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Many times I’ve come onto Buzzfeed and thought, “Yes, another TV show appreciation post! Maybe I’ll see some love for the brilliant writing of Cheers or Happy Days.”
That never happens. It’s as if people don’t want to admit that a TV show made before the 20th century could actually be cool in the year 2021. The Fonz would be horrified by the fact that he’s not seen as cool in 2021.
So here’s a list of 10 TV shows from the 1990s and earlier that are severely underappreciated. Do yourself a favor and watch these! The Fonz would be so proud of you.
1.The Nanny (1993-1999): Directly inspired by the plot of The Sound of Music, The Nanny follows a 30-year-old Jewish fashionista named Fran Fine who is employed by Broadway producer and widower Maxwell Sheffield to be the nanny for his three children. Fran’s iconic fashion sense and feisty attitude make this show a pleasure to watch. Besides, Fran and Maxwell are one of television's greatest slow-burn relationships!
2.Cheers (1982-1993): Easily one of the five greatest television shows of all time, Cheers follows the lives of several regular customers to a Boston bar owned by suave bachelor and former pro-baseball star Sam Malone. Despite being a comedy, Cheers perfectly displayed the realities of death, pregnancy, divorce, and unemployment in lighthearted and respectful tones. It’s a show that focuses on the human need for love and friendship and really makes you feel like everyone does know your name!
3.Frasier (1993-2004): This spin-off to Cheers follows main character Frasier Crane, a radio psychiatrist, who is newly divorced and has moved to the city of Seattle. The interactions between the characters of Frasier’s brother Niles, his father Martin, Martin’s health care provider Daphne Moon, and Frasier’s producer Roz make this comedy so enjoyable. The misunderstandings and cluelessness of Niles and Frasier make this TV show so much fun to watch. It’s the perfect TV show to binge when you need a good laugh.
4.Laverne & Shirley (1976-1983): One of the first television shows to have a cast solely led by women, Laverne & Shirley focuses on two best friends that live and work together in the bottle capping department of a Milwaukee brewery. Laverne & Shirley thrives on its extensive use of physical comedy and brilliant portrayal of life as single women in the late 1950s.
5.Three’s Company (1977-1984): Three’s Company follows the lives of two girls and one guy who platonically live together in a Santa Monica apartment. Jack, the male member of the trio, must pretend to be gay in order to live with Janet and Chrissy, which leads to a plethora of misunderstandings and plotlines. The landlord Stanley Roper is the only one who doesn’t know the truth, with his wife Helen helping the trio to hide their secret because “nothing happens in our apartment either!”.
6.Happy Days (1974-1984): One of the greatest television shows of all time, Happy Days portrayed the lives of teenagers in the late 1950s and early 1960s by focusing on the Cunningham household. Richie is the typical teenage boy whose best friend is biker and ladies’ man Arthur ‘The Fonz’ Fonzarelli, who regularly comes to Richie and his friends’ rescue. Over time, the show begins to revolve more around the Fonz and Richie’s younger sister Joanie. This is a show that focuses on the power of friendship and love
7.M*A*S*H (1972-1983): Its series finale was the most watched television program of its time, which goes to show how much of an influence M*A*S*H had on television history. M*A*S*H mixed drama and comedy in its portrayal of a mobile army surgical hospital unit on the front lines of the Korean War. It brilliantly displayed the stories of the doctors and staff of the unit and the Koreans in the warzone, as well as the soldiers that were patients within the hospital unit.
8.That Girl (1966-1971): That Girl focuses on the life and career of Ann Marie, a bright and giddy model and actress from New York City, and her boyfriend Don Hollinger that works as a magazine executive. This show from the late 1960s was considered to be a landmark moment in television history as the leading lady was not married or living with her parents. In fact, *SPOILER* Marlo Thomas refused to have her character Ann Marie get married during the show’s run out of fear that a marriage between Ann and Don would downplay the feminist tone of the show.
9.The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977): Mary Tyler Moore stars as the unmarried and independent working-class woman Mary Richards in this beloved 1970s show. Richards works as an associate producer at a television station in Minneapolis. Throughout the show’s run, plots about independent women, divorces, infidelity, and the realities of journalism are woven into the series. The Mary Tyler Moore Show, also, includes a witty ensemble cast of Betty White, Cloris Leachman, Valerie Harper, Ed Asner, and Gavin MacLeod.
10. Emergency! (1972-1977): The quintessential medical drama of its time, Emergency focused on the rescues of Squad 51, lead by paramedics John Gage and Roy DeSoto. The show always featured a major fire at the end of its episodes and was revolutionary for its accurate portrayal of fire station and paramedic rescues. Actors Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe, also, did most of their own stunts on the show. If that's not impressive, then I don't know what is.
What are some other classic television shows that deserve more love and appreciation? Leave them in comments.
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