The 60s were a very transitional time in the television industry. Television swept the nation throughout the 1950s, although many of its scripted programs appear dated in the modern age. The 60s began to perfect the medium, offering more substantial stories and longer-running programs. Of course, many of these shows are also dated today, but their influence is undoubtedly felt in many modern programs.
Not every show in the '60s was a banger. As is the case even today, there was a lot of forgettable nonsense released over the airwaves that have rightfully grown forgotten over time. These are the five most influential TV shows of the '60s, and five that deserve to be forgotten.
Influential: The Flintstones (1960-66)
Modern animation wouldn't be where it is today without The Flintstones. Produced by the iconic Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones aired on ABC for six seasons and 166 episodes from 1960 to 1966. The show followed two groups of Stone Age families - the titular Flintstones and their next-door neighbors, the Rubbles.
It was the most financially successful animated program for three decades (until it was dethroned by The Simpsons), and it helped pave way for adult animation on television. The Simpsons may have dethroned it, but it likely wouldn't even exist without it.
Forgotten: My Mother The Car (1965-66)
Just looking at that title, audiences knew that My Mother the Car would be a disaster. And it was. The 1960s were a weird time for TV, as many of its programs involved fantastical elements. More on that later.
My Mother the Car was one of them, as it involves a man's deceased mother coming back to life as an antique car and communicating with him through the radio. Despite an established production crew, My Mother the Car was a monumental failure (often being critically eviscerated in the media), and it lasted just one season on NBC.
Influential: The Andy Griffith Show (1960-68)
CBS entered the fray with The Andy Griffith Show, an incredibly popular program that aired for eight seasons and nearly 250 episodes. The show followed a widowed sheriff named Andy Taylor, played by the titular Andy Griffith. Rounding out the incredible cast is Don Knotts as Andy's cousin Barney and a young Ron Howard as Andy's son Opie.
The show was popular for evoking a sense of nostalgia, and it helped revolutionize the concept of a wide, expansive cast of townsfolk. The Simpsons would later perfect this concept nearly three decades later, but The Andy Griffith Show helped start it.
Forgotten: The Flying Nun (1967-70)
ABC had The Flintstones. But it also had The Flying Nun, another one of those weird, fantastical shows that promulgated throughout the '60s.
Unlike My Mother the Car, The Flying Nun was actually quite successful, airing three seasons and 82 episodes. It also starred a young Sally Field in the titular role, who would go on to win two Academy Awards for her work in Norma Rae and Places in the Heart. But The Flying Nun is certainly not one of her better creative outputs, as it's often too silly and outlandish for its own good. The gimmick of a flying nun gets old after a while.
Influential: Star Trek (1966-69)
The influence of Star Trek is borderline unspeakable. The show began airing on NBC on September 8, 1966, and ran for 79 episodes over three seasons. Along the way, it helped start one of the world's most beloved franchises.
Even today, over fifty years after its debut, the Star Trek series is still being adamantly discussed, theorized, debated, and adored. Its success also helped launch the science fiction revolution, and nearly every ambitious piece of sci-fi on TV today owes its existence to the wild success of Star Trek.
Forgotten: Mister Ed (1961-66)
Mister Ed is yet another one of those weird '60s shows that should probably just stay in the decade. This one involves a talking horse. Much of the comedy surrounds the horse and the problems it causes the owner, Wilbur Post.
The horse often escapes and gets mischief, for which Wilbur is constantly blamed, and it even gets between Wilbur and his wife Carol, as Wilbur spends more time with the horse than he does her. It's a harmless enough show, but it's also very silly and very goofy.
Influential: Gilligan's Island (1964-67)
persistent popularity and indelible legacy.
This was yet another major hit for CBS, following a group of shipwrecked individuals, their penchant for disagreement, and their failed attempts to get off the island. The show was popular enough in the mid-'60s but grew even more popular throughout the '70s and '80s thanks to constant reruns. It remains one of the most popular and influential sitcoms of all time, and Gilligan has become a national icon.
Forgotten: My Favorite Martian (1963-66)
My Favorite Martian essentially took an episode of The Twilight Zone and turned it into a wacky sitcom. It sees an alien from Mars crash landing near Los Angeles and befriending a newspaper reporter named Tim O'Hara, who es the alien off as his Uncle Martin.
The show is fun enough, but it's also incredibly dated - both in of its visual effects and humor. Proving its seeming irrelevance was the 1999 film starring Jeff Daniels and Christopher Lloyd, which grossed just $36 million on a $65 million budget.
Influential: Get Smart (1965-70)
The early '60s were booming with spy movies thanks to the wild success of Dr. No and the subsequent James Bond movies. Enter Get Smart, which served as a parody of the popular secret agent genre. Co-created by Mel Brooks, Get Smart helped revolutionize and popularize the spoof genre, and it even put certain sayings into the common lexicon (like "Missed it by that much!").
A film remake was released in 2008 starring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway that grossed $230 million, proving that the spy genre - and the Get Smart brand - are still chugging along wonderfully.
Forgotten: You're In The Picture (1961)
You're In the Picture is an infamous piece of television, and it wouldn't be ed today if it wasn't such a monumental bomb. The game show starred Jackie Gleason, although even his talent and popularity couldn't keep it afloat.
The show received extremely negative reviews, with some critics even calling it the worst ever. Gleason even acknowledged its failure, saying that it bombed so hard it "would make the H-bomb look like a two-inch salute."