Classic Television Shows

Created by Sheldon Leonard

Starred:

Andy Griffith
Ronny Howard
Frances Bavier

Ran from 1960-1968

American sitcom where Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the small town of Mayberry, North Carolina. He lives with his young son Opie (Ron Howard) and his aunt Bea(Frances Bavier). His life is further complicated by his well meaning, but inept deputy, Barney Fife(played by Don Knotts). Andy also has to put up with a bunch of bumbling friends and girlfriends.

The show never won and awards and neither did Andy Griffith. However, Don Knotts and Frances Bavier did, combining for a total of 6. The show had a few spinoffs, Gomer Pyle USMC with Jim Nabors and Mayberry RFD, its sequel in 1968.

Other Mayberry residents included: Flody Lawson, played by Howard McNear, as the barber, cousins Gomer(Jim Nabors) and Goober Pyle(George Lindsay) who ran the gas station, and Otis Campbell (Hal Smith), the town drunk.

Andy's girlfriends were the schoolteacher Helen (Aneta Corsaut) and in the 1st season, his girlfriend was played by Elinor Donahue. When Don Knotts left the show, his replacement was Warren Ferguson, played by Jack Burns. This was in the 6th season.

Ronald William Howard was born in 1954

Award winning American film director, producer and actor

Came to prominence in the 1960's in the Andy Griffith show, where he
played Opie Taylor

And in the 1970's as Richie Cunningham on Happy Days

Directed Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon

Starred in the 1963 film version of the Music Man with Robert Preston and Shirley Jones; appeared in the film version of The Courtship of Eddie's Father

In 1973 starred in movie American Graffiti. Which led to him being cast in Happy Days

He has directed several tv movies

Married to Cheryl Howard since 1975

I Dream of Jeannie was created by Sidney Sheldon and ran in the 1960's.It starred Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman, Bill Dailey and Hayden Rorke. The show ran for 5 seasons and was about a genie who was released from her bottle by astronaut Major Tony Nelson(Hagman).

He becomes her master and she eventually falls in love with him. Tony can only tell Roger(Bill Dailey) about her existencve, at least her "real" identity. Colonel Bellows, Tony's and Roger's boss was played by Hayden Rorke.

Recurring characters:

Amanda Bellows (Dr. Bellows' wife) (1966-1970) - Emmaline Henry
Gen. Wingard Stone (1965) - Philip Ober
Gen. Winfield Schaeffer (1969-1970) - Vinton Hayworth

Taxi was an American sitcom which aired from 1978- 1982. Taxi won 18 Emmy Awards, three of which were for outstanding series. The show starred Judd Hirsch, Tony Danza, Danny DeVito, Marilu Henner,Christopher Lloyd, Andy Kaufman,Jeff Conaway,and Carol Kane. This show was about the Sunshine Cab Company run by Louie De Palma, the cantankerous boss played perfectly by Danny DeVito. Judd Hirsch played Alex Rieger was the glue that kept the cabbies together.The show won Emmy's for Lead Actor and Actress as well as for supporting players and for writing and directing.

Danny DeVito is a very versital actor. He played the despicable Louie DePalma in Taxi, the owner of the Sunshine Cab Company. Before acting, Danny was a cosmetician at his sister's school. When he went to the Academy for Dramatic Arts, his love of acting began.

Danny met actor Michael Douglas here and they went on to collaborate on many things together. He met his future wife, Rhea Pearlman shortly thereafter and they have been together for since the 1970's and married for 27 years.

In addition to starring in Taxi, Danny has starred in Romancing the Stone, Throw Mamma From the Train, Ruthless People, Get Shorty and my personal favorite, Matilda. He starred in Matilda with his wife Rhea Pearlman, playing a man more ruthless and uncaring than his Louie DePalma character in Taxi.

The Beverly Hillbilles was a television show about a family who struck oil, became rich and moved to Beverly Hills, a place where they did not fit in. The show starred Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, Max Baer, Jr, Nancy Kulp and Raymond Bailey.

The show debuted in 1962 and ran until 1971 when CBS cancelled it because it didn't like it's rural image. CBS also cancelled Green Acres and Petticoat Junction for the same reason.

The theme song from the show hit #44 on the hit chart

The Clampett's family truck was a 1921 Oldsmobile

Jethro's father's name was Fred Bodine

The character of Jed Clampett was originally set to be a dumb hick, but Buddy Ebsen wouldn't agree to this and Jethro played by Max Baer Jr. got all the dumb lines.

Green Acres- Amercan sitcom starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor

About a couple who moved from NY City to a farm in the country

Sister show to Petticoat Junction

Ran on CBS from 1965-1971

Premise-Oliver Wendell Douglas, a prominent lawyer in NY always wanted to be a farmer. He and his very glamorous wife Lisa moved to Green Acres so he could have the life he always wanted.

Oliver- Eddie Albert
Lisa-Eva Gabor
Mr. Haney-Pat Butram
Mr. Ziffel-Hank Peterson
Sam Drucker- Frank Cady

Cross-overs from Petticoat Junction
Kate Bradley-Bea Benaderet
Uncle Joe Carson-Edgar Buchanan
Charley Pratt-Smiley Burnette
Floyd Smoot-Refe Davis

I Love Lucy with Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley ran from 1951-1957. This show was about bandleader Ricky Ricardo and his goofy wife Lucy and their best friends, Fred and Ethel Mertz. This show was funny and slapstick, as Lucy did her best to become something other than the housewife that Ricky wanted her to be. The shows were funny because as goofy as Lucy was, Ethel was always trying to keep Lucy out of trouble (when she wasn't joining in on the fun). Although the character of Lucy often appeared as a bubbling idiot, it was Lucille Balls great comedic ability that made it funny episode after episode. William Frawley and Vivian Vance made great friends and landlords for the couple.

Every episode Lucy managed to come up with a way to get into her husband's club in disguise, or to find another way to leave the confines of her home and the domestic drudgery she so despised. Interestingly enough a lot of their tv life mirrored their real life situations.

Petticoat junction was an American Sitcom which aired from 1963-1970. It was created by Paul Henning, who also created the shows Green Acres and the Beverly Hillbillies. Petticoat Junction takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, located near the C& F.W. Railroad. The hotel is located about 25 miles from Hooterville, the place where Green Acres is found.

The show starred Linda Kaye Henning, daughter of Paul Henning as Betty Jo Bradley, It also starred Mike Minor as Steve Elliott who was suppose to be the love interest of Billie Joe ( finally played by Meredith MacRae) but he ended up with Betty Jo, since he and Linda Kaye married in real life. Bea Benaderet played Kate Bradley, the woman who ran the Shady Rest and Edgar Buchanan, lazy Uncle Joe who helped out. Bobbie Jo was played for most of the time by Lauire Saunders.

Sam Drucker (Frank Cady) played the same role here as he did in Green Acres and Charley Pratt (Smiley Burnette), the Canonball engineer and his conductor, Floyd Smoot (Rufe Davis), ran the train between Petticoat Junction and Hooterville.

The Partridge family was a show from the early 1970's which starred Shirley Jones, David Cassidy and Susan Dey. The show was about a widowed woman with five children who decided to have a music career.

With the help of one of the boys(Danny Bonaduce) in the family, they find a manager(Dave Madden), buy a bus and start touring. The show which lasted four seasons was loosely based on the real life band, the Cowsills.