The 1970s were full of fun from bell-bottom jeans to disco dancing. They were a time for everyone to cut loose and enjoy life as it was the "Me Decade" after all. Besides colorful fashion and feathered back hair, the '70s were also filled with iconic sitcoms such as Three's Company, The Jeffersons, and Happy Days.
But these weren't the only sitcoms loved and laughed at by many. There were many other funny and impactful sitcoms in the '70s, but sadly through the years these sitcoms have been forgotten about. However, sometimes what's lost can be found again. Here are the 10 sitcoms from the 1970's everyone forgot about.
Maude
Fans of the Golden Girls all know and love Rue McClanahan and Bea Arthur, but they might not know these two talented ladies had previously starred in another sitcom together. In 1972, CBS aired Maude, a sitcom about a strong willed liberal woman, played by Bea Arthur, who's not afraid to tell others what she thinks.
Maude Findlay lives in a New York suburb with her fourth husband, divorced daughter, and grandson and she is often visited by her best friend and neighbor Vivian Harmon, played by Rue McClanahan. The series aired for 6 seasons and ended in 1978. Fans of Dorothy Zbornak will love Maude Findlay.
Welcome Back Kotter
For many people, the desire to make their hometown community a better place for the next generation is a nice thought, but in the '70s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter it was more than just a pleasant inkling for teacher Gabe Kotter. Kotter was a remedial student himself and is now in charge of teaching the remedial class also known as the Sweathogs at James Buchanan High School.
Since Kotter understands the Sweathogs on a personal level, as he used to be one, he is able to see their potential. The Sweathogs are Vinnie played by 70's heartthrob John Travolta, Arnold, Freddie, and Juan. The series aired for 4 seasons from 1975 to 1979.
Good Times
They say it takes a village to raise kids and this could not be more true in the 1970's sitcom Good Times starring John Amos and Esther Rolle as James and Florida Evans. The couple struggle to raise their three kids J.J., Thelma, and Michael in a Chicago housing project.
But the couple does have some help from their community from their neighbors, the nitwit building superintendent Nathan who is also lovingly referred to as "Buffalo Butt" and "Booger," and Florida's best friend Willona. Good Times aired for a total of 6 seasons from 1974 to 1980.
WKRP in Cincinnati
Every decade has to have a workplace sitcom such as the 1980s Night Court, the '90s News Radio, and the 2000's beloved The Office. For the 1970s the workplace sitcom was WKRP in Cincinnati. The series aired on CBS for 4 seasons from 1978 to 1982.
The sitcom focused on a radio station in Cincinnati that has a diverse staff. The new program director, Andy, attempts to get the station back its former glory days but the staff's shenanigans often get in his way. If anyone wondered if this is what life was really like working for a radio station, most of the sitcom's storyline came from the show's creator Hugh Wilson's real life experience working at a station in Atlanta.
The Odd Couple
Some people might remember the sitcom The Odd Couple from 2015 starring Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon, but this series was not an original idea. The original sitcom The Odd Couple starring Jack Klugman as Oscar and Tony Randall as Felix aired in 1970 and lasted for 5 seasons.
The two shows have the same exact premise which is two college friends deciding to become roommates after they both get divorced. It might sound simple, but things quickly turn out to be harder than the two friends imagined. One is a neat freak and one is a slob, but the two manage to make it work with hilarious wit and determination.
One Day at a Time
Many might know Valeria Bertinelli from her time on the sitcom series Hot in Cleveland, but long before she starred as Melanie Moretti, she was teenager Barbara Cooper on One Day at a Time. One Day at a Time aired for 9 seasons from 1975 to 1984.
The series was about divorced single mom, Ann, who had to raise her two teenage daughters Barbara and Julie while she was also working hard at her career. While the ladies adjust to their new life in Indianapolis, they also have to adjust to their new quirky building superintendent Schneider, who is usually offering unsolicited advice.
Alice
The 1970s were a time for women centered sitcoms to gain popularity as women's rights movements were happening all over. One of those female focused series was Alice starring Linda Lavin as Alice Hyatt. The sitcom aired from 1976 to 1985 with a total of 9 seasons.
Newly widowed mom Alice along with her teenage son Tommy head west to California so Alice can follow her dream of being singer. Unfortunately the dream is cut short when their car breaks down in Phoenix and Alice is forced to get a job as a waitress. Alice along with the other waitresses must deal with Mel, the owner, ordering them around all day. But the ladies find comfort and friendship in each other.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Who doesn't know and love the American hero Betty White? Even young people of today know of her beloved role as Rose Nylund on the 1980's sitcom The Golden Girls. But before Betty White was Rose or Elka in Hot in Cleveland or Grandma Annie in The Proposal, she was flirty and cheerful Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was revolutionary for its time as it focused on a career driven, independent, unmarried woman. Mary Richards played by Mary Tyler Moore was not only an associate producer of a news program, but she was also a perfectly content single woman. Women of today can thank shows such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show for normalizing the desire to be a career woman without a husband and kids. It's important to honor the strong women that came before us.
Barney Miller
Fans of Brooklyn Nine-Nine would have appreciated the 1970s sitcom series Barney Miller. The sitcom centered around a Greenwich Village precinct which, similar to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, was constantly filled with hilarious shenanigans. And like Captain Holt, Captain Barney Miller had the exhausting task of keeping his staff in line.
Barney Miller had fans laughing at the antics of the detectives and sergeants for 7 seasons as the series began in 1975 and ended in 1982. Fans never knew what kind of trouble the cops would get themselves into next whether it involved their love life or an arrest.
The Bob Newhart Show
Bob Newhart was a widely successful comedian in the 1960's with his own variety show, but in 1972 he upped his game by starring in his own sitcom The Bob Newhart Show. The sitcom and comedian had fans laughing for 6 seasons.
Bob Newhart starred as Bob Hartley, a psychologist who lived in Chicago with his wife Emily. Not only does Bob have to deal with zany situations at work as you never know what to expect from his patients, but he also deals with it at home as his sarcastic wife and their friends are constantly causing hilarious predicaments.