Despite being the oldest castaway with the most prissy attitude, Natalie Schafer was quite the opposite in real life. Even though The Skipper fell and broke his arm in real life, the Millionaire’s Wife did all of her own stunts. As Gilligan’s Island was being filmed, she was in her mid-60s. The young-at-heart actress did everything from fall into fake quicksand to jump into the lagoon. That is impressive to say the least and Natalie Schafer deserves a round of applause!

As the story goes, CBS President Jim Aubrey had to be persuaded to air the risqué television show. Therefore, he and producer Schwartz made a deal: once the ratings started to decline, the crew had to be rescued, and the network would play a follow-up show featuring their rescued lives. We all know who got the better half of that deal! The CBS president clearly underestimated the power of the plot along with the charm of the cast. Was the gang ever rescued off of the island? Well, if you remember watching the original footage…

As you watch the show, you come to learn that The Skipper puts up with a lot of nonsense from Gilligan. You might often wonder why The Skipper still remains friends with Gilligan after everything that has happened. Well, it turns out they served in World War I together (yes, they are old). During their time at war, the duo served on a destroyer together and Gilligan saved The Skipper’s life. Wow, that is deep and actually makes us like the show a little more.

Often times, writers or producers of hit films and shows have specific actors or names in mind for their characters. However, that was not the case for the lead star. Despite the entire show referencing his first name, Sherwoodd Schwartz, the producer of the show, had no clue what to name Gilligan. In fact, he randomly picked a name in the phone book and that is how he got Gilligan’s Island opposed to Tom’s or Brian’s, we suppose. Yes, phone books used to be a real life to look up people’s actual phone numbers…

Just in case you were wondering (because we know you are), the real names of the famous characters are as follows: Jonas “Skipper” Grumby, Ginger Grant, Thurston Howell III (the millionaire), Lovey Wentworth Howell (and his wife… you sang that, didn’t you?), Professor Roy Hinkley, and Mary Ann Summers. To be completely honest and ironic at the same time, Gilligan was the one and only character on the show without a real full name. Oh well, it was his island after all!

Now the FCC President was Newton Minow. The producer of Gilligan’s Island Sherwood Schwartz disliked that man very much. The president infamously pushed for educational shows on television because he remarked that the TV programming at the time was “a vast wasteland.” Shots fired! Well Sherwood Schwartz apparently got the last laugh because he named the boat on the show the S.S. Minnow, you know, the one that sank. *Mic drop. Sherwoodd Schwartz for the win! Well, at least his name was minnow like a fish? Bahaha…

Like with many other iconic roles throughout Hollywood, Gilligan was almost someone else. Jerry Van Dyke, who is the little brother of Dick Van Dyke, was the producer’s first choice for the lead position. We are not quite sure what happened (probably scheduling conflicts; it’s almost always that), but Bob Denver ended up as Gilligan. He played in 99 episodes in all three seasons. Jerry Van Dyke went on to appear in a handful of notable films and TV shows, but he also turned down the role of Don Knots in The Andy Griffith Show. Who was his agent or manager or whatever at the time?!

Remember how we just said Jim Aubrey, former president of CBS, had little to no faith in the success of Gilligan’s Island? Well, he thought it would be a good idea to air his own spin-off of the show (even though it was never aired yet). Even though Jim Aubrey was a bit off on his chronological order, his experiment did not help Gilligan and the squad’s case because it was cancelled after one season. Check out The Bailey’s of Balboa, but we aren’t sure why you would really want to because it was just eh.

The theme song is nearly the most popular thing about Gilligan’s Island. The notorious tunes are catchy and will get stuck in your head! Tell the truth; you’ve been humming it in your head since you started reading this list. Did you know the first season had a totally different opening? The lyrics did not feature Mary Ann or The Professor; the verse only referred to the pair as “the rest.” This, of course, led to a recurring joke on set and they were called “the rest” sometimes. It was all in good fun, at least we think.

Are you ready for this fun fact about Gilligan’s Island? It’s a good one: you can sing the popular gospel song Amazing Grace along to the tune of Gilligan’s Island theme show, and vice versa. Maybe that is why the song is so familiar and catchy. that is pretty smart to make a theme song a multi-purpose tune that an audience might already know and connect with on some level. They say you learn something knew everyday. Well, check that off of our list of things to do today!

Even though the ratings were soared at the beginning of the show, and were still decent when it ended, Gilligan’s Island was ultimately cancelled in order to free up a time slot. Word on the street is Gunsmoke, which was a long-time running western show needed that airtime. Well, business is business or whatever. Gilligan’s Island is more known than Gunsmoke (maybe?), but that did not stop Gilligan’s Island finding ways to pop up on our TV screens one way or another.

Remember what we said earlier about each character being a specific profession, too? Well, here we go: the beloved professor, played by Russell Johnson, thought he was typecast. He did adore working on the show, but after the hit TV series was cancelled, he never really broke away from his role as The Professor. He was always viewed as the same funny guy he was on Gilligan’s Island. He appeared in a plethora of shows and movies before and after the island life. He sadly passed away in 2014 at the age of 89.

After Gilligan’s Island was cancelled, fans had unanswered questions! Gilligan and “the rest” (see what we just did there?!) were eventually rescued off of the island, but it was not at the end of season three. Since audience was left with a cliffhanger, a reunion movie was made in 1978 called Rescue From Gilligan’s Island. Just like the TV series, it was popular and a second movie titled Castaways on Gilligan’s Island was created. The films were lackluster in terms of quality, but they received high ratings nonetheless!

The ’80s had big hair, high shoulder pads, and a bunch of wacky TV characters including ALF. The cat-eating alien had a dream he was on the island with the castaways in 1987. It was comical like all of the other episodes, but because Gilligan’s Island was so big, everybody loved it that much more. Gilligan, Mary Ann, and The Skipper all appeared in the crossover episode. It might sound a little crazy, but trust us when we say it’s a cult classic that fans will never forget!

Some people have conspiracy theories and whatnot associated with popular brands and people. Gilligan’s Island did not escape the same fat. However, this one might not be a theory after all considering producer Sherwood Schwartz wrote about it in his book. Did you know that each character is supposed to represent the Seven Deadly Sins? Can you guess which is which?

The Professor – Pride Thurston Howell III – Greed Ginger – Lust Mary Ann – Envy (of Ginger’s looks) Mrs. Lovey Howell – Gluttony The Skipper – Anger or wrath Gilligan – Sloth

All this talk about names seems like a bit much, but we bet there was a handful of you shouting out this little tid bit of information when you were reading those other items: Gilligan’s real name is Willy. It is never, ever mentioned on the show. We are starting to see why the NBC President was a worried about the initial success of the show. The producers could not even decide on a name!

This picture is borderline creepy so let’s explain it and move on. This is actually a real band called The Wellingtons. In fact, these guys sang the show’s popular theme song. The reason why they look like that in the photo is because the rockers appeared on an episode of Gilligan’s Island as a Beatles spoof band called The Mosquitoes. That is quite interesting. It does look like a skit out of That ’70s Show, so they must have been pretty spot on. Now you know and can move on as promised.

Alan Hale, Jr. took quite the journey to get to his audition for Gilligan’s Island. We aren’t sure if you will believe us but here goes nothing: The Skipper did practically everything except skip to his audition. The dedicated actor first rode horseback then hitchhiked to an airport. From there, he took a plane to the right city and a taxi to the studio. Wow! Ironically, Alan Hale, Jr. did not use a boat, either, but he did prove his devotion to the role.

We all remember when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated; it was a horrific event that turned the whole country on its heels. It also offset the production for Gilligan’s Island. The cast and crew was ready to film the pilot at Honolulu Harbor. However, after his tragic and untimely death, Honolulu Harbor and all of the other military installations were shut down for two days. That way, servicemen and women could mourn along with the rest of the American people.

The darling Lovey Howell was portrayed by Natalie Schafer. Of course actresses are wealthy in general, but she was rolling in the dough before her TV and film career took off. She was very smart and brave, which led to finding luck in real estate throughout Beverly Hills. Natalie Schafer purchased and sold property at the perfect time, which resulted in her striking it rich! It must have been easy enough for her to play a wealthy person on Gilligan’s Island.

No other castaways receive royalty checks like Dawn Wells. At the time of her deal, her husband was a talent agent and knew a thing or two about this industry. Per his advice, she added a clause to the already fine print of her contract. It demanded syndicated royalties. This was a genius move because she is still getting paid for work she did over four decades ago. Gilligan’s Island is one of the most syndicated TV shows of all time! Good for you Mary Ann!

Raquel Welch was and still is a gorgeous woman. Although she has not done much acting, she was quite the sensation during the ’60s and ’70s. Raquel Welch could have took her fame and fortune to a new level considering she auditioned for the role of Mary Ann. Obviously, it wen to Dawn Wells instead. We are pretty happy with that because we cannot really picture the fresh-faced girl as anyone else.  Considering the cast had a hard time finding work after Gilligan’s Island, maybe Raquel Welch good the lucky end of the stick after all.

Just like any other cult classic, fans will never forget the familiar faces of Gilligan’s Island. The cast admitted that they would receive a great deal of attention years and even decades after the last episode aired. Russell Johnson, who played The Professor, was invited to speak at a biomedical conference in 2001 because all of the doctors were huge fans of the show. Hey, milk it for what it’s worth, right? We would still recognize them in 2017.

Filming on an island posed some serious risks just as being stranded on one would, and The Skipper proved it! Alan Hale Jr. fell out of a coconut tree and broke his arm one day while shooting. In genuine Skipper fashion, he did not complain. The devoted and amazing actor continued to film the entire season on Honolulu Harbor. After production was finished, he went to the hospital to take care of his broken arm. That is because only the strong survive on Gilligan’s Island.

Tina Louise played the very sexy Ginger. Even super cute Mary Ann was envious of her shapely figure and good looks. However, another bombshell of the decade nearly scored the role. Jayne Mansfield considered playing Ginger, but we all know how that ended. Even though this blonde’s career spanned over two decades, we still loved her best in The Match Game. We are pretty sure the men in the room would disagree and opt for her film The Girl Can’t Help It or Single Room Furnished.

Jim Backus played The Millionaire Mr. Howell on Gilligan’s Island. He was clearly a great actor because anyone who knew him in real life knew he was a frugal spender. The cast members actually teased Jim Backus quite a bit for his non-frivolous ways. He even went to lunch and forget to bring his a wallet. It supposedly happened more than once, so it was only right that “the rest” of the castaways never let him live it down. Well, that is how people stay rich, right? By being cheap.

Remember how we said “the rest” of the cast was left out during the original opening theme song? Well the real reason behind the deletion is because Tina Louise, who played Ginger, requested no other names be said in the list after hers. Well, she definitely had that movie star attitude thing down pact! And this was before the camera’s even started rolling. It is no wonder she had problems on set. The Professor and Mary Ann probably felt a certain type of a way about the whole ordeal.

This is pretty interesting: did you know the lagoon featured on Gilligan’s Island was actually a man-made body of water. All of that lush greenery and everything was fake props! Not only was it fake, but it was located in Studio City, California. Obviously, it proved beneficial for the hit series among other shows and films, but after Gilligan’s Island was cancelled, the studio transformed it into an employee parking lot. Sadly, we have a feeling the interns don’t care they are walking were Gilligan and Ginger used to fish.

Maybe one of the main reasons why Tina Louise did not get along with other cast or crew members is because she thought she was supposed to be the star of the show! Well, it wasn’t called Ginger’s Island for a reason, but Tina Louise claims she was mislead about her role. She knew she would be stranded on an island as a movie star, but clearly she missed an important part there about how the world doesn’t revolve around her. Too bad.

Out of all of the professions listed, The Secretary does not ring a bell. Unless you are a diehard fan of Gilligan’s Island, you probably won’t remember the two ladies that were secretaries in the pilot. Don’t feel too bad if you missed it though because those jobs were not good enough to last until the end of the first season. Color televisions came in and the secretaries went out. Sorry ladies, now you are not even referred to be that anymore. It’s administrative assistant!

Talk about typecasting! Each of the characters on Gilligan’s Island represented a specific trait in society. So all of those cliché roles were actually done on purpose; nowadays, you would more so see that as a spoof with “the fat, funny guy,” “the shy, girl-next-door chick,” “bratty, rich girl” we could go on and on. Anyway, that is why each character is referred to by their profession rather than their names. For example, you might not know if he’s Jim or Bob, but you know the hit series had a Skipper and a Professor, too.

Ginger fulfilled the role of the “movie star,” which fit perfectly into the crazy Gilligan’s allegory theory. As we mentioned before, Tina Louise, who played Ginger, had a hard time getting along with the producers. Therefore, instead of playing nice, she split as soon as the show was cancelled. Tina Louise complained about finding more work after Gilligan’s Island, but refused to play Ginger in all of the spin-off shows and sequel films. After everything was said and done, it took five different ladies to fill the shoes of Ginger after Tina Louise left.

Despite being stranded, the castaways managed to not only have a radio, but also receive signal. The voice, which was left uncredited belonged to the great Charles Maxwell. He also played in Bonanza and Gunsmoke. As a writer and an actor, he is most known for The Adventures of Superboy, The Power of the Resurrection, and Down Liberty Road. The radio voice, Charles Maxwell, sadly passed away in 1993 at the age of 79.

It is the classic question that everyone has been asked at least once in their lifetime: “If you were stranded on a desert island, what one item would you like to have?” This is precisely the question producer Sherwood Schwartz was asked at one of his college classes. The producer attended NYU before creating one of the most popular syndicated sitcoms of all time. His answer resulted in a million-dollar TV show. We said we wanted to take our iPhone… how pathetic.

From 1957 until 1993, Marin Landau and Barbara Bain were not only terrific actors in hit films, but they were married. They seemed to have reached wedded bliss, especially when they appeared on Mission Impossible and Space: 1999 together. Sadly, after performing in The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island TV movie in 1993, they divorced despite having two children. We are not sure what happened, but they never acted together again and neither one of them remarried. Maybe they should give it a try again.

Let’s analyze a couple things. First of all, Gilligan’s Island was cancelled to make room for a Western. Second, Sherwood Schwartz continued to create spin-offs of the sitcom. Well, the producer took it one step too far with this silly knockoff called Dusty Trail. Even the cover of the film looks like a spoof! The entire thing was a complete flop, or as they say in the 21st century: an epic fail.

On the sitcom, the island is described to be about 250 miles southeast of Hawaii. If you are not a geography buff, we can tell you right now that this island is either completely fictional or uncharted territory. To be honest, we love tropical areas. Sunny days and refreshing ways is all you really need, but that does not mean we want to set sail for some unknown land. After all, look what happened to Gilligan and his crew! We will stick to the resort spots, thanks.

Just a few months before Gilligan’s Island wanted Tina Louise and Bob Denver as their main castaways, they had acted together for a teen comedy called For Those Who Think Young. Just by looking at the cover, there was water involved. However, instead of going from a three-hour-tour to stranded on an island, this happy-go-lucky flick has to do with surfing with friends. Tina Louise and Bob Denver did not realize how difficult it would be to get a dramatic role after Gilligan’s Island.

Well, even after the show was cancelled and the films stopped, Gilligan’s Island remained relevant throughout the world of TV sitcoms. It went from popular ’70s shows to ’90s sitcoms like Roseanne. The cast actually reunited on the raunchy family comedy. It was a lovely tribute to the show. Ginger was Roseanne, Mary Ann was Darlene, and Gilligan played a hysterical Jackie. If you never watched this episode, you are definitely missing out on a good laugh because these actors carried on the jokes into new decades.

Did you realize that it was Alan Hale Jr. playing the chef named Gilligan on Batman? This was obviously a direct reference to his earlier days on the island. During his one-episode appearance, a police chief walks into a diner, sees Alan Hale Jr., and says, “Right, Gilligan, one large milk and a hot pastrami!” For those of you who watched both shows, you probably smiled to yourself and moved on. It was a nice tribute to a Bob Denver and the whole cast and crew of Gilligan’s Island.

Denver, Colorado is known for many things. It is not only the capital and most populous city of the rectangular state, but it has made international headlines for its leniency on medical and recreational marijuana use. Another cool thing is the fact that the city of Denver was named after Bob Denver’s great-great grandfather. You would be surprised how many words in the English language, including household names and products that are derived from surnames. (Think about it: Levi’s, Black & Decker, Denver…)

Did you know there was a cartoon based on Gilligan’s Island? Well, actually there were two! Saturday morning cartoons became a huge craze starting in the ’70s, so it only seemed right to make the popular TV sitcoms into animated series, too. Gilligan’s Planet only had 13 episodes before it was cancelled. His drawing looks like Shaggy’s cousin or something, but that is just our opinion.  Maybe they should have threw him in with the Scooby-Doo and his gang of monster-fighting nerds.

Other than The Skipper, The Millionaire, and Gilligan, who was left? Oh yes, that’s right: The Professor. The one and only piece of eye candy on the deserted island. During his audition, Russell Johnson was asked to take his shirt off. The actor refused, but he landed the part anyway, obviously. Aside from those other guys not, um, being our type, Russell Johnson is a good-looking man in his own right. He sure got a nice tan on that island.

Every young boy was in love with the adorable Mary Ann. Dawn Wells played in every single episode of Gilligan’s Island except for one. She is notorious for her role as the stranded castaway. Dawn Wells was so popular as Mary Ann that her skirt from the show sold to the highest bidder at a Beverly Hills auction house. Go ahead and guess how much it went for… twenty grand! (We spelled it out so you actually had to read.) Anyway, that’s freaking fantastic if you ask us.

Did you ever wonder about those coconut cups?  The show hand a number of props, and we usually wondered where they came from considering their status on a stranded island. However, the set production did try to make everything seem authentic at first. They even used real coconuts for the cups. However, they started leaking all over set and it looked nasty on camera, so they had to switch them out for something fake. The cast probably did not miss the coconut juice stains!

A woman never kisses and tells! And apparently age is a sensitive issue as well because Natalie Schafer would never reveal her real age to any cast or crew during the time Gilligan’s Island aired. Natalie Schafer played the millionaire’s wife, Mrs. Howell on three seasons of Gilligan’s Island. It turns out she was 13 years older than Mr. Howell. Her on-screen husband was played by Jim Backus. Who is the real breadwinner here? Mrs. Howell seems like a bit of a cougar herself…

Ginger was the gorgeous redhead of the team. Tina Louise is most known for her role as the stranded beauty. However, she and the producers could never see eye to eye when it came to her character. Like many of her co-stars, Tina Louise complained that the show ruined her career. After it was cancelled, she could not revive her reputation as a serious actress. We loved her in Gilligan’s Island, but we don’t remember her in much beyond that, so she does have a point there.

A fourth movie was planned for the crew, but as we all know, it was never developed. The story line wanted Gilligan, The Skipper, and everyone else to discover the world was left in shambles because of a nuclear war. It could’ve worked even though it does sound farfetched compared to the initial plot of being stranded on an island. We are not really sure what happened, but the actors probably wanted out of the roles more than ever.

Although it did not happen a lot, the cast recalls how much they loved having a dream sequence in the plot. It allowed them to get out of their swimsuits and away from the sand. They were able to not only shoot off the island, but spread their wings a little more in terms of their acting skills. Gilligan’s Island may have had 99 awesome episodes, but if you think about it that is a lot of sun. Sometimes too much of anything can be a bad thing…

If you remember Gilligan’s Island, chances are good you also recognize this familiar face. This quick-witted potty mouth with no filter was almost The Skipper! It’s true. Carroll O’Connor tried out for the part and everything, but Schwartz turned him down. Luckily for everyone involved, he scored the lead on the hilarious All In The Family. Carroll O’Connor shined in that role anyway as did Alan Hale, Jr. as The (actual) Skipper. And that, kids, is how history is made.

We’ve all heard of the Nielsen rating – since its inception in 1950 until today it has been the standard of measurement to see how many viewers a show is bringing in on average. There really was an actual Nielsen too, Arthur C. Nielsen, who began his career measuring radio syndications but eventually moved to television. Since then there has been a winner in determining which show was attracting the most views – these are those winners from the beginning to today.

The first highest rated television program since Nielsen’s inception, and one of the first ever examples of a successful American television show, Texaco Star Theatre was a comedy program which ran from 1948-1956.

Prior to its television airing it had been a successful radio broadcast program which began in 1938. Although most people today probably don’t remember watching this show, it had a huge cultural impact on the United States and its host, Milton Berle became known as “Mr. Television.”

Much like Texaco Star Theater, Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts began as a radio program before appearing on American televisions at the beginning of the 1950s. The show could be considered the front runner to all the American Idol styled television programs that are popular today.

Host Arthur Godfrey would have his “talent scouts” bring in various performers who, after displaying their skill or talent in front of a live studio audience, would be rated based on the volume of applause.

The cultural impact of I Love Lucy and subsequent influence that it had on American television cannot be understated. I Love Lucy was the first show in history to feature an ensemble cast led by actress Lucille Ball and her real-life husband Dezi Arnaz.

It was also the first television show to hit number one on the Nielsen rating chart for several years in a row (from 1952 to 1955), playing to an audience of 40 million people each year.

Ever heard someone say, “Well, that’s the 64 thousand dollar question.” and wonder where it came from? Well this is the source. The game show, The $64,000 Question was a quiz show similar to Jeopardy or Who Wants To Be A Millionaire in which contestants would answer general knowledge questions which became progressively harder.

The winners would walk away with anywhere from $8,000 up to the grand prize which was the $64,000 question – hence the title and now popular expression.

Although The $64,000 Question did take the number one Nielsen rated spot between 1955-1956, I Love Lucy was simply a television juggernaut that could not be stopped. When word hit that I Love Lucy was going to be airing its final season audiences simply couldn’t resist.

The show went down in history as the first ever to finish airing at number one, an accomplishment that would only be repeated twice in TV history with The Andy Griffith Show and Seinfeld.

Considered by writer Cecil West to be the American version of the Iliad and Odyssey, Gunsmoke was one of the first Wild West series to be aired for adults. It was also one of the highest rated and longest running series in television history.

The show ran a full 20 years, beginning from 1955 all the way until 1975 – a full 635 episodes. Since going off the air it has been ranked as one of the most important television series.

Following in the footsteps of Gunsmoke, Wagon Train was another American Western series which would eventually find itself on the number one spot on the Nielsen ratings. The show was able to surpass Gunsmoke in terms of popularity by securing numerous famous Hollywood actors as guest stars on episodes, drawing large viewing audiences.

Although Wagon Train was incredibly popular, it didn’t manage to last as long as Gunsmoke, only managing to run 284 episodes compared to Gunsmoke’s record of 635.

The Beverly Hillbillies was a sitcom which followed a poor family from the Appalachian Mountains who, after striking oil on their family farm, pack their bags and move to posh Beverly Hills.

When it was first aired, critics couldn’t stand it – many of them considered the humor to be strained or just simply not funny. Yet, in spite of these criticisms, the show was widely enjoyed, and its spot at number one on the Nielsen ratings is evidence of that.

Bonanza was more than just another American Western television series, the show was a trailblazer in its own right. Unlike many shows that had run, Bonanza took the opportunity of its popularity to address social issues which had become the nation’s focus during the 1960s.

Episodes and characters dealt with racism, bigotry, and presented moral dilemmas which hadn’t been discussed until that point. For this, Bonanza has gone down in history as one of the most important TV series ever.

Running for 8 seasons, the show took place in the 1930s whose nostalgia was popular with viewers who likely wanted to escape the chaos surrounding social and political upheaval taking place in the United States during the 1960s and 70s.

The show starred Andy Griffith along with popular comedians Don Knotts and future director, but then child star, Ron Howard. Today, a reunion festival celebrating the show’s history takes place every year in Griffith’s hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina.

Hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin, the show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In was a sketch comedy series which poked fun at 1960s and 70s counter and hippie culture of the era.

The term “laugh-in”, was based on the sit-in nonviolent protests popular during the civil rights movement of the time. The show was famous both for its regular cast and for the numerous guest stars which would appear each episode including presidential candidate of the time, Richard Nixon.

Marcus Welby, M.D. was a medical drama TV program starring actor Robert Young as the titular character, a kind and caring family practitioner popular with his patients. The show was a trailblazer in its own right, dealing with medical problems that were not considered “appropriate” for discussion at the time such as breast cancer or epilepsy.

Additionally, Marcus Welby, M.D. tackled serious issues, in particular the stigma surrounding homosexuality – a topic which had largely been ignored by television until then.

On the surface, All in the Family seems like another family sitcom, this one about a middle class family living in Queens, New York. But All in the Family did a lot more than just deliver a few funny jokes.

The show was groundbreaking in how it used the sitcom format to tackle serious social issues. While other shows had talked about racism and bigotry, All in the Family was the first to show a normal family handling these dilemmas.

Created by Garry Marshall, who also directed Pretty Women and The Princess Bride films, Happy Days’ 255 half hour sitcom episodes went down in history as being some of the most important of the 1970s.

The show starred Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham and Henry Winkler as his friend, “cool guy” Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli. Fonzie went on to be one of the most merchandisable characters in television history – his popularity so groundbreaking that it changed how studios viewed television’s potential.

Laverne & Shirley was a spin-off series of the popular sitcom Happy Days and followed the lives of Laverne DeFazio (Penny Marshall) and Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams). In Happy Days the two women had been associates of Fonzie and was set in roughly the same time period.

By the show’s third season it was already the most watched show in the United States and went on to win two Golden Globe Awards along with a Primetime Emmy Award in 1979.

It seems safe to say that 60 Minutes completely changed how Americans viewed news forever. Unlike news outlets which had come before, 60 Minutes focused on a reporter-styled investigative journalism.

Additionally, the series created a feeling of intimacy with the journalists by only showing one on screen at a single time rather than having a panel speaking to each other. 60 Minutes also took the responsibility of undertaking its own investigative journalism, generating unique and interesting stories not seen elsewhere.

Dallas was a primetime soap opera premiering on CBS. The series was about a wealthy and feuding Texas family who were the owners of the Texas Ewing Oil Company and the Southfork Cattle Ranch.

The series was intended to be a conceptual crossover and blend of three series: Bonanza (a wealthy Western family man and his three sons), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (rival brothers and their scheming wives), and Romeo and Juliet (lovers whose families are sworn enemies).

For several years Dallas and 60 Minutes would bounce back and forth as being the highest Nielsen rated show on television. While both have been critically acclaimed, to this day, 60 Minutes holds the record of being the longest aired show in primetime.

Its influence was so great, that it created numerous international spin offs in countries like Germany, Brazil, and Thailand. It has also helped push the careers of many renowned journalists such as Katie Couric and Charlie Rose.

Dallas was more than just an entertaining series for American audiences – its legacy goes much deeper than that. In fact, the television show is attributed to the downfall of the communist regime in Romania.

As unbelievable as it sounds, the president of Romania at the time allowed the series to be aired in his country during his reign. The belief that it would be anti-capitalistic was unfounded, Romanians were angered at the wealth disparity, hastening the end of communism there.

As Dallas soared in the ratings, television channel ABC knew it had to do something to narrow the ever widening gap. As a result, the concept of Dynasty was born.

Similar to Dallas, Dynasty was about the Carringtons, a wealthy family living in Denver, Colorado who business involved, that’s right, oil. ABC’s investment paid off, be 1985 Dynasty had become the number one rated show in the United States, pushing Dallas out of the way before being cancelled in 1989.

While sadly the legacy of The Cosby Show has arguably been tarnished, when it came out in 1984 it was a groundbreaking sitcom. It was the first number one Nielsen rated show to feature an African American family as its main cast.

In addition, critics considered it to be one of the most important television shows of the 20th century, having “revived the sitcom genre” almost single handedly, and naming the main character Cliff Huxtable as “television’s number one dad.”

Considered as one of the most popular television shows of all time during its airing, Cheers was named after the bar in which the show took place. The sitcom’s mood, humor, and atmosphere were epitomised by its catchphrase, “where everyone knows your name.”

During its run from September 1982 to May 1993, Cheers was nominated for a record 117 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series for every season it aired, and took home 28 Emmys during its syndication.

The early 90s was a time of tremendous upheaval for the US and the world. It marked the end of the Cold War and the First Gulf War – the first war America had entered since Vietnam.

As a result, Americans were hooked to their television sets – and who better to deliver the news than one of the highest rated programs in television history? With a team of outstanding reporters, 60 Minutes was the number one show for another 3 years.

As an up and coming, although still popular, comedian Jerry Seinfeld was presented with a tremendous opportunity by NBC to create his very own sitcom. Seinfeld immediately reached out to his friend and fellow comedian, Larry David, to help him.

Larry David agreed, and together the two wrote what is widely considered by many to be one of the funniest shows of the 90s. As a side note, even E! named the series the “Number 1 reason the ’90s ruled.”

ER (emergency room) is a medical drama created by author and director Michael Crichton, the same man who wrote the books that inspired the Jurassic Park series, and filmed the original Westworld movie which came out in 1973.

ER follows both the personal and professional lives of a group of medical professionals working in the fictionalised General County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Aside from Grey’s Anatomy, ER takes the cake as the longest running medical primetime drama in television history.

When describing the series Seinfeld, many consider it to be a “television show about nothing.” This is no accident, when writing the show Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld wrote about the mundane and monotonies of daily life, creating a show that viewers related to on a personal level.

The genius of the writing cannot be understated, in 2013, 15 years after the show ended, the Writers Guild of America voted it as the Second Best Written Show in TV History.

For five years, ER had battled against Seinfeld for that number one spot on the Nielsen ratings list. Once Seinfeld ended at number one, it left the door wide open for ER to become the most popular show in the United States – an opportunity that it took advantage of.

Season five pulled over 25 million viewers putting it back on top, although this would be the last time that ER was television king with subsequent seasons bringing steadily lower viewership.

When Who Wants To Be A Millionaire first aired in 1999 it was initially just a two week special hosted by Regis Philbin. That special was so popular that Who Wants To Be A Millionaire became the most syndicated program of the year 1999.

It was the first game show in television history to offer one million dollars as its main prize, a move which seemed to boost its ratings and would be copied by subsequent game and reality shows.

When the first season of Survivor aired in 2000 it attracted over 15 million people who watched contestants compete to outlast each other in a desolate location. By season two that number had nearly tripled to 45 million people making Survivor the most popular television show of the year.

Considered the leader of reality TV, Survivor became the first reality game show that was profitable on broadcast television, and with it soon followed numerous shows trying to emulate its success.

When first being pitched to NBC, Friends wasn’t initially called Friends by its writers and creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman. The show went through several rewrites and name changes, like Six To One and Friends Like Us, before eventually settling on the name Friends.

The series would go on to be one of the most popular shows on television during its airing – even today it is still one of the most streamed series on the streaming service site Netflix.

Running from October 2000 to September 2015, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (also known as CSI and CSI: Las Vegas) was the first procedural forensic series to reach such extraordinary television heights, and would certainly not be the last.

CSI inspired three spin-off series along with a series of novels, multiple video games, and even an exhibition at the Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. Worldwide, the series was awarded the International Television Audience Award by Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo.

Created by entertainer and entrepreneur Simon Fuller, American Idol was based on Fuller’s other project, Pop Idol, which was popular in Britain. As popular as Pop Idol was, American Idol would eclipse it in scope and audience.

For an unprecedented eight years, American Idol would top the ratings charts either on its Tuesday night performance nights or the Wednesday night results nights when the judges would present the audience’s votes. Idol’s success has been described as “unparalleled in television history.”

American Idol wasn’t just a competitive talent show, for many of the most successful stars in the world it was their springboard to success. American Idol’s running resulted in 345 Billboard chart toppers and has given the world pop stars like Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, and many more.

For critics, its success only spawned debate of what was more enticing about the show – the entertainment, or the payoff from winning.

Since 1987 ESPN had hosted Sunday Night Football and NBC had been airing the American Football League (AFL) since 1965 until 1998. 2006 brought about a new change to the NFL viewing schedule, starting then NBC took over the rights to Sunday Night Football while ESPN began hosting Monday Night Football instead.

It wasn’t until the 2011-2012 season that NBC Sunday Night Football finally broke American Idol’s streak and shot to the number one spot on the Nielsen rating system.

Focusing on the trials and tribulations of Special Agents Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Caitlin Todd, and Anthony DiNozzo of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, NCIS is a police procedural show. In real life as in the series, the NCIS is the law enforcement, and counterintelligence arm of the United States Department of the Navy.

While the series does have many elements based in reality, there are still many “creative liberties” taken by the writers for the benefit of a wider audience.

After having taken a backseat to NCIS the season prior, NBC Sunday Night Football was back with a vengeance. One of its biggest pulls was the incorporation of its sister company’s channel, Universo’s Spanish language broadcast.

That broadcast brought in a massive new audience as NBC began providing a live Spanish language feed during all Sunday night NFL games. In addition, NBC began airing Sunday Night Football at 7pm eastern time to provide pre game analysis prior to each match.

It’s hard to imagine a show that could possibly compete with something as culturally significant as Sunday Night Football, but with a combination of suspenseful drama, edge of your seat thrills, and interspersed with some humor, NCIS manages to pull it off.

Originally created as a spin-off of JAG, the show creators realised the potential that NCIS could have on its own and changed its opening title and filmmaking style in order to allow it to reach its fullest potential.

Premiering 2007 and wrapping up in 2019, The Big Bang Theory ran for over 12 seasons and 279 episodes. After its initial reception, which many have described as being more or less “lukewarm,” the series received relatively high ratings and ended with a number one spot on the Nielsen ratings.

In addition to ratings, The Big Bang Theory received numerous awards and nominations including the Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series four years in a row from 2011 to 2014.

It’s definitely no surprise that NBC’s Sunday Night Football can’t stay away from the top. For many Sunday’s activities are synonymous with football and when picturing the games it’s easy to imagine the rush of adrenaline, the stadium lights, and the roar of a crowd eager for more.

One secret to NBC’s success is that they were the first network to approve attaching microphones to the players, allowing audiences to hear the action on the ground as it was happening.

The fact of the matter is that America loves NCIS and for the cast of the show that means that life will never be the same. David McCallum, who plays Donald “Ducky” Mallard, says when he gets on airplanes, “I get smiles and nods and somebody says, ‘Hi, Ducky. Nice to see you.’”

For Mark Harmon, who plays special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, it’s the same, “It’s fun to go out there. It’s hard to walk through an airport now.”