The 1960's were a free spirited time as people were breaking out of their conforming lifestyles and finding their own unique groove in life. The '60's were filled with Beatlemania, long hair, peace signs, and great sitcoms. The '60's created some of the most beloved sitcoms of all time including Giligan's Island, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Brady Bunch.
Believe it or not, it has been 60 years since the 1960's first began and in that amount of time, many of the once cherished sitcoms have been forgotten about it. They have been sit aside for the last few decades, but today we are going to bring them back into the light. Here are the 10 sitcoms from the 1960's everyone forgot about.
Green Acres
Sometimes in life, you have to shake it up a bit and completely reinvent yourself like what the Douglases did on Green Acres. Oliver and Lisa were successful and fabulous New York socialites. But even though it appeared that the couple had everything they could ever want, Oliver began to yearn for a simpler life.
Oliver bought a farm in Hooterville, and the once glamorous couple give up their Manhattan penthouse for the old farmhouse. While Oliver loves their new life, Lisa isn't too sure about it so she insists on still wearing her designer gowns and jewelry. Whether you lived in a big city or on a farm, everyone loved Green Acres. The series aired for six seasons from 1965 to 1971.
The Beverly Hillbillies
Who doesn't love a good rags to riches story? People in the 1960's were big fans of less fortunate folks striking gold and this was proven by the long running and popular sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies. The series ran for nine seasons from 1962 to 1971.
When the backwoods Clampett family strikes gold by striking oil, they head west to California, Beverly Hills to be exact. While the newly rich family is eager to spend their fortune, their banker Mr. Drysdale tries to keep their spending in check while also attempting to turn them into civilized folks. He rarely succeed though as the Clampetts were always true to themselves even if others wanted them to change.
The Lucy Show
Lucille Ball is a true Hollywood icon as everyone fell in love with her as Lucy Ricardo on I Love Lucy. When I Love Lucy ended in 1957, some fans might have wondered what happened to their beloved comedic housewife. Fans of Lucille Ball, need not worry as she landed on her feet by starring once again in her own sitcom The Lucy Show.
The Lucy Show aired for six seasons from 1962 to 1968. The sitcom followed the life of widow Lucy Carmichael as she raised her two children while living with her divorced friend Vivian Bagley played by Vivian Vance, and her son Sherman. Fans loved the series as Lucille Ball never failed to her charm her audience with her goofy antics.
That Girl
For decades people have loved the idea of an underdog never giving up on their dreams even if it's difficult. In the 1960's the underdog was aspiring actress Ann Marie played by Marlo Thomas in That Girl, which ran from 1966 to 1971 for five seasons.
Ann Marie had moved away from her hometown to New York City in hopes of achieving her dream of becoming a big star. But it's not as easy to become a star as Ann Marie thought so she is forced to take temp jobs while working towards her dream. That Girl was revolutionary for its time as it focused on a woman who was more concerned about her career than about becoming a wife and a mother. Marlo Thomas believed so strongly in the feminist message of That Girl that she allowed her character to become engaged but not married as she wanted young girls to know that marriage is not the only goal they should have.
Get Smart
Many people of today are big fans of spy films and TV shows, and the audience of the 1960's were no different. Get Smart was the hilarious sitcom about secret agent Maxwell Smart or simply Agent 86. While many would believe that in order to be a spy one must be very intelligent, Agent 86 proves that theory wrong.
But lucky for him, his partner Agent 99 is much more capable of getting the job done and helping him figure out how to use the phone in his shoe. The series aired for five seasons from 1965 to 1970. The show also served as the basis for the 2008 comedy of the same name.
The Munsters
The Addams Family might have been the most well known spooky family in the neighborhood in the 1960's and even to this day it is still a pop culture icon. But there was another strange family that lurked about in the '60's. The Munsters aired for two seasons from 1964 to 1966.
The series featured a family that is a little different from your average family next door. Mr. Munster had a strange resemblance to Frankenstein's monster, his loving wife and father in law were vampires, and their adorable son Eddie was a werewolf. And then there was their unfortunate niece Marilyn, who was just a normal girl, but the family loved her anyways.
My Favorite Martian
Aliens have always been in pop culture whether it's been a movie or a TV show or books. Many people have been fascinated by aliens for decades and their interest might have started in the '60s when My Favorite Martian aired between 1963 to 1973.
The series was about a martian who crashes into earth leaving his spaceship in shambles. While he attempts to put his space craft back together so he can return home, he is taken in by newspaper reporter Tim O'Hara. Tim disguises the martian as his Uncle Martin. The plan might have worked if it hadn't been for his landlady who takes an interest in Uncle Martin. The series was later adapted into a film in 1999.
Petticoat Junction
Many people might think it would be boring to run an inn in a small farm town like Hooterville, but for the Bradley women it's an exciting endeavor as they know how to make their own fun. Petticoat Junction aired for seven seasons from 1963 to 1970.
Petticoat Junction focused on the Bradley women, which consisted of widow Kate and her three daughters, Bobbie Jo, Billie Jo, and Bettie Jo. They run the Shady Rest Hotel which is a place where people can get away from the hustle bustle. But when you always live a slow pace lifestyle, sometimes you have to shake it up and make your own fun.
Family Affair
What's a successful and content bachelor supposed to do when his nieces and nephew barge into his life? He unwillingly adjusts his lifestyle of course. When engineer Bill Davis, played by Brian Keith, takes in his orphaned nieces and nephew, Cissy, Buffy, and Jody, he realizes just how much his life will have to change, but that it will be worth it.
With help from his butler, Mr. French, Bill learns to adapt to what the children need and becomes the guardian they deserve. The series made fans laugh and touched their hearts for five seasons as the series aired from 1966 to 1971.
Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes probably wouldn't fly in today's world but in the'60s it was seen as one of the funniest sitcoms on the air. The series aired from 1965 to 1971 for a total of six seasons. Hogan's Heroes was set in a Nazi P.O.W. prison camp where the guards are strict bumbling buffoons and the prisoners are always causing trouble in order to help the Allies.
Colonel Robert Hogan played by Bob Crane was the leader and mastermind behind most of the P.O.W. prisoners's shenanigans. To this day it is the only show to ever have the gull to be set in a Nazi camp and poke fun at the Nazis and World War II.