1. The Rifleman
   Have Gun, Will Travel
2. Rawhide
   Bonanza

This stupendously popular western, led by Lorne Greene, managed to comment on a lot of modern-day social issues while delivering wholesome, aw-shucks plotlines. Over its run, it dealt with racism in various forms, government overreach, women's rights and many other topics.

1. Sesame Street
   The Electric Company
2. Howdy Doody
   H.R. Pufnstuf

Here's a fun fact for you: Oscar the Grouch was originally orange, not green! If you look up clips online, you can see his first performance of "I Love Trash" in vibrant orange.

1. Green Acres
   Bonanza
2. The Rifleman
   Father Knows Best

For six seasons, Eddy Albert, Eva Gabor and Arnold the Pig milked the "fish out of water" school of comedy for country-flavored laughs. It was still drawing good ratings when it was canceled, but CBS was under a lot of pressure to have more "urban" programs, so a lot of country-themed programs were canceled.

1. Get Smart
   Mission: Impossible
2. The Fugitive
   The Avengers

The spy genre was huge in the '60s and '70s, with Cold War tensions fueling the story fires. It was ripe for parody, and Don Adams' Maxwell Smart was just the laugh generator needed.

1. Alice
   WKRP in Cincinnati
2. One Day at a Time
   Three's Company

This show was one long comedy of morals and propriety. It embraced the essence of the '70s, with an aging landlord determined to get the dirt on what he was convinced was an apartment full of swingers.

1. The Flying Nun
   My Mother the Car
2. The Brady Bunch
   Father Knows Best

We really, really liked Sally Field as Sister Bertrille, who was able to fly thanks to her huge starched cornette and slight build. The show ran for three seasons, but never cracked the top 30 in the Nielsen ratings.

1. Captain Kangaroo
   Buffalo Bob
2. Sesame Street
   Howdy Doody

Bob Keeshan's "Captain Kangaroo" was the king of live-action kid's TV for nearly three decades. Keeshan put on the Captain's suit more than 9,000 times over the show's run!

1. Bonanza
   Green Acres
2. Petticoat Junction
   The Beverly Hillbillies

One thing that's missing from most of today's shows is a catchy theme song. "The Beverly Hillbillies'" song is still one of the most-recognized theme songs ever written!

1. Petticoat Junction
   Little House on the Prairie
2. Green Acres
   Wagon Train

Based on the book series, this series was a slice of wholesome frontier life. Star Michael Landon was like a surrogate father to the kids on the set, and the show still thrives in reruns.

1. Laugh-In
   The Carol Burnett Show
2. The Dean Martin Show
   The Tonight Show

Unlike the highly polished talk and variety shows of today, "The Dean Martin Show" did everything in one take, with Martin adopting his usual slightly boozy, freewheeling persona. However, the highball glass in his hand was frequently filled with apple juice, not liquor.

1. Green Acres
   The Brady Bunch
2. All in the Family
   Happy Days

Divorce was becoming a less taboo subject when "The Brady Bunch" premiered, bringing not just divorce but a blended family into the full spotlight. From footballs to the nose to driving lessons, the show tackled just about every hilarious aspect of bringing up kids and family life.

1. Hogan's Heroes
   Bewitched
2. Happy Days
   I Dream of Jeannie

Years before Larry Hagman chewed scenery as J.R. Ewing in "Dallas," he was married to Jeannie. Between managing her fish-out-of-water foibles and keeping her hidden, he rarely had a moment's peace.

1. Rockford Files
   Three's Company
2. Charlie's Angels
   Hawaii Five-O

"Charlie's Angels" was a ratings bombshell with a bombshell cast. Rotating cast members (especially the early departure of Farrah Fawcett) drove fans away, though, and it didn't last long.

1. My Three Sons
   Family Affair
2. Leave It to Beaver
   Green Acres

Premiering in 1960, "My Three Sons" was still steeped in the "wholesome" values of '50s TV. Over a 12-year run, it evolved considerably, dealing with shifting social issues as the three sons grew up.

1. Taxi
   WKRP in Cincinnati
2. The Odd Couple
   Newhart

The concentration of talent on this show was amazing, like a sitcom version of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players." Christopher Lloyd, who played mechanic Reverend Jim, went on to star in the "Back to the Future" movies, as well as playing a great Klingon in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock."

1. Green Acres
   The Rifleman
2. Wagon Train
   Petticoat Junction

It should come as no surprise that the same man was responsible for this show in addition to "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Green Acres." The entire genre disappeared in the mid-'70s, with a move toward more "urban" shows.

1. F Troop
   Hogan's Heroes
2. M*A*S*H
   McHale's Navy

Setting a comedy in a military field hospital might seem like a silly idea, but it worked first for a movie, then for the long-running series. The series finale is still the highest-rated non-sports show of all time.

1. Happy Days
   The Andy Griffith Show
2. Laverne and Shirley
   All in the Family

Before it became the show that gave us "jumped the shark" as a metaphor for sitcom failure, this show ruled the '70s. A simple tale of a high school boy with a super-cool housemate and goofy friends who hung out at the local burger joint won Emmys and made stars out of a lot of its young cast.

1. WKRP in Cincinnati
   The Rockford Files
2. Barney Miller
   All in the Family

This show did for cop shows what "Get Smart" did for spy shows. Over an eight-season run, it introduced us to unforgettable characters like Detective Fish (Abe Vigoda), who is now one of the most beloved internet memes.

1. M*A*S*H
   McHale's Navy
2. F Troop
   Hogan's Heroes

"Hogan's Heroes" made WWII funny over its multi-season run. Endless escape attempts and a clueless camp commandant made for a rich comic landscape.

1. Laugh-In
   Hee Haw
2. The Beverly Hillbillies
   The Grand Old Opry

"Hee Haw" was a variety show for the burgeoning population of country music fans. With an in-house cast including the legendary Roy Clark, recurring humor bits that got quoted the next day, and everyone who was anyone in country music guest starring, it was like "Saturday Night Live" with banjos.

1. Lassie
   Rin-Tin-Tin
2. Daktari
   Flipper

This show lasted 17 seasons, and made the transition from black-and-white to color. Over the course of its run, six different dogs played the title role.

1. The Jeffersons
   Laverne and Shirley
2. All in the Family
   Maude

This Emmy-winning comedy broke boundaries, tweaked stereotypes and infuriated bigots of all stripes. Carroll O'Connor made us love and hate Archie Bunker all at the same time, and made us look at our own prejudices.

1. Mannix
   The Rockford Files
2. Mitchell
   Columbo

With his ever-present cigarette, battered fedora and bedraggled raincoat, Peter Falk's Columbo was the antithesis of the clean-cut TV detective. His "just one more question" never meant good things for the object of the questioning.

1. Laugh-In
   The Red Skelton Show
2. The Carol Burnett Show
   The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson

Before "Saturday Night Live," there was "The Carol Burnett Show," featuring a cast packed with comedy superstars and the winner of more than two dozen Emmys. At the end of every episode, Burnett would pull her earlobe. That was a sign to her grandmother that all was well and she was fine.

1. I Dream of Jeannie
   All in the Family
2. Bewitched
   The Brady Bunch

"Bewitched" was at its heart a zany family sitcom. However, the addition of witchcraft made for much broader comic possibilities, especially with Agnes Moorhead (and Shirley MacLaine) playing the mischievous mother-in-law!

1. The Red Skelton Show
   The Smothers Brothers
2. Laugh-In
   The Carol Burnett Show

Red Skelton made one of the most successful transitions from radio to TV with his variety show. It ran for two decades, mostly on CBS, although it began and ended its run on NBC.

1. The Carol Burnett Show
   Monty Python's Flying Circus
2. The Benny Hill Show
   Fawlty Towers

Benny Hill was everyone's lewd old uncle, but he got a TV show. Every episode was a mix of sex, slapstick, sexy slapstick and a bit of political humor thrown in for good measure.

1. All in the Family
   Good Times
2. The Jeffersons
   Maude

Norman Lear continued chronicling American life in a sitcom mold with "The Jeffersons." The couple, introduced as Archie Bunker's neighbors, went on to years of TV success.

1. Mork and Mindy
   Happy Days
2. Joanie Loves Chachi
   Three's Company

Robin Williams burst into the public consciousness with this sitcom, which barely contained his manic energy. Things got even wackier when Jonathan Winters joined as Mork and Mindy's son.

1. Have Gun, Will Travel
   Gunsmoke
2. Wagon Train
   The Rifleman

For an astonishing 20 years, from 1955 to 1975, "Gunsmoke" ruled the TV western roost. It won a boatload of Emmys, and is still played very frequently in syndication.

1. The Love Boat
   Battlestar Galactica
2. Fantasy Island
   Charlie's Angels

Ricardo Montalban brought an eerie smoothness to the role of island head honcho Mr. Roarke. A reboot in the 2000s brought Malcolm McDowell to the role, but didn't quite catch on.

1. Good Times
   The Jeffersons
2. The Flip Wilson Show
   Sanford and Son

"Good Times" broke new TV ground by showing a working-class black family dealing with everyday trials and tribulations.

1. Mannix
   The Rockford Files
2. Hawaii Five-O
   McCloud

Mike Connors and his chiseled jaw played the title character in this cop drama. It ran for an amazing eight seasons, and opened the door for a host of other cop shows.

1. That Girl
   Petticoat Junction
2. Here's Lucy
   Green Acres

After the success of her show with Ricky, Lucy struck out on her own in this sitcom. It ran for six seasons, but never quite captured the ratings or fan base of her original.

1. Keeping Up Appearances
   Benny Hill
2. Doctor Who
   Monty Python's Flying Circus

"Monty Python's Flying Circus" might be the best collection of comedy talent in TV history, and it became even more popular on this side of the Atlantic than back home in Great Britain. The show, an inspired blend of slapstick, political humor and social commentary, spawned a series of movies.

1. The Flintstones
   Futurama
2. Great Grape Ape
   The Jetsons

Given its impact on pop culture, it might be hard to imagine that the original run of "The Jetsons" was only two seasons. Fun fact: Renowned voice actor and voice of Bugs Bunny, Mel Blanc, voiced Cosmo Spacely, George Jetson's boss.

1. Mannix
   The Rockford Files
2. Hawaii Five-O
   Police Story

The original version of "Hawaii Five-O" ran for 12 seasons, and introduced the phrase "Book 'em, Danno!" into the popular lexicon. The theme song, an infectious Hawaiian-tinged tune, is one of the top TV theme songs of all time.

1. Mission: Impossible
   The Mod Squad
2. Get Smart
   The Defenders

The tape might have self-destructed in a few seconds, but the show had legs. It evolved into a billions-earning movie series starring Tom "I do all my own stunts" Cruise.

1. Good Times
   Sanford and Son
2. Welcome Back, Kotter
   227

Redd Foxx was already a legendary (and bawdy) stand-up comedian when this show premiered. With a mix of urban sensibility and slapstick, it ran for five seasons on NBC.