With activism changing America outside, 1960s sitcoms offered their generation a sense of stability. The Civil Rights Movement, feminist ideologies, and various other radical changes began influencing the medium. At the same time, those changes required it to stay the same in other ways so that it could remain palatable to the many still-conservative viewers. Shows became popular for allowing audiences to "escape" through fantasy, foreign places, and even music. The addition of color also separated the new 1960s television era from its black-and-white predecessors.
The following list highlights the best situational comedies of the 1960s according to their success and influence on the industry as a whole:
1. The Brady Bunch (1969-1974)
The Brady Bunch was a huge success from the moment it first aired. Much of its fortune was due to its multiple points of view. Episodes featured children at three different stages of youth rather than focusing on one child or on the parents. Later syndication in adolescent-friendly time slots cemented this show as a cross-generational 1960s legend.
2. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964-1969)
Another hugely popular sitcom, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. became famous less for what it did than for what it didn't do. The series avoided social commentary, even as a military show taking place during the Vietnam War. It appealed to America's desire for simplicity and goodness during a time of tremendous chaos.
3. Bewitched (1964-1972)
Bewitched accomplished a lot in its complicated run. While now it is known mostly for Tabitha's famous nose twitch and for changing actors mid-series, at the time it first aired it was also very progressive. Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York were the first unmarried actors to be seen in bed together on television. Bewitched also tackled racial themes and had a strong female lead character. Its high-quality special effects and fantastical genre helped it succeed as a classic escapist comedy.
4. Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971)
Arguably one of the first dark comedies on television, Hogan's Heroes upset some viewers for taking lightly the plight of prisoners under the Nazis. Instead it was one of the most inclusive and bold shows of its era, featuring both African-American and Native American characters. It also ironically starred Jewish men as Nazi generals, a job they didn't mind as they got to play utter fools. Combining the genres of history, military and comedy, this brave sitcom continues to be loved and hated today.
5. The Lucy Show (1962-1968)
This wildly successful sitcom returned Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance to the small screen. Vance became the first woman to play a divorcee on television, and, by showcasing even more of Lucille Ball's tremendous comedic talent, The Lucy Show labeled its heroine a true feminist icon.
6. Get Smart (1965-1970)
Get Smart, the brainchild and career-launcher of Mel Brooks, stood out in its decade as an anti-establishment, uncommonly ironic satire. The series featured a physically strong, experienced woman as Maxwell Smart's partner Agent 99 and made death and killing, particularly by heroes, acceptable for the first time in a comedy series.
7. Gilligan's Island (1964-1967)
The cast and crew of Gilligan's Island never thought the show would succeed. They were wrong. Despite its unrealistic plots, viewers enjoyed the escape and made the show a hit. Its catchy theme song and well-cast actors helped this sitcom become a classic that remains popular today.
8. I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970)
I Dream of Jeannie made many viewers angry because of its racy themes. It showed Barbara Eden as a woman living with a man who was not her husband and wearing a revealing costume. She was able to do so without censure because the show made clear that she slept in a bottle, and her costume covered her navel, except in rare, accidental instances. The show reflected the country's fascination with space exploration through its hero's job at NASA and remains a pop culture reference decades later.
9. That Girl (1966-1971)
For the first time, a young, single woman living and working on her own became the heroine of a television series in That Girl. This successful sitcom paved the way for other women to star in their own shows as unmarried women, including Mary Tyler Moore.
10. The Monkees (1966-1968)
The Monkees founded a hit band and made it possible to succeed as a television-created music group, thus providing a formula for The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch to become mega-stars. It also led the way in cross-promotion, advertising products during the show and giving producers a new way to increase income.
How to Watch These Classic TV Series Now
Some of these sitcoms are still available on television through reruns. Viewers can check local listings, but also can pay special attention to TVLand for The Brady Bunch and Hogan's Heroes, as well as marathons of other popular 1960s shows.
Some classic 60s comedies are now available for only a dollar as one or two episodes in a DVD collection, and all of the shows have been released in their entirety on DVD. Online viewing programs such as Netflix now offer some of the sitcoms for free streaming online to members.
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