109 Fun Facts About Classic TV

Which 1950s sitcom's three-camera setup became the standard for live-audience comedies?

The technique let one performance be captured from several angles at once. It is still how most studio sitcoms are shot today.

Which production company did Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz jointly own?

It later produced Star Trek and Mission: Impossible. Ball bought out her husband's share after their divorce and ran it herself.

A January 1953 episode about a birth pulled a then-record rating of 71.7. What was it called?

More Americans watched it than watched Eisenhower's inauguration the next morning. The pregnancy had to be written around the word 'pregnant', which the network banned.

Which pair played the landlords and best friends of the Ricardos?

The two actors reportedly disliked each other off camera for the entire run. Their characters lived downstairs and were dragged into every scheme.

What is the title of the 1983 M*A*S*H finale, one of the most watched US broadcasts ever?

It ran two and a half hours and drew about 106 million viewers. Streets in some American cities were noticeably empty while it aired.

Roughly how many viewers watched that finale in 1983?

It became the most-watched US television broadcast in history at the time. No scripted episode has come close since.

Which unit is the setting of M*A*S*H?

It sat near Uijeongbu in South Korea. Real surgical units of the same kind operated within a few miles of the front line.

M*A*S*H ran for 11 seasons, far longer than the conflict it portrayed. How many episodes were made?

The war it depicted lasted 1,128 days; the series ran for more than eleven years. Several cast members left long before the ceasefire arrived on screen.

Who created and presented The Twilight Zone?

He appeared on camera in every episode from the second season onwards. He had already won three Emmys for live television drama before it began.

Of the original series' 156 episodes, how many did its creator write or co-write?

That is well over half the run, at a pace no modern showrunner attempts. He dictated most of them aloud into a tape recorder.

How did the fourth season of The Twilight Zone differ from the rest?

The longer format was imposed by the network and disliked by the writers. The show returned to its half-hour shape for its final year.

What is the registry number of the starship in Star Trek's original series?

The letters and numbers were chosen partly because they are hard to misread on screen. Later ships in the franchise added letters to the same number.

Roughly how many letters did NBC receive in the campaign that won Star Trek a third season?

They arrived between December 1967 and March 1968. The reprieve produced one more season before cancellation.

How many episodes of the original Star Trek were made across its three seasons?

That small number was enough to sustain decades of reruns, films and spin-offs. Syndication, not first broadcast, made it a phenomenon.

The bar in Cheers was modelled on a real Boston pub. How did the producers find it?

The Bull & Finch Pub still trades on the connection today. Its exterior is one of the most photographed doorways in Boston.

What was Sam Malone's career before he bought the bar?

His nickname on the mound was Mayday. Alcoholism ended the career, which is why the bar's owner never drinks.

Where did Cheers rank in the ratings for its premiere season, when it was nearly cancelled?

The network kept it alive on critical praise alone. Eleven seasons later its finale was the most watched programme of the decade on that network.

Who turned out to have shot J.R. Ewing?

She was his sister-in-law and his mistress. The reveal came the following November, months after the cliffhanger aired.

Roughly how many American viewers watched the episode that answered that question in November 1980?

That was more than three quarters of everyone watching television that night. Only the M*A*S*H finale has beaten it since.

Dallas wrote off an entire season by revealing it had been a dream. Whose dream was it?

The device brought a dead character back to life in a shower scene. It remains the most notorious retcon in American television.

In which American city is Happy Days set?

The show covered the 1950s and early 1960s there. A bronze statue of its breakout character now stands on the city's riverwalk.

Which song opened the first season of Happy Days?

The familiar theme with the show's own name in the lyrics arrived later. The original choice was already twenty years old when the series began.

In which fictional town is The Andy Griffith Show set?

It sits in North Carolina, modelled on the star's real home town of Mount Airy. Its sheriff famously refused to carry a gun.

Who performed the whistling in that show's opening credits?

He wrote the tune as well. The whistle is one of the most recognised pieces of television music ever recorded.

Where did The Andy Griffith Show finish in the Nielsen ratings for its final season?

It was never placed lower than seventh in its entire run. Very few shows have ended at the top and simply stopped.

What is the name of the boat that runs aground in Gilligan's Island?

It was named as a dig at a broadcasting chairman who had called television a vast wasteland. The wreck stayed on the lagoon set for three seasons.

How long was the boat trip in Gilligan's Island supposed to last?

The castaways spent three seasons stranded instead. They packed a remarkable amount of luggage for the trip.

The Professor and Mary Ann were left out of the first season's theme song. What were they called instead?

Their names were written into the lyrics in season two as the characters grew popular. The actress who played Mary Ann campaigned for the change for years afterwards.

What was Ralph Kramden's job in The Honeymooners?

He worked a Madison Avenue route in New York. His best friend worked underground, in the sewers.

Art Carney's character Ed Norton did which job for New York City?

He lived in the flat directly above his best friend. The role won Carney a string of Emmy awards.

At what Brooklyn address did the Kramdens and Nortons live?

The number was Jackie Gleason's real childhood address. The apartment set was famously bare: a table, a sink and an icebox.

All in the Family was adapted from which British sitcom?

Norman Lear bought the format after reading about it in a trade paper. Another British series became Sanford and Son in the same way.

Who played Archie Bunker?

He sang the show's theme song on camera at the piano with his co-star. The actor was a liberal who described the character as a warning rather than a hero.

Which spin-off outlasted its parent show, running 11 seasons and 253 episodes?

Its lead family had lived next door before moving to a deluxe apartment in the sky. The parent series managed nine seasons and 208 episodes.

Where did Mary Richards work in The Mary Tyler Moore Show?

She was an associate producer at fictional station WJM. The role is often cited as television's first single career woman lead of her kind.

How many Emmy Awards did The Mary Tyler Moore Show win, a record that stood until 2002?

Frasier passed the tally with its thirtieth. The record had stood for a quarter of a century.

Which of these was a spin-off of that show, following its gruff news director into a drama?

It is one of the very few dramas ever spun out of a half-hour comedy. Two other spin-offs followed her friends instead.

Near which Nevada settlement is the Cartwright family's ranch in Bonanza?

The Ponderosa sits beside Lake Tahoe. The setting is the 1860s silver boom.

Why did NBC keep Bonanza on air despite a shaky start?

The network's parent company was selling colour television sets at the time. Lake Tahoe scenery made the case better than any advertisement.

How many episodes of Bonanza were made across its 14 seasons?

That makes it the longest-running western on its network and the second longest on American television. Only Gunsmoke ran longer.

Which actor led the Cartwright household as the family patriarch?

The other three actors played his sons, each by a different mother. One of them went on to make Little House on the Prairie.

On I Love Lucy, Ricky Ricardo is the bandleader at which New York nightclub?

Ricky later buys the club and renames it Club Babalu, but for most of the run it is the Tropicana.

Ralph and Norton bowl and scheme as members of which fraternal order?

The lodge, complete with coonskin caps, was later borrowed almost wholesale by The Flintstones for Fred and Barney.

Which actor played gas-station attendant Gomer Pyle before his Marines spin-off?

Nabors' booming baritone singing voice, so at odds with Gomer's drawl, made him a hit on variety shows and at the Indianapolis 500.

About how many Americans watched the Beatles' first Ed Sullivan Show appearance in 1964?

It was a US television record at the time and is often credited with kick-starting the British Invasion.

Before it took his name, Ed Sullivan's Sunday variety show was called what?

It ran under that title from 1948 to 1955 and stayed on CBS until 1971, one of the longest runs in TV history.

Topo Gigio, the tiny Italian puppet who charmed Ed Sullivan, was what kind of animal?

He debuted on the show in December 1962 and became such a fixture that he was among the guests on the final broadcast in 1971.

What is the name of the Cartwright family ranch on Bonanza?

The ranch was said to cover a thousand square miles beside Lake Tahoe; a replica built for tourists operated there for decades.

Marshal Matt Dillon of Gunsmoke keeps order in which Kansas town?

The show is set just after the Civil War, when the real town was a rowdy cattle-drive terminus.

Miss Kitty Russell on Gunsmoke runs which saloon?

Her exact profession was kept deliberately vague on television, though the radio version left less to the imagination.

Gunsmoke ran on CBS television for how many seasons?

That made it the longest-running prime-time live-action series in US history, a record that stood until 2019.

Which movie star introduced the first episode of Gunsmoke on camera in 1955?

He was reportedly offered the role of Dillon himself, turned it down, and recommended his friend James Arness instead.

In the Twilight Zone's 'Time Enough at Last', what happens just as Henry Bemis finally has time to read?

Bemis, a henpecked bank teller, survives a nuclear blast in a vault only to fumble his spectacles on the library steps.

How does Samantha Stephens usually cast a spell on Bewitched?

Elizabeth Montgomery could not actually wiggle her nose on cue; the effect was her upper lip moving quickly, sold by a synthesized sound cue.

Which actor took over as Darrin Stephens on Bewitched for the final three seasons from 1969?

York had a chronic back injury from a film accident; the swap went unexplained on air and became a byword for recasting.

Who played Endora, Samantha's disapproving witch mother, on Bewitched?

Moorehead had been part of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre and appeared in Citizen Kane long before Endora.

Who played the Skipper on Gilligan's Island?

His father, Alan Hale Sr., was a Hollywood character actor best known as Little John opposite Errol Flynn's Robin Hood.

Carol Burnett ended every show by tugging her ear. Who was the gesture for?

The grandmother who raised her was told it meant 'I'm thinking of you'; Burnett kept it up long after she died.

Carol Burnett's famous curtain-rod dress sketch parodied which film?

The 'Went with the Wind!' dress by Bob Mackie now lives in the Smithsonian; the punchline was 'I saw it in the window and I just couldn't resist it.'

Archie and Edith Bunker's living-room chairs were donated to which institution in 1978?

They went to the National Museum of American History; the show had replicas built when it needed the originals back for filming.

What is the title of the song Archie and Edith sing at the piano to open All in the Family?

The two leads performed it themselves at the piano each week, shrill high note included.

Why does Corporal Klinger wear women's clothing on M*A*S*H?

The gag was written for one episode; Jamie Farr's Klinger stayed for the whole run and eventually gave up the dresses when he became company clerk.

Robin Williams made his screen debut on Happy Days in 1978 as which alien?

The character got his own spin-off, Mork & Mindy, that same year; Happy Days also launched Laverne & Shirley.

What is Rose Nylund's tiny Minnesota hometown in The Golden Girls called?

Betty White's Rose was originally written as the sharp-tongued Blanche; she and Rue McClanahan swapped roles before filming.

The four Golden Girls share a house in which city?

All four lead actresses won an Emmy for the show, and their kitchen-table cheesecake talks became its signature scene.

Lawrence Welk described his easy-listening big-band sound as what kind of music?

Bubbles floated across the screen to sell the idea, and Welk's German-accented 'a-one and a-two' became a national catchphrase.

What is the Beaver's real first name on Leave It to Beaver?

His brother Wally is Wallace and his pal Lumpy is Clarence; the show's producers reportedly picked 'Beaver' from a Navy buddy's nickname.

Which actor played the two-faced Eddie Haskell on Leave It to Beaver?

Osmond later joined the Los Angeles Police Department and was shot in the line of duty, surviving thanks to his belt buckle and body armor.

Which district attorney lost to Perry Mason nearly every week for nine seasons?

William Talman's Burger was on the losing end so reliably that fans still argue about the three cases Mason technically lost.

Who plays Alan Brady, the vain star Rob Petrie writes for on The Dick Van Dyke Show?

Reiner created the series about his own life as a writer for Sid Caesar and had planned to star; the network preferred Van Dyke.

Which bluegrass duo performed 'The Ballad of Jed Clampett,' the theme to The Beverly Hillbillies?

The single reached No. 1 on the country chart, and the pair turned up in Beverly Hills as themselves in several episodes.

Who played Granny on The Beverly Hillbillies?

Ryan appeared in all 274 episodes; Granny was Jed's mother-in-law, not his mother, a distinction the show mostly ignored.

What is Mike Brady's profession on The Brady Bunch?

The show never made the top 30 during its five-year run, then became a syndication juggernaut with kids who watched it after school.

What is the trade of Sam, the housekeeper Alice's boyfriend on The Brady Bunch?

Ann B. Davis played Alice in every episode; the family's much-added-to lineup ended with 'Cousin Oliver,' the original example of a desperate late-series kid.

Who led the Tonight Show band for Johnny Carson from 1967 until Carson's retirement?

His loud suits were a nightly punchline; Ed McMahon's drawn-out 'Heeere's Johnny!' opened the show for the whole 30-year run.

In 1972 Johnny Carson moved The Tonight Show from New York to which California city?

'Beautiful downtown Burbank' became a running joke; more than 50 million people watched Carson's farewell in May 1992.

How did Bob Barker sign off every episode of The Price Is Right?

Barker, a longtime animal-rights activist, hosted for 35 years; Drew Carey kept the sign-off when he took over in 2007.

Who came up with the idea of Jeopardy!'s answer-first, question-second format?

Griffin's wife suggested it after the 1950s quiz-show scandals: if contestants were given the answers, no one could cheat.

Who was the original host of Jeopardy! when it debuted on NBC in 1964?

Fleming hosted for the whole first run and a brief 1978 revival; Alex Trebek did not take over until the 1984 syndicated version.

What business does John Walton run to support his family on Walton's Mountain?

The show grew out of Earl Hamner Jr.'s novel Spencer's Mountain and the 1971 TV movie The Homecoming.

The Ingalls family of Little House on the Prairie lives near which Minnesota town?

Michael Landon starred, produced and directed; the real Walnut Grove still holds a summer pageant based on the books.

How does Little House on the Prairie's 1984 finale, 'The Last Farewell,' dispose of the town?

The residents dynamite their own buildings rather than hand them to a land baron; the sets had to come down anyway.

What make of battered car does Lieutenant Columbo drive?

The 403 convertible was Peter Falk's own choice from the studio lot; like the raincoat, it never got any newer over 35 years.

Which phrase does Columbo use as he turns back at the door to catch a suspect off guard?

The audience already knows who did it; the fun is watching the rumpled detective needle a rich, smug murderer into a slip.

What business does Fred Sanford run with his son Lamont on Sanford and Son?

Redd Foxx's Fred faked a heart attack whenever cornered, clutching his chest and calling to his late wife Elizabeth.

Sanford and Son was adapted from which British series?

Producer Norman Lear did the same trick with All in the Family; the theme, 'The Streetbeater,' was written by Quincy Jones.

What does Sergeant Schultz on Hogan's Heroes say whenever he stumbles onto the prisoners' schemes?

John Banner, who played the lovable guard, was Jewish and had fled Austria in 1938; so were the actors playing Klink, Burkhalter and Hochstetter.

Which comedy pair created Get Smart?

The shoe phone was Brooks' idea; the show won seven Emmys and coined 'Missed it by that much' and 'Would you believe...'

Maxwell Smart of CONTROL is which numbered agent?

His partner is Agent 99, whose real name is never revealed; 86 was slang for throwing someone out of a bar.

The Flintstones, which debuted on ABC in 1960, was the first animated series to do what?

It stayed the most successful network cartoon for three decades until The Simpsons; its first two seasons were sponsored by Winston cigarettes.

Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble belong to which lodge?

Lodge No. 26 and its Grand Poobah were lifted from The Honeymooners, the live-action sitcom the whole show was modeled on.

Which order does Steve McGarrett give his partner at the end of nearly every Hawaii Five-O case?

Jack Lord's show ran 12 seasons and was TV's longest-running police drama until Law & Order passed it in 2002.

Which actor played the landlord Ralph Furley after the Ropers left Three's Company?

Knotts joined in season four; the show, like so many of the era, was borrowed from a British sitcom, Man About the House.

George Jefferson got rich enough to move on up to the East Side through what kind of business?

George and Louise were introduced as the Bunkers' neighbors in Queens before moving on up to a deluxe apartment on the East Side.

What is Cliff Huxtable's medical specialty on The Cosby Show?

His office was in the basement of the family brownstone; the show was TV's top-rated program for five straight seasons.

The Love Boat was set aboard which cruise ship?

Fred Grandy, who played Gopher the purser, went on to serve four terms in Congress for Iowa.

What object has opened every edition of 60 Minutes since 1968?

Don Hewitt's creation is the longest continuously running prime-time program on American network TV.

American Bandstand began as a local show in which city before Dick Clark took it national?

It started on WFIL-TV in 1952 with host Bob Horn; Clark took over in 1956 and moved it to Los Angeles in 1964.

'Just the facts, ma'am,' forever linked to Sgt. Joe Friday of Dragnet, actually came from where?

Friday never said it on the show; Freberg's 1953 'St. George and the Dragonet' put the words in America's mouth.

On The Fugitive, Dr. Richard Kimble describes his wife's real killer as what?

The 1967 finale drew a 72 percent share, a record that stood until 'Who shot J.R.?' 13 years later.

What is the Munsters' street address?

The show premiered on CBS the same week ABC launched The Addams Family; both lasted exactly two seasons.

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was produced by public station WQED in which city?

Fred Rogers' mother knitted his cardigans; the show ran from 1968 to 2001, with a Neighborhood of Make-Believe ruled by King Friday XIII.

Who hosted Wheel of Fortune when it debuted on NBC daytime in 1975?

Sajak took over in 1981 and Vanna White arrived in 1982; the nightly syndicated version did not start until 1983.

ABC aired the 1977 miniseries Roots over how many consecutive nights?

Executives got cold feet and dumped it into one week to limit the damage; instead 100 million people watched the finale.

The Addams Family TV show was based on cartoons that ran in which magazine?

Charles Addams' characters had no names until the show; the writers christened Gomez, Morticia, Lurch and the rest in 1964.

The Lone Ranger galloped onto television to which piece of classical music?

Rossini's finale was ABC's first real hit; Clayton Moore wore the mask for 169 episodes and Jay Silverheels rode beside him as Tonto.

Which earlier Western, also starring James Garner, did The Rockford Files' creator want to update?

Roy Huggins created both shows; Noah Beery Jr. played Rockford's father Rocky, a retired truck driver.

On which sitcom did Danny DeVito play the abusive dispatcher Louie De Palma?

Its creators all came from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and the series won 18 Emmys including three straight for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Creator Hugh Wilson based WKRP in Cincinnati on his time observing which real Atlanta radio station?

Wilson said he chose the call sign WKRP to stand for C-R-A-P; the show became a syndication hit after CBS kept shuffling its timeslot.