Where are the "family" shows?
By coffeebreak
@coffeebreak (17798)
United States
September 30, 2012 4:47pm CST
It has bothered me for some time. I miss the family sitcoms. Where the family was a mother and a father that were married to each other and had children and they learned lessons and grew up in life. I know society these days says it doesn't matter the relationship...as long as everyone is together. Well..to a point that is okay, but still a mother and a father and children..that is the "family" unit I am talking about. I didn't have tv as a kid and only started watching some in 9th grade...but I have seen things on TVLand etc as reruns. I really enjoyed watching the family sitcoms in the 80's 90's...but the rest... I just don't see why the networks seem to cater and prefer single parents. Nothing against single parents, I dont' want to start a battle here..and not saying the singles parent shows are not as funny as the family shows, but stilll.. just noticing the discrepancy and wonder why?
Family sitcoms I can remember:
Make Room for Daddy (M, F 2 Kids
Leave it to Beaver (M,F,@ kids)
The Ozzie and Hariett show (M,F,2 kids)
Donna Reed Show (M,F 2 3 kids)
Patty Duke Show (M,F, 2 kids and a neice
Happy Days (M,F,2 kids)
Brady Bunch M,F,6 kids)
Growing Pains, (M,F,3 kids
Family Ties (M,F,3 kids
Step by Step (M,F,6 kids
Family Matters (M,F,3 kids
Boy Meets World (M,F,2 kids
Home IMprovement (M,F,3 kids
Those I can remember with one parent*
Big Valley (widowed mother)
High Chapperal (widowed father, remarry)
Bachelor Father (uncle raising neice
Gidget (widowed father)
My Three Sons (widowed father)
Julia (widowed mother)
Courtship of Eddy's Father (single man with son)
The Lucy Show (widowed mother)
Here's Lucy (widowed mother)
The Andy Griffth Show (widowed father)
Partridge Family (widowed mother)
Who's The Boss? (2 divorced each with child)
Benson (widowed father)
The Nanny (widowed father)
New Adventurs of the Old Christine (divorced mother0
Mellisa and Joey (2 singles with neice/nephew)
If you can add to the list.. please do!
2 people like this
12 responses
@burrito88 (2774)
• United States
1 Oct 12
There was also Lassie (in at least two incarnations), Dennis the Menace, Good Times, Family Affair, and how about Lost in Space. And of course there was also Roxanne.
1 person likes this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
1 Oct 12
Good ones
Good Times.. F,M and 3 kids
Lost in Space (F,M and 2 kids..in space!)
Dennis the Menace..F.M 1 kid)
Do you mean Rosanne? (Roxanne?)...(f,M and 3 kids)
Family Affair (single with neice/nephew)
@burrito88 (2774)
• United States
1 Oct 12
Yes I meant Rosanne.
Lassie was originally a mother, grandfather, and son before switching to parents with a son.
I think with Good Times the father left after 3 seasons.
Happy Days had an older brother who soon disappeared.
My Three Sons had an older brother who left and was replaced by an adopted son.
In Family Matters, the youngest daughter disappeared and was replaced by a nephew.
Bonanza has been considered a family show with a 3 times widowed father and 3 adult sons. They later tried to re-make the show with a prequel.
What about Little House on the Prairie?
Daniel Boone started out mother, father, son, and daughter but the daughter later disappeared. (The real Boone had 10 children.)
There was also Hazel, maid, mother, father, son.
In the '50'sthere were 2 versions of The Life of Riley (the second of which rand for 6 years) which featured M,F,D,S.
Lastly, how about Married with Children?
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
2 Oct 12
Yeah, you are right about those having children that dissapeared...but the show went on for years. ANd now that you mention it.. I just recently saw the first episode of Big Valley.. there was a third son...younger than Nick...back in school in the east. He was on the first episode, but then if I remember right...only guest appeared from time to very seldom time...then never mentioned him again.
Yeah, forgot about Bonanza and Little House. Little house was good.
Daniel Boone..just saw that recently too and Jamima was on it.. she was older and "back east in school" after first/second season.
Yeah, Hazel...that was on recently, but I only watched it a few times... didn't really get into that one.
And Married with Children...yeah, lasted a long time! IT was morbidly funny!
@cattibre (160)
• United States
2 Oct 12
I really wish that they would bring back family shows. It seems that any show we are able to watch as a family (me, my husband, and 2 young children) they cancel them after just a few episodes. It really angers me that I can not feel comfortable watching T.V. with my children because of the shows they have on today. I miss those old family shows. :(
1 person likes this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
3 Oct 12
I dont' know how families with kids deal with TV these days. Only thing I had concern about my high school daughter watching was 90210...even in high school they were all sleeping together back and forth and I wouldn't allow her to watch it..she was not happy with me!
My 12 you grand daughter(daughters daughter) she seems to let her watch most anything...all these vampire shows...I am sorry, but that is just not appropriate for "tween" age and they both watch FRIENDS all the time and she knows the dialog by heart on some of them.. and again.. just not appropriate for a kid that age to be watching all that adult stuff going on. But nothing I can do about it! Oh wait.. there is.. and I did, but mommy doesn't allow it! I started GD on I Love Lucy and Beverly Hillbillies... she LOVED both of them and asked to watch them every time she was at my house...and I let her, but her mom won't allow her to watch them when she is around...she says the are so stupid. Younger generation doesn't know what hilarious comedy is!!!
@trek1967 (1)
• United States
10 Oct 12
Thats true I Love Lucy was rated as the best T.V. show watch world wide just a month ago.The enterament that is on T.V. these day is i beleave very warp minded not like when we were growing up it's like what is bad is good and what is good is bad these days peolpe don't have a very good imagination these days just a rotten one like Modern Family!!!!Now we can see how the family is being torn apart and all this realy T.V. these days.I never thought i come home from a hard days work to get away from reality only to find i have to watch it on T.V. and where do they find most of these peolpe???? So i like to stick with the old stuff i think it has much more class:)
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
2 Oct 12
You didn't see the Cosby show? It was you type of Sit Com. See I grew up in the 70's. I saw the Brady Bunch reruns. And Good Times, All in the Family, and One Day At A time. The latter was about a newly divorced mother if two. It was more gritty than Ozzie abs Harriet! By the time the late 80's came along , the mom, dad, and kids sit com wasn't funny to me. What I did like was Married with Children And The Simpsons. They were the black comedy version of your family sit com. why has it all changed? Because society has changed. Back in the day divorce was a dirty word. Even if you didn't live like the Donna Reed show , you wished you could. Now many are from divorced parents and many are still not married. Two traits that were so taboo in the early 60's. Most audiences will not relate to mom and dad being sweet. But Roseanne? Sure!
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
2 Oct 12
I didn't see Cosby. By the time he came around I had had it with all sit coms. I was seeing dramas back then. It is wonderful that the oldies are being played!
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
3 Oct 12
METV also has the cop shows from back the.. Hawaii 5-0, Rockford Files, Kojak etc. I never got much into those..Starsky and Hutch but only cause Starsky was so cute!
1 person likes this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
2 Oct 12
I saw Cosby...I liked him just didn't like the Mother (to arrogant) and Rudy (just like mommy) and Denise..(another mommy). Bill was always funny, but I just didn't like the kids on it! One day at a time.. yeah, remember that one and liked it.
You are right...the family unit is no more. I was in high school in the 70's so I remember them.. didn't have tv until 10th grade! I have just watched the shows since I got married ton of years ago and TVland was introduced and I got to enjoy all the oldies. METV channel is now the one with all the oldies... I have that one on "speed dial".
1 person likes this
@carolscash (9492)
• United States
1 Oct 12
The Cosby Show
All in the Family
The Jeffersons
Family Ties
Family Matters
All of these were decent family shows. All in the Family and The Jeffersons were both with older children, but still good. Another one with a widowed father and older child was Sanford and Son.
Family Affair was an uncle raising his niece and nephew I think.
1 person likes this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
1 Oct 12
Yep few more good ones
The Cosby SHow (F,M 5 kids
All IN the Family (F.M older 1 kid, married)
The Jeffersons (F,M 1 older kid
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
30 Sep 12
I miss the family shows too. Now the famil shows are like two and a half men. I think that more families watch television together and appreciate what is going on in the world with the the developement of the famil series. i show really do miss in that realm is family.1 person likes this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
1 Oct 12
Two and a Half Men is just disgusting. I tune in about twice a season and it never changes..even when the actors do! Stupid and tacky and I just dont' know how that show is such a hit,..unless it is just that people these days have no class, pride, intelligence or even know what "comedy" means.
@Sukeena1961 (343)
• United States
1 Oct 12
I still watch those shows you're talking about. I don't watch New Adventures of Old Christine nor Two and half men. We have a channel called MeTV and it airs all of those old shows. That's where my t.v. stays. I watch Perry Mason, The Lucy Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, Daniel Boone, Hawaii Five-O, You mentioned The Big Valley and I watch it. I also watch Bonanza, Gunsmoke and The Wild Wild West, The Rifleman, Rin Tin Tin, Lassie, Gentle Ben, Flipper,etc. I don't care to much about many of the programs today. I do watch a few like The Ghosthunters, First 48, The Paranormal Files, Cold Case, Finding Bigfoot, Criminal Minds, Numbers, NCIS,etc.
I do like all of those old shows though,those programs that I mentioned have family values. Each story has a moral behind it. A lot of kids today don't appreciate those programs. My son is 30 and he complains about me watching those old programs. He likes those reality shows, not me. Give me those old shows any day of the week.
Even the new cartoons suck. Whatever happened to Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo, The Road Runner, Fog Horn Leg Horn,etc. A lot of the programs on t.v. today aren't fit for kids to watch. I totally agree with you.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
7 Oct 12
I only recognised a few from that list because I am in the United Kingdom and the majority of those sitcoms were not shown here. We did have our own selection of sitcoms though, and I agree that they seem to have disappeared completely.
I could understand if it was a case of new sitcoms replacing the old, but instead it seems that the whole concept has been graded as outdated.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
12 Oct 12
Coudl be the same in your country...TV sitcoms have done such a 180 degree turn..they just aren't even for the family anymore.
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
1 Oct 12
My favorites I Love Lucy husband and wife married in real life and the baby photo on TV Guide was priceless. I was so sad when their marriage was over. Also really loved watching The Andy Griffith Show with little Ron Howard.
The life lessons I learned watching Andy tell Opie about life have stayed with me. Andy didn't let Opie be unkind and made him say he was sorry when Opie was wrong.
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
7 Oct 12
Sadly, so many of the people I considered stars are no longer living. They really knew how to entertain and not use 4 letter words that I don't find funny. Its sad to see some of the changes on television.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
2 Oct 12
Those are my two favs too. I Love Lucy.. I am a big lucy fan. Have the series and bunch of other stuff! Can nearly recite the dialog right along with the show! And Andy...got that one too.. love those shows. Good clean, hysterial laughter and fun!
@silverfox09 (4708)
• United States
11 Oct 12
Wow you give me a big list to look up 
and watch since I enjoy watching old shows . The only two show I know on your list are the nanny and Brady bunch , I am currently watching the nanny episodes online and I start watching married with children .
Well you are so right , their is no real family show right now especially if you are looking for proper example . Time has changed so the shows now are more about what is happening now , single parents are now becoming more common. I wish there were more family movies like the ones you mention those are so fun and teach about better morals .
and watch since I enjoy watching old shows . The only two show I know on your list are the nanny and Brady bunch , I am currently watching the nanny episodes online and I start watching married with children .
Well you are so right , their is no real family show right now especially if you are looking for proper example . Time has changed so the shows now are more about what is happening now , single parents are now becoming more common. I wish there were more family movies like the ones you mention those are so fun and teach about better morals .@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
12 Oct 12
I know. I watch some of the shows my grand daughter (1) watches and I am all but disgusted....they are so stupid, there is NEVER a parent in the show..the kids just do whatever with no supervision or structure and just the dumbest things I have ever seen and the piped in laughter...it is so loud and often and lasts long and then is abruptly cut off...just stupid idoicy is all they are!
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
3 Oct 12
That's true. And I Lovey Lucy is my all time favorite show to watch.. I wasn't thinking about it as a "family" sitcom...I think of it a a comedy..best one ever created...but not a family sitcom, but it could be that too!
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
1 Oct 12
Oh yeah... Wonder Years was a fav of mine! Can't belive I forgot that! And I also remembered...
The Doris Day Show (widowed with 2 kids) and
Petticoat Junction (widowed with 3 kids)
The Cosby Show - married and 5 kids
Wonder Years - married and 3 kids
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
2 Oct 12
I liked WOnder YEars cause Kevin was only 1 year older than me in that same time frame..early 70's. I remember so much of that stuff and things that happened and the way people and society was back then! It was fun to "relive" the good times!
@kitmurphy (81)
• United States
2 Oct 12
I know that Tim Allen had another show that popped up last year and there was that show I hate my teenage daughter (I think both were cancelled). Other than that the best place to find anything family is ABC Family
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
3 Oct 12
OH yeah.. I remember that one.. Last Man Standing... but there again...his family was him and his wife and a about middle school age daughter and another daughter that got pregnant in high school and kept hte baby and is now living with them and trying to find work when she has no education. To me.. that is just telling girls it is okay to get pregnant in high school...it always works out just fine.
I remember the I Hate my teenage daughter..but never watched it.. just the title turned me off. I couldn't believe they actually named a show that!
