You Are What You Were. Celebrate Retro Pop Culture At Retroland.
One would be hard pressed to find a more formidable ensemble of comedic talent than the cast of The Carol Burnett Show. For eleven seasons, Carol and her cohorts took sketch comedy to hilarious new heights, thanks in part to each actor's devious desire to make the others crack up on camera. The tactics usually worked, leaving the cast, and generations of viewers, in stitches.
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Who could forget The Flintstones, the modern stone-age family that first rocked prime time television on September 30, 1960, courtesy of Hanna-Barbera Productions. From their inception through the next 6 seasons, the cartoon endeared itself to millions of viewers with the prehistoric antics of Fred and Wilma Flintstone and their sidekick neighbors, Barney and Betty Rubble.
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After Hanna-Barbera proved that a prime-time cartoon sitcom set in the Stone Age could be successful, they set their sites on the faraway mid-21st century. In the middle of a futuristic world where flying cars buzzed the skies and robotic maids tended to the chores, they plopped down a typical family, The Jetsons.
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From the Production Company of Rankin/Bass, creators of such timeless holiday classics as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman, came another beloved stop-action animation offering for the Christmas season – The Little Drummer Boy. And, like most of their seasonal offerings, it is fondly remembered by many who still make it part of their annual viewing tradition.
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Between 1922 and 1948, comedic film director Hal Roach created a total of 220 film shorts under the name Our Gang. Featuring over 41 different child actors over the years, the beloved shorts chronicled the adventures of a group of children who lived in a poverty-stricken neighborhood together. In the early 50s, thanks to the enormous popularity of the series, MGM took 80 of the shorts and packaged them for television as The Little Rascals. And, in the decades that followed, millions of former kids sat mesmerized by the hilarious antics and colorful characters. A staple of syndicated television for many years, they still hold a fond place in our hearts.
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There was certainly no shortage of police dramas on 60s television, but they lacked the appeal necessary to capture the devotion of younger audiences who were becoming more turned off by the persona of the typical “square” authority figures. To try to capture some youthful television viewer attention, ABC responded with perhaps the hippest cop show to ever hit the airwaves. Centered on a trio of former juvenile delinquents who become undercover cops, these cocky and fashionable fighters of crime would be forever known as The Mod Squad.
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Every community has the one family that raises the collective eyebrows of the neighbors due to their non-conforming ways. Sure, they appear to be nice enough folks but they just don’t fit in with their surroundings. Well, over on 1313 Mockingbird Lane, raised eyebrows gave way to sheer terror when they got a look at the inhabitants, better known as The Munsters.
Continue reading...Of all the face-off questions we’ve posted in the past few months, it was inevitable that we would eventually find our way here – to compare and contrast two sillier than scary sitcoms - miles apart in their type of humor, but equally beloved by millions. You’ve all watched both series - if not firsthand, [...]
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Television took a turn towards the surreal in 1959, with the debut of a new anthology series called The Twilight Zone. Each 30-minute episode might delve into the areas of science fiction, drama, comedy, horror, or political commentary, but the only thing one could truly expect from each episode was the unexpected. Famous for its last minute twists, the success of the show is attributed to the genius of its creator, writer and host, Rod Serling, who imagined some of the most engaging stories to ever hit the airwaves. Today, just about everyone can cite a favorite episode of this classic series, over 50 years after its debut.
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Once upon a time, a kindly old gentleman appeared in our collective living rooms on Sunday evenings. He offered a glimpse into his imaginative world featuring a literal treasure trove of family entertainment. Offering a mixture of classic live-action films, nature segments, and the company's iconic animation, the show went by many names over the years, appearing on just about every channel at one time or another. Most fondly remember it as The Wonderful World of Disney.
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