The 40 most popular 1970s family TV shows, ranked. Click any show for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


Doraemon
1979 · JP
Doraemon is an anime TV series created by Fujiko F. Fujio and based on the manga series of the same name. This anime is the much more successful successor of the 1973 anime.


Dallas
1978 · US
The world's first mega-soap, and one of the most popular ever produced, Dallas had it all. Beautiful women, expensive cars, and men playing Monopoly with real buildings. Famous for one of the best cliffhangers in TV history, as the world asked "Who shot J.R.?" A slow-burner to begin with, Dallas hit its stride in the 2nd season, with long storylines and expert character development. Dallas ruled the airwaves in the 1980's.


Sítio do Picapau Amarelo
1977 · BR
The stories created by Monteiro Lobato take place at the "Sítio do Picapau Amarelo" (Yellow Woodpecker Farm), where various characters experience magical tales and star in unforgettable adventures.


Little House on the Prairie
1974 · US
When the big woods of Wisconsin becomes a difficult spot for hunting, Charles Ingalls reluctantly decides to move his family, pioneering west. Their life on the farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s is full of adventure, tragedy, and triumph. Based on the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder.


El Chavo del Ocho
1973 · MX
The mishaps of Chavo, an 8-year-old Mestizo-Latino American orphan boy who lives in a village. Together with Quico, Chilindrina, Ñoño and La Popis, Chavo experiences a series of humorous entanglements.


Die Sendung mit der Maus
1971 · DE
The children's show has been a fixed Sunday morning ritual in German living rooms since 1971. Not only children, but also many adults sit in front of the television every week when the clever orange mouse, his blue elephant buddy and the yellow duck lead the way with short, funny cartoon clips between the "funny and factual stories".


Abarenbo Shogun
1978 · JP
Set in the 18th century, the show follows the Shogun Yoshimune, who likes to disguise himself as a low-ranking samurai and go into his capital of Edo to see the life of the common man, as well as to seek out and punish evildoers who would hurt his citizens. He is aided by Magistrate Oo'oka and a vivacious fireman, Tatsugoro, as well as a rotating cast of other recurring characters. Along with Zenigata Heiji and Mito Kōmon, it ranks among the longest-running series in the jidaigeki genre. Like so many other jidaigeki, it falls in the category of kanzen-chōaku, loosely, "rewarding good and punishing evil."


Laverne & Shirley
1976 · US
Best friends, roommates, and polar opposites, Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney work together at the Shotz Brewery in Milwaukee and keep each other's spirits up at home.


The Jeffersons
1975 · US
Sitcom following a successful African-American couple, George and Louise “Weezyö Jefferson as they “move on up” from working-class Queens to a ritzy Manhattan apartment. A spin-off of All in the Family.


El Chapulín Colorado
1973 · MX
No overview available


The Electric Company
1971 · US
The Electric Company is an educational American children's television series that was produced by the Children's Television Workshop for PBS in the United States. PBS broadcast 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971 to April 15, 1977. After it ceased production that year, the program continued in reruns from 1977 to 1985, the result of a decision made in 1975 to produce two final seasons for perpetual use. CTW produced the show at Teletape Studios Second Stage in Manhattan, the first home of Sesame Street. The Electric Company employed sketch comedy and other devices to provide an entertaining program to help elementary school children develop their grammar and reading skills. It was intended for children who had graduated from CTW's flagship program, Sesame Street. Appropriately, the humor was more mature than what was seen there.


Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo
1979 · US
Everyone’s favorite mystery-solving Great Dane is here to find clues, along with a little help from his energetic nephew and four human companions.


Kita no kazoku
1973 · JP
The 13th NHK Asadora. Starring Youko Takahashi in a story about a brother and sister coming of age in Hakodate and Kanazawa.


Anne of Green Gables
1979 · JP
Anne Shirley, an orphan, is fostered by farmer Matthew Cuthbert and his sister Marilla, who were expecting a boy to be sent them to help with their farm work. They accept Anne, who quickly endears herself to them and to the local villagers.


The Partridge Family
1970 · US
The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom series about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career.


That's Life!
1973 · UK
A magazine-style television series on BBC1 which was broadcast from May 1973 to June 1994, presented by Esther Rantzen, with various changes of co-presenters. The show presented hard-hitting investigations alongside satire and occasional light entertainment.


Mork & Mindy
1978 · US
A wacky alien comes to Earth to study its residents and the life of the human woman he boards with is never the same.


Antiques Roadshow
1979 · UK
Antiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running since 1979. There are also international versions of the programme.


Scooby's All-Stars
1977 · US
Each episode of this series include multiple segments: The first and last were "Laff-A-Lympics" segments, the other ones were "Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels", "Scooby-Doo" and "Dynomutt" segments. The "Laff-A-Lympics" segments feature 45 Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters (classic and otherwise) competing for gold medals in wacky events. Events include racing on ostriches, camels, kangaroos, rickshaws and unicycles, as well as scavenging for creatures like the Abominable Snowman, vampires, and the Loch Ness Monster.


Papai Coração
1976 · BR
No overview available


Future Boy Conan
1978 · JP
After the great disaster of 2008, a war that destroyed the planet, the world is now largely ocean with the continents having sunk. Conan lives on a remote island with his grandpa and nature, never having seen another human being. But one day a mysterious girl, Lana, washes up on his beach. The two become quick friends, but she’s soon kidnapped and taken to Industria, a technological remainder from the world before. Conan leaves his island in pursuit, braving new lands and many hardships with new friends and enemies just beyond the horizon.


The Muppet Show
1976 · UK
Go behind the curtains as Kermit the Frog and his muppet friends struggle to put on a weekly variety show.


Allsång på Skansen
1979 · SE
Allsång på Skansen is a Swedish tv show held at Skansen, Stockholm, every summer on Tuesdays. The audience is supposed to sing-along with musical guests to well-known Swedish songs. The show started in 1935 on a small scale - about fifty people in the audience. Today about 10 000–25 500 people come to each performance.


Manga Fairy Tales of the World
1976 · JP
Each episode of this series tells the story of a famous fairy tale from all around the world. Some of them are adapted from famous books such as "The Iliad".


Pipkins
1973 · UK
Pipkins was a British children's TV programme. Hartley Hare, Pig, Topov and the gang were the stars of ATV's pre-school series which ran from January 1973 to 29 December 1981.


Heidi: Girl of the Alps
1974 · JP
After becoming an orphan, Heidi is forced to live with her grandfather, who lives in the Alps. She learns he's a very bitter man who only accepted by force to take her in. But Heidi's kindness may be able to open his heart. Together with her friends Peter and Clara, she goes on lots of adventures.
Um Dia o Amor
Um Dia o Amor
1975 · BR
No overview available


Blankety Blank
1979 · UK
Blankety Blank is a British comedy game show based on the 1977–1979 Australian game show Blankety Blanks. The British version ran from 18 January 1979 to 12 March 1990 on BBC One, hosted first by Terry Wogan and later by Les Dawson. Regular members of the celebrity panel on this version included Kenny Everett, Lorraine Chase, Gareth Hunt, Gary Davies, and Cheryl Baker. A revival fronted by Lily Savage was produced by the BBC from 26 December 1997 to 28 December 1999, followed by ITV from 7 January 2001 to 10 August 2002. This version was produced by Grundy, then Thames.


Maya the Bee
1975 · JP
The adventures of a young and happy bee who is sent by her queen to search for pollen, and in doing so she finds a new world that surrounds her, making friends with various forest creatures.


Drei Damen vom Grill
1977 · DE
Drei Damen vom Grill is a German television series.


The Littlest Hobo
1979 · CA
The Littlest Hobo is a Canadian television series based upon a 1958 American film of the same name directed by Charles R. Rondeau. The series first aired from 1963 to 1965 in syndication, spanning six seasons and was revived for a popular second run on CTV from October 11, 1979 to March 7, 1985. It starred an ownerless dog. All three productions revolved around a stray German Shepherd, the titular Hobo, who wanders from town to town, helping people in need. Although the concept was perhaps similar to that of Lassie, the Littlest Hobo's destiny was to befriend those who apparently needed help. Despite the attempts of the many people whom he helped to adopt him, he appeared to prefer to be on his own, and would head off by himself at the end of each episode. Never actually named on-screen, the dog is often referred to by the name Hobo or by the names given by temporary human companions. Hobo's background is also unexplained on-screen. His origins, motivation and ultimate destination are also never explained. Although some characters appeared in more than one episode, the only constant was the Littlest Hobo himself.


Barbapapa
1974 · FR
The adventures of Barbapapa and Barbama and their seven children, where they search for their place in the world, while helping humans and animals.


Calimero
1974 · IT
Calimero is an Italian/Japanese cartoon about a charming, but hapless anthropomorphized cartoon chicken; the only black one in a family of yellow chickens. He wears half of his egg shell still on his head. Calimero originally appeared on the Italian television show Carosello on July 14, 1963, and soon became a popular icon in Italy. The characters were later licensed in Japan as an anime series, twice. The first was made by Toei Animation and ran from October 15, 1974 to September 30, 1975, and the second, with new settings and characters, was made in 1992. Altogether, 99 Japanese episodes were made. The series mostly consists of the many adventures of Calimero and his friends as they solve mysteries and make documentaries. However, their adventures usually get them into quite a bit of trouble. The first series was also broadcast on European networks such as TROS, ZDF and RTL II or TVE.


The Story of Perrine
1978 · JP
Perrine is a young girl who lives in Bosnia with her Indian mother and beloved father – that is, until her father passes away, leaving her mother with a single wish: travel to France to be with his father. With their hardy donkey Palikare and faithful dog Baron, the two set forth for Paris. Along the way they encounter kind souls, barren villages, and a number of hardships. Will Perrine and her mother survive the long journey to France?


The White Shadow
1978 · US
The White Shadow is an American drama television series that ran on the CBS network from November 27 1978, to March 16 1981.


The New Scooby-Doo Movies
1972 · US
Aside from doubling the length of each episode, The New Scooby-Doo Movies differed from its predecessor in the addition of a rotating special guest star slot; each episode featured real-life celebrities or well known fictional characters joining the Mystery, Inc. gang in solving the mystery of the week. Some episodes, in particular the episodes guest-starring the characters from The Addams Family, Batman, and Jeannie, deviated from the established Scooby-Doo format of presenting criminals masquerading as supernatural beings by introducing real ghosts, witches, monsters, and other such characters into the plots.


Monica and Friends
1976 · BR
Monica, the leader of the crew and 'ruler of the street,' is a little girl with a strong personality, not one to overlook any insult. She absolutely loves her stuffed bunny, Samson, and takes him with her everywhere. Jimmy Five, one of her best friends, is a smart kid, but he's always provoking her. Maggy is Monica's best friend and a super cute girl, who is always eating watermelons. To complete the show's main quartet, enter Smudge, a skillful boy who is terrified of water.


Pat & Mat
1979 · XC
Pat & Mat is a Czech stop-motion animated series featuring two handymen, Pat and Mat. It was created by Lubomír Beneš and Vladimír Jiránek.


The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour
1976 · US
The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour is a 60-minute package show produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1976 for ABC Saturday mornings. It marked the first new installments of the cowardly canine since 1973, and contained the following segments: The Scooby-Doo Show and Dynomutt, Dog Wonder.
Um Sol Maior
Um Sol Maior
1977 · BR
No overview available
1970s television grew markedly more socially engaged, with sitcoms and dramas taking on subject matter the previous decade wouldn't touch.
Family television is built for co-viewing, balancing what works for a child with what keeps an adult in the room. The durable shows manage genuine warmth without condescending to either.