What was fascinating about the 1970s was the availability of only three broadcast networks: ABC, CBS and NBC. PBS was also an option, and the typical market also offered two to three independent stations. But network television was the center, and despite the limited options there was always something good to watch.
“M*A*S*H” (CBS): 1972-83
Unlike the then-new wave of Norman Lear comedies and CBS comedy personalities like Lucille Ball and Mary Tyler Moore, M*A*S*H was a combination of comedy and drama adapted from the 1970 theatrical of the same name.
Airing for 11 seasons, technically M*A*S*H lasted eight years longer than the Korean War, which was the time frame of the series. And the early seasons coincided with the later years of the Vietnam War.
While viewers enjoyed the camaraderie of the characters in an often-comical fashion, the death of Col. Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) at the end of season three (Blake’s plane was shot down en route to Japan, and everyone aboard died) was intended to capture the cast’s genuine shock and surprise, and to remind the audience that war is not be taken lightly.
All in the Family (CBS): 1970-79
Groundbreaking, no doubt, All in the Family from Norman Lear came at a time when CBS was canceling basically every series with a tree (nicknamed “The Rural Purge,” which led to the demise of shows like Petticoat Junction, The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Hee Haw).
Oddly, All in the Family aired immediately following Hee Haw in its first season, certainly an unusual audience flow. But the network wanted comedies of a grittier nature that would tackle current issues, and All in the Family was the show to do it. Not a hit initially, Emmy ultimately came calling, viewers suddenly took notice, and by season two Carroll O’Connor and company began a five-year reign as the top-rated series on television.
The Brady Bunch (ABC): 1969-74
Yes, I know. This picture-perfect blended family was pure fiction. None of us, then or now, could really relate to a childhood set in a groovy house (complete with green Astroturf in the backyard), with two loving and understanding parents, six ideal children, and a housekeeper who was just pure plain fun.
There was always a wisecrack out of the mouth of Ann B. Davis as Alice! But as an escape from our mundane existences, The Brady Bunch offered a place to go where all was good and the worst problem was Marcia (Maureen McCormick) being hit by a football and Jan (Eve Plumb) having another meltdown. As always, it was a happy ending in every episode.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS): 1970-77
Single at age 30 at the start of this beloved sitcom, Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards moves to Minneapolis to start a new life after a breakup. And that set the stage for an equal balance of Mary’s home and work life, complete with characters we cared about, situations we could all relate to, and comedy derived from these individuals — Mary, Rhoda, Phyllis, Mr. Grant, Ted, Murray and, in later seasons, Georgette and Sue Ann — instead of just the punch lines.
While she could not make it through the funeral of a clown without breaking into laughter (in the classic “Chuckles Bites the Dust” episode), Mary could indeed “turn the world on with her smile.” And, thanks to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, this tale of an independent woman ushered in a new era for the TV sitcom.