TV Flashback: The Top 10 Rated Shows of 1975-76
By John Roberts
@JohnRoberts (109846)
Los Angeles, California
August 23, 2016 10:53am CST
Comedy ruled the airwaves 40 years ago as eight of the top 12 shows in the Nielsen ratings were sitcoms. "Happy Days" and "One Day at a Time" came in at numbers 11 and 12 respectively.
10. ABC Sunday Night Movie-In the days before cable/video/DVD/streaming, this is where the major theatrical releases made their small screen debuts.
9. The Six Million Dollar Man-Lee Majors as Bionic Man Lt. Steve Austin.
7. (tie) Rhoda was the first Mary Tyler Moore Show spinoff starring Valerie Harper as Mary's friend and Sanford and Son with Redd Foxx as everyone's favorite junkyard curmudgeon.
6. Phyllis-The second Mary Tyler Moore Show spinoff starred Cloris Leachman.
5. The Bionic Woman-Lindsay Wagner's Jamie Sommers got the Steve Austin treatment.
4. Maude-All in the Family spinoff starring acid tongued Beatrice Arthur as Edith Bunker's cousin.
3. Laverne and Shirley-Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams as those lovable Milwaukee brewery workers.
2. Rich Man, Poor Man-This epic miniseries based on Irwin Shaw's novel was considered a series and ratings phenomenon. Established Nick Nolte as a star.
1. All in the Family-Archie Bunker, Edith, Gloria, Meathead, a legendary TV classic.
How many of these did you watch then or in rerun? Any of them favorites?
24 people like this
23 responses
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
24 Aug 16
All in the Family was an American version of your Alf n Family as I recall.
3 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
25 Aug 16
@Ronrybs That is correct. Creator Norman Lear ripped off Britcoms.
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (19585)
• London, England
25 Aug 16
@JohnRoberts That's true and I am pretty sure that Sandford and Son was based on Steptoe and Son from here.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (37379)
• Toccoa, Georgia
23 Aug 16
I watched all those shows. I loved "All in the Family" and "Happy Days". I liked "The Six Million Dollar Man". All the others mentioned , I did watch and like. My Mom watched "Rich Man, Poor Man", and I remember watching it with her.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
28 Aug 16
knew all of them except Maude - didn't know there was an All In The Family spin-off - you missed out number 8
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
29 Aug 16
@JohnRoberts oops, should have spotted that - thanks
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
28 Aug 16
There is no #8 because there is a tie at #7.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
23 Aug 16
happy days, six million dollar man and bionic woman were also shown on tv here.
2 people like this
@norcal (4889)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
25 Aug 16
I did watch all of these shows. Happy Days was a show we would never miss, until it "Jumped the Shark." This was literally the source of that expression, the show when Fonzie jumped a shark on water skies while wearing his leather jacket. The show had already strayed from the original focus on Richie and his friends to be centered around "The Fonz," and it was not as good.
One show that was one of my favorites, which not a lot of people seem to know about, was "Barney Miller." It was a sitcom that starred Hal Linden as Barney, a NYPD police captain. It ran from 1975 to 1982.
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@norcal (4889)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
25 Aug 16
@JohnRoberts Yes! and Ron Glass as Harris. I really loved Steve Landesberg as Dietrich. He came on-board just before Fish left.
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
25 Aug 16
I remember Barney Miller. Abe Vigoda as Fish if I recall rightly.
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@LindaCPearson (2240)
• United States
24 Aug 16
One of my favorite shows ever was All in the Family. I also loved Laverne and Shirley and Mary Tyler Moore. I miss those shows. TV today is mostly junk except for a few good shows like Grey's, NCIS, and a few others. Today's comedies aren't really funny, mostly inane.
1 person likes this
@LindaCPearson (2240)
• United States
24 Aug 16
@JohnRoberts Mostly just stupid stuff and trash talk, no real humor or wit. I also loved the Carol Burnett Show. That was funny. I still laugh all these years later every time I remember her Gone With the Wind skit when she was wearing the drapes, rod and all!
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
24 Aug 16
@LindaCPearson There are no variety comedy shows like Carol Burnett anymore. But then again there are no great comics like her or Jackie Gleason and Red Skelton or Lucy. Just the unfunny mocking and political "humor" of Saturday Night Live.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
24 Aug 16
I agree. Comedies like All in the Family were ground breaking or Laverne and Shirley sweetly silly. But today's comedies are what?
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@BelleStarr (61101)
• United States
29 Aug 16
Wow that is a real trip down memory lane, I know my hubs loved the bionic man, me I loved Maude.
@RasmaSandra (80748)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
23 Aug 16
@JohnRoberts among the shows you mentioned I enjoyed Happy Days, One Day at a Time, Maude, All in the Family and Laverne and Shirley. In fact as I write this I am watching Laverne and Shirley episodes on YouTube on the other PC next to the one I am writing on. It is fun to see the show again.
1 person likes this
@cacay1 (83577)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
25 Aug 16
Sorry , we do not have cable at home to watch these shows, plus, all of us at home work and arrived home late i the evening tired, then sleep.
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
24 Aug 16
Rich Man, Poor Man was the first great miniseries.
1 person likes this
@CRK109 (14556)
• United States
24 Aug 16
@JohnRoberts I remember sitting on the floor in front of the TV. It's as if I wanted to jump into the action! I was definitely hooked! lol
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
23 Aug 16
@JohnToberts I used to watch number1, 3, and Rhoda. I do remember when all these shows were on.
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (99380)
• Canada
23 Aug 16
Wow this certainly sends me on a walk down memory lane. I watched every one of them that you have listed. I just recently watch some reruns of Family. I laughed so hard. Lavern and Shirley was always a favorite along with the Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. I never missed an episode of those shows. They never had those shows as reruns on TV but I am sure I could re watch them online.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
23 Aug 16
Some of them are rerun on nostalgia TV channels.
2 people like this
@Hate2Iron (15727)
• Canada
23 Aug 16
I watched ALL OF THEM. Least favorites were The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. Have no idea why!
@Tampa_girl7 (50528)
• United States
23 Aug 16
I didn't care for Maude and never saw Rich Man Poor Man, but liked the rest.
@Marilynda1225 (83118)
• United States
23 Aug 16
I think I watched all those shows back in those days
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
24 Aug 16
I watched them all, other than Rich Man, Poor Man, and sometimes the Sunday Night Movie. All in the Family was my favorite.
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
23 Aug 16
I liked the cast in "Rich Man, Poor Man," but I found it a bit depressing. Maybe that's the obvious reaction.
