. Hitting its 9000th episode in 2019, there seems to be no end in sight to the flagship franchise. Even die-hard fans of the series should definitely check out the top ten weird facts about The Price Is Right.

Sanford And Son

Sanford and Son features "Redd Foxx" John Elroy Sanford as junk dealer Fred G. Sanford, and Desmond Wilson as his adult son, Lamont Sanford. Though they own an equal share of the family business, they often find themselves butting heads over the division of labor, among many other things.

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Based on the British sitcom Steptoe and Son, this American version aired for six seasons and was one of the most popular shows on TV throughout its run. The father-son duo is as heartwarming as they are hilarious, though some parts of Sanford and Son have not aged well.

M*A*S*H*

The soldiers on Mash posing for a photo.

M*A*S*H* features Alan Alda and Loretta Swit as Benjamin Frankin "Hawkeye" Pierce and Margaret "Hot Lips" Hoolihan. Set in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, the rebellious Hawkeye clashes with the by-the-books but flirtatious Hot Lips.

Airing for 11 seasons, this quintessential '70s series earned dozens of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and wins, and even today, many know of the show even if they've never seen an episode. While it's commonplace these days to see shows that combine comedy and drama, it's one of the things that made it one of the most influential shows of the '70s.

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