To me Northern Exposure holds up, as said, because of strong writing. The early seasons of ER which had more involvement by Micheal Crichton are stronger than later seasons, at least to my way of thinking. (Or it could be I watched ER more regularly in nursing school than once I became a shift worker.)
Degrassi (in all of it’s incarnations) still works for me–they tackled a lot of serious issues and used non-actors for realism.
There’s a cluster of bad shows from the 70s. Apparently I had quite a lot of spare time back then.
Sanford and Son
One Day at a Time
Rhoda
Good Times
Phyllis
Bob Newhart Show
Room 222
Q. One of the items in this set is not like any of the others. Can you name it?
A. The Bob Newhart Show.
My brain can not wrap itself around the concept of the Bob Newhart Show as a “Bad Show.” Of course, everyone has different tastes, but “bad” and “Newhart” can never appear together in the same phrase.
Funny you say that. I happened to catch an episode of Sanford And Son the other day, and I was surprised at how funny it was. And I disliked it back in the 70’s.
As for Wonder Woman, I thought Lynda Carter’s boobs *were * the plot.
Exactly! I just got the first release of it, and almost a disc and a half in, what you said is ringing very true. It is a great show.
I’m a bit surprised at all the love for “Northern Exposure.” I enjoyed it during its original run, and recently introduced my wife to it via Netflix. Parts of it were okay, but not as good as I’d remembered.
Partly this is because it’s the kind of thing which takes time, where you enjoy it more as you gradually get to know the characters well, even if the acting or writing is not so good in certain episodes.
Two years ago I bought the Benny Hill Complete Megaset! (1969-1989) 58 episodes on 18 DVDs.
First, who knew Benny Hill ran for TWENTY YEARS?!
Second, why can’t I get through the first disc?
I remember being a kid and staying up late to watch Benny Hill and laughing like a crazy person at his antics, but trying to watch it two years ago I don’t think I smiled even once.
The original “Power Rangers.” I was in grade 1-2 when I loved it, in my defence.
I have to second MacGyver. I loved it when I was a kid; I watch it now and I can’t believe how silly it is.
Likewise, I loved Knight Rider, and it’s every bit as ridiculous.
Thanks for reminding me of Hardcastle & McCormick! Like Magnum P.I. but you see the puppetmaster.
I disagree about Room 222. No show featuring Karen Valentine in miniskirts could be bad.
Not that many of the shows of my youth can be seen today. I enjoyed shows like F Troop, Time Tunnel, the Green Hornet, and Love, American Syle but they haven’t seen the light of day in ages.
Little House has to have been, to me, one of the worst shows ever there was; unfortunately, two of my brothers think otherwise (can’t blame 'em though). My mother really loves The Waltons; she has all 9 seasonal releases (not the movies, though), and she has the companion book as well.
I loved the books as a kid. Actually I had quite a fetish for late 19th century childhood, what with Laura Ingalls, Anne of Green Gables, Little Women and even the Secret Garden, the last one being much more exotic and incomprehensible to this Canadian’s experience.
That being said, I despised then and now the tv shows based on these books. I was 8 years old and I remember having a crying fit right before my parents were going out on their week night out because my 14 year old babysitter would want to watch Little House on the Prairie and “Mom it’s NOT TRUE, its just made up stories about people with the same NAMES! Pa doesn’t have a beard! Nelly isn’t even in it until book 4! Its just LIES!”
My mother to her eternal credit handled this with a straight face, gave me the “well don’t watch it, then” line. I followed that advice and I don’t believe I have watched an episode since 1978.
The Road to Avonlea had some shrill woman with a voice like wiper blades on dry glass so I have never been able to watch that.
I love historical fiction,:hate most historical tv drama.
Meanwhile… at the Hall of Justice, Cheesesteak was watching an episode of Super Friends.
I caught a few minutes of one a few years back. All I wanted to do was scream “One of you guys has to be a professional writer, you should come up with a plot better than this while taking a dump.”
Y’know, a while ago I’d have said “well, that’s because unsophisticated physical comedy just doesn’t age well.” But last summer I caught (in a movie theater, no less) a showing of The General, starring Buster Keaton. Silent film, mostly slapstick and pratfalls. And it was hilarious.
But it’s also probably that you were a kid - that all seemed new and fresh, because you didn’t have the reference pool you do now.
I haven’t seen Benny Hill in ages, but I would guess the more risque gags (copping an illicit feel by means of a fake broken arm, for example) would read as creepy, these days.