The 24 Best 1970s TV Shows of All Time

From boundary-pushing sitcoms and cozy family dramas to wisecracking detectives and star-studded variety hours, this lineup gathers the small-screen staples that defined a decade. Which one still reigns supreme?

1. 1
   All in the Family

   Norman Lear's groundbreaking sitcom built around bigoted everyman Archie Bunker that redefined what TV comedy could tackle.
   1000pts
2. 2
   M*A*S*H

   CBS's genre-blurring Korean War comedy-drama, one of the most acclaimed and widely watched series in television history.
   733pts
3. 3
   Saturday Night Live

   The late-night sketch institution that debuted in 1975 and reshaped American comedy.
   732pts
4. 4
   The Rockford Files

   James Garner's easygoing ex-con private eye anchored one of the decade's best detective dramas.
   639pts
5. 5
   Barney Miller

   The witty, low-key sitcom set in a Greenwich Village police squad room.
   639pts
6. 6
   The Bob Newhart Show

   The understated sitcom starring Bob Newhart as a Chicago psychologist.
   639pts
7. 7
   Little House on the Prairie

   The wholesome frontier family drama adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder's books.
   523pts
8. 8
   Dallas

   The Ewing-family oil-dynasty saga whose 'Who Shot J.R.?' cliffhanger became a global sensation.
   523pts
9. 9
   The Muppet Show

   Jim Henson's variety show starring Kermit, Miss Piggy and a chaotic troupe of Muppets.
   523pts
10. 10
    Three's Company

    The farcical roommate comedy built on misunderstandings and physical humor.
    523pts
11. 11
    The Waltons

    The Depression-era rural family drama known for its warm 'Goodnight, John-Boy' closings.
    523pts
12. 12
    Soap

    The audacious prime-time soap parody that pushed boundaries with satire and cliffhangers.
    523pts
13. 13
    The Mary Tyler Moore Show

    The landmark workplace sitcom about an independent single woman producing the news in Minneapolis.
    0pts
14. 14
    Happy Days

    The nostalgic 1950s-set sitcom that became a cultural phenomenon and launched the Fonz into stardom.
    0pts
15. 15
    The Jeffersons

    The long-running All in the Family spin-off following an upwardly mobile Black family 'movin' on up'.
    0pts
16. 16
    WKRP in Cincinnati

    The cult-favorite sitcom set at a struggling rock radio station.
    0pts
17. 17
    Columbo

    The rumpled-raincoat detective whose 'just one more thing' inverted mysteries made it a beloved crime staple.
    0pts
18. 18
    The Carol Burnett Show

    The Emmy-laden variety and sketch showcase widely regarded as one of the greatest of its kind.
    0pts
19. 19
    Sanford and Son

    Redd Foxx's Watts-set sitcom about a cantankerous junk dealer and his exasperated son.
    0pts
20. 20
    Taxi

    The ensemble sitcom set in a New York cab garage, celebrated for its sharp writing and cast.
    0pts
21. 21
    Good Times

    The Chicago-projects sitcom that mixed sharp social commentary with J.J.'s 'Dyn-o-mite' catchphrase.
    0pts
22. 22
    Charlie's Angels

    The glossy crime drama about three female private investigators taking orders from an unseen boss.
    0pts
23. 23
    Kojak

    Telly Savalas's bald, lollipop-sucking NYPD lieutenant headlined this gritty cop drama.
    0pts
24. 24
    Fawlty Towers

    John Cleese's savagely funny British sitcom about an inept, irascible seaside hotel owner.
    0pts

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