The Best TV Show Released the Year You Were Born

Arguably the most influential comedy troupe of all time, Monty Python debuted on the BBC and proceeded to break every convention. Later airings on PBS helped expose the group’s particular brand of absurdity to American audiences. The legend would continue with a number of classic films, including the immortal “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”

Mary Tyler Moore plays Mary Richards in this seminal comedy series, which broke ground for the depiction of women on television. Single and career-minded, Richards works as associate producer for a fledgling news program. The show won 29 Primetime Emmy Awards over the course of seven seasons.

This celebrated series put a clever twist on the standard procedural, revealing the crime and often the perpetrators at the beginning of the story. It was then up to blue-collar homicide detective Columbo (Peter Falk) to crack the case. The season one episode “Murder by the Book” was directed by Steven Spielberg.

An acclaimed Robert Altman film inspired this similarly iconic series about medical workers during the Korean War. Its legendary finale drew an estimated 125 million viewers and remained the most-watched TV broadcast in American history until 2010.

This animated sci-fi series attempted to capitalize on the growing popularity of its live-action predecessor, lasting only two seasons. A number of original cast members returned to provide voice-overs for their respective characters.

This still-syndicated crime series chronicles the dangerous cases solved by a wrongfully convicted felon turned private investigator (James Garner). It was co-created by Roy Huggins, who’d previously created the hit show “Maverick” (also starring Garner). Ballooning expenses and a personal injury resulted in an abrupt mid-season cancellation in 1979.

This sketch comedy series debuted under the name of “NBC’s Saturday Night” and struggled to gain enough ratings during its first season. Now a cultural institution, it’s helped launch countless high-profile careers. It’s currently in the midst of a 47th season.

After the failure of two separate pilots, creator Jim Henson found a home for his muppets on British television and later in U.S. syndication. Presented as a variety show, the series also took viewers behind the curtain as assorted characters interacted backstage. A thriving franchise would follow.

This serialized comedy received heated backlash over its tawdry depictions of sex and infidelity only to become a ratings smash. A send-up of soap operas, it follows the melodramatic escapades of two sisters and their respective families. Billy Crystal plays the openly gay Jodie Dallas in an early breakout role.

Modern fans of this British series might be surprised to discover that its origins date back to the late 1970s. Each episode features a handful of presenters and reporters, who review different cars and talk about all things automobile-related. A brief cancellation in the early aughts was followed by a series revival, which continues to this day.