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Sometimes it feels like you pay for a bunch of streaming services today, but there\u2019s still nothing to watch. So why not grab some inspiration from years past and celebrate the 50th anniversaries of these classic shows<\/a>?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s become a staple for game shows over the years, and you can easily find the latest version of the show hosted by Steve Harvey. But Family Feud <\/em><\/a>made its debut in 1976 with Richard Dawson as the host of the show, and it\u2019s still going strong in its 50th year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Three\u2019s Company<\/em><\/a> starred John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt, and Suzanne Somers as three roommates, and the hijinks they got into living together and dealing with their landlords. Ritter and DeWitt stayed for the run of the show, while Somers was replaced by Priscilla Barnes after several seasons.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Who knew a puppet frog hosting a fictional variety show could be so popular? But that\u2019s what happened to Kermit the Frog, who hosted The Muppet Show<\/em><\/a> while trying to get a handle on the comedic craziness backstage. The show also featured plenty of guest stars, including actors such as Julie Andrews and Candace Bergen, as well as an eclectic mix of musicians from Johnny Cash to Alice Cooper and Dizzy Gillespie.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sure, there were movies starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu, but the original Charlie\u2019s Angels<\/em><\/a> is the most iconic. The series debuted in 1976, with Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith as a trio of women working as detectives with assignments given to them by the mysterious Charlie.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The titular characters of Laverne & Shirley<\/em><\/a> did it their way to try and make all their dreams come true as roommates working for a brewery in Milwaukee in the late 1950s. The show, starring Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams, was a spinoff of the widely popular Happy Days<\/em><\/a>. The characters of Laverne and Shirley originally debuted on that show as friends of Henry Winkler\u2019s character Fonzie.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Great shows of 1976 weren\u2019t just limited to the U.S. In Canada, <\/em>SCTV<\/em><\/a> landed on the airwaves as a Canadian sketch show that highlighted talented comedians in the Great White North. The show launched the careers of actors such as John Candy<\/a>, Eugene Levy, Catherine O\u2019Hara, and Rick Moranis.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Phoenix, Arizona, was the home to a greasy-spoon diner where comedy ensued in the sitcom Alice<\/em>, which started in 1976. The show featured Linda Lavin as the title character, a waitress at the diner trying to raise her son while dealing with her co-workers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The groundbreaking What\u2019s Happening!! <\/em>followed the lives of three Black teenage boys in South Central Los Angeles, which gave it a unique perspective among shows at the time. Ernest Thomas, who played Roger, described the show<\/a> with: \u201cEven though Good Times<\/em> was out there and Jeffersons<\/em> and Sanford and Son <\/em>[were on], it wasn\u2019t the youth. What\u2019s Happening!! <\/em>was these three teenagers, which I think had an impact on all cultures.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another game show that made its way to the airways in 1976 was The Gong Show<\/em><\/a>, featuring amateur talents showing off their skills for a panel of judges. But beware, because if you weren\u2019t good, one of the three celebrity judges would pick up the mallet and strike a gong, effectively striking you out of the competition.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Legendary actor Jack Klugman led the cast of Quincy, M.E.<\/em>, as a coroner who investigated suspicious deaths. Klugman\u2019s character worked for the Los Angeles County Coroner\u2019s office and was based on a real-life medical examiner there, who also served as a consultant on the show.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
Family Feud<\/em><\/h2>\n
Three\u2019s Company<\/em><\/h2>\n
The Muppet Show<\/em><\/h2>\n
Charlie\u2019s Angels<\/em><\/h2>\n
Laverne & Shirley<\/em><\/h2>\n
SCTV<\/em><\/h2>\n
Alice<\/em><\/h2>\n
What\u2019s Happening!!<\/em><\/h2>\n
The Gong Show<\/em><\/h2>\n
Quincy, M.E.<\/em><\/h2>\n
Dolly<\/em><\/h2>\n