# Longest running yet most forgotten (or forgettable) TV Show? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2013, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064 "2013-03-05T03:00:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/101 "2013-03-06T13:45:28Z")
_3rd Rock_, anyone? 6 seasons, 139 episodes. The only thing I remember about it was William Shatner showing up saying he was just on a plane with a gremlin on the wing, and John Lithgow says “The same thing happened to me!” And I’m sure most people of a certain age remember ABC’s Wide World of Sports, but I had no idea that thing ran until 2006! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/102 "2013-03-06T14:15:15Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > I have no recollection of _Yes, Dear_. My only recollection was of a bumper (those little skits that run under the credits) where they played with the 4th wall. They tried rearranging the furniture in the room but no one liked things when they put the couch or a painting on the “camera wall”. It was cute. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/103 "2013-03-06T14:18:13Z")
Is that show Rules of Engagement still on the air after 7 seasons? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/104 "2013-03-06T14:36:11Z")
Regarding _Malcolm in the Middle_: > [@alphaboi867](#): > > Another show that’s not (AFAIK) in sydnication, and won’t get a full DVD release because of music rights. It is in syndication. One of my cable channels airs it in all-day marathon blocks. But I think it is falling rapidly in syndication popularity. Are all the episodes available in HD? That effects semi-recent series rerun potential. Regarding Ed Sullivan: I watch _Letterman_, so I get references to the old Stone Face’s show several times a week. Paul even does “right here on our stage” thing from time to time. (And then there’s crosswords. Old-timers nostalgia paradise. I even saw a reference to Topo Gigio a couple weeks ago.) ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/105 "2013-03-06T14:38:02Z")
I’ve never heard of half these shows! 😛 California Dreams is utterly unknown to me, really? All I can surmise is that they were just sort of…there…noise on the TV…while flipping channels, looking for something you actually wanted to watch. Not unlike those filler songs they play on the radio while you wait for a good song. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/106 "2013-03-06T15:01:37Z")
Used to be the stations that ran syndicated reruns would show old shows. That’s how someone my age could be well acquainted with shows like I Dream of Genie and Giligans Island. Now those stations will only show old episodes of recently off the air shows. Or shows that are still on the air and play them to death. That’s why a lot of shows are forgotten. The before mentioned Wings was played to death right after it went off the air. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/107 "2013-03-06T15:05:12Z")
And even the most unmemorable show can have a killer episode or two. _Wings_ may fade away, but “The Big Sandwich” will live forever! ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/108 "2013-03-06T15:16:57Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > And even the most unmemorable show can have a killer episode or two. _Wings_ may fade away, but “The Big Sandwich” will live forever! Wings has one of my favorite lines of all time. Probably wont work typed out because its all about timing and character. Helen riding in a plane with idiotic mechanic Lowell when something goes wrong. Helen: What just happened? Lowell: Looks like catastrophic engine failure. Helen: What causes that? Lowell (looking at her like she’s an idiot): A catastrophe. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/109 "2013-03-06T15:23:56Z")
Just wanted to report in that I had a Yes, Dear sighting this morning on DirecTV! It was on some nick at night channel I think. Couldn’t believe it! ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/110 "2013-03-06T16:10:34Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > “Lamp Unto My Feet” ran for 32 years. I never saw one episode. Of course, a show that ran at 9:00 AM Sunday wasn’t about to be big. Anybody remember it? Me (see post #42) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/111 "2013-03-06T18:09:18Z")
FWIW I liked _Wings_. My dad was a pilot and I thought it was cool that there was a sitcom about pilots. I liked Tony Shalhoub and have been glad to see him go on to greater success. > [@Biggirl](#): > > Yes, Dear is the forgotten According to Jim. At least people remember According to Jim enough to hate on it. Yes, Dear ran for 6 seasons and it didn’t even have the guy who was John Belushi’s brother on it to make it stick in your memory. I saw _Yes, Dear_ once or twice and it failed to make an impression on me. I’m not sure I’d remember it at all now except that one of the actors, [Mike O’Malley](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005282/), went on to play the only sane adult on _Glee_ (Kurt’s dad, Burt Hummel). I don’t think I’d have even remembered he was on _Yes, Dear_ if I hadn’t seen it mentioned somewhere online, though – I recognized him primarily from a supporting role as the cop on _My Name is Earl_. He also hosted a game show on Nickelodeon about 20 years ago, which may also be more memorable than the fact that he was on _Yes, Dear_. > [@SciFiSam](#): > > The BBC sitcom My Family apparently did quite well in viewing figures over its 11 seasons (presumably because everyone gets the BBC but not everyone has cable or satellite), but got terrible critical reception and even the stars said some of the scripts were dross and they were amazed it was still running. > > This is a prime-time BBC comedy with successful actors as the leads, not some minor show on a minor channel, and it only finished recently, so it’s not forgotten yet, but if it’s remembered at all in a few years’ time, it might be for being famously bad. _My Family_ aired for a while on “British comedy night” on my local PBS station. I remember wondering why they’d chosen to include such a generic family sitcom (even the name is generic!) when we could see the same sort of thing on American television. I didn’t think it was _awful_, but it seemed like a generic American family sitcom only with British actors. Some of the other British shows aired on PBS are not IMHO that great, but many of them are about middle aged and elderly people (e.g. _Keeping Up Appearances, Last of the Summer Wine_) and since a lot of older folks watch PBS and not a lot of American shows center on older people I can see why they were chosen. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/112 "2013-03-06T18:41:05Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Becker? “Margaret, let me see Mr. Nielsen’s chart. Hmm, those numbers aren’t that bad.” Becker runs pretty continuously in syndication. 3rd Rock ran pretty constantly on TV Land. Lots of great in-jokes too. For one, Dick (John Lithgow) ranting against rock and roll in a direct parody of his preacher character in Footloose. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/113 "2013-03-06T18:45:45Z")
[Newsradio](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NewsRadio) lasted five seasons (With Wings as a lead in), but never really made a cultural impact. It’s one of my favorite shows ever, but it’s hard to find anyone who remembers it. One of my favorite moments of TV anywhere was when Jimmy James (the billionaire station owner) reads from his book [‘Macho Business Donkey Wrestler’](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrlvVhL35Ws) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/114 "2013-03-06T19:38:48Z")
I see no mention of either _Soap_ or _Barney Miller_, both of which were considered groundbreaking when they first came on: > **[Soap (TV Series 1977–1981) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075584/)** > > Soap: Created by Susan Harris. With Katherine Helmond, Rod Roddy, Richard Mulligan, Cathryn Damon. The soap-operish antics of two families: the Campbells and the Tates. > **[Barney Miller (TV Series 1975–1982) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072472/)** > > Barney Miller: Created by Danny Arnold, Theodore J. Flicker. With Hal Linden, Max Gail, Ron Glass, Steve Landesberg. The Captain of the NYPD 12th Precinct and his staff handle the various local troubles and characters that come into the squad room. _St Elsewhere_? > **[St. Elsewhere (TV Series 1982–1988) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083483/)** > > St. Elsewhere: Created by Joshua Brand, John Falsey, John Masius, Mark Tinker. With Ed Begley Jr., Howie Mandel, David Morse, Christina Pickles. The lives and work of the staff of St. Eligius Hospital, an old and disrespected Boston teaching... _Hill Street Blues_? > **[Hill Street Blues (TV Series 1981–1987) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081873/)** > > Hill Street Blues: Created by Steven Bochco, Michael Kozoll. With Daniel J. Travanti, Michael Warren, Bruce Weitz, James Sikking. The lives and work of the staff of an inner city police precinct. _Lou Grant_? > **[Lou Grant (TV Series 1977–1982) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075528/)** > > Lou Grant: Created by James L. Brooks, Allan Burns, Gene Reynolds, Leon Tokatyan. With Edward Asner, Robert Walden, Mason Adams, Jack Bannon. The trials of a former television station manager, turned newspaper city editor, and his journalist staff. _Remington Steele_? > **[Lou Grant (TV Series 1977–1982) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075528/)** > > Lou Grant: Created by James L. Brooks, Allan Burns, Gene Reynolds, Leon Tokatyan. With Edward Asner, Robert Walden, Mason Adams, Jack Bannon. The trials of a former television station manager, turned newspaper city editor, and his journalist staff. _Rockford Files_? > **[The Rockford Files (TV Series 1974–1980) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071042/)** > > The Rockford Files: Created by Stephen J. Cannell, Roy Huggins. With James Garner, Noah Beery Jr., Joe Santos, Luis Delgado. The cases of an easy-going ex-convict turned private investigator. Last time I heard anyone mention _Rockford Files_ was on an old rerun of _Frasier._☹ ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/115 "2013-03-06T20:36:27Z")
How about Alice? It ran for 9 seasons, and I remember it being part of a very popular programming block, but very little of it has been released on DVD, and I don’t believe reruns are frequently aired. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/116 "2013-03-06T20:49:18Z")
The British comedy [Are You Being Served](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Are_You_Being_Served%3F) ran from 1972 to 1985, and was shown on PBS. Most people have never heard of it, but it is fabulous. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/117 "2013-03-06T20:57:06Z")
> [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](#): > > _3rd Rock_, anyone? 6 seasons, 139 episodes. The only thing I remember about it was William Shatner showing up saying he was just on a plane with a gremlin on the wing, and John Lithgow says “The same thing happened to me!” > > And I’m sure most people of a certain age remember ABC’s Wide World of Sports, but I had no idea that thing ran until 2006! I loved Third Rock From the Sun. So many great characters and actors such as the above mentioned Lithgow and of course Joseph Gordon-Levitt (he sure grew up, hubba hubba) ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/118 "2013-03-06T20:58:10Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > The British comedy [Are You Being Served](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Are_You_Being_Served%3F) ran from 1972 to 1985, and was shown on PBS. Most people have never heard of it, but it is fabulous. Omg, I loved that show too! Along with Keeping Up Appearances! \*\* drew\*\* is right, someone who watched as much tv as me really doesn’t count, lol ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/119 "2013-03-06T21:07:07Z")
> [@phreesh](#): > > [Newsradio](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NewsRadio) lasted five seasons I loved that it had Dave Foley in it from Kids In The Hall ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064/120 "2013-03-06T21:27:20Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I’d put Walker, Texas Ranger in that category. > > It was on for eight seasons, was apparently a hit show but I don’t know anyone who watched it or even noticed when it went away. Walker gave Haley Joel Osment AIDS. [NEVER FORGET!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdsTUcuD7YA) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-yet-most-forgotten-or-forgettable-tv-show/652064.md?page=7)