The 1970s gave us some of the greatest sitcoms of all time—MASH, All in the Family, Happy Days, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show just to name a few. But for every classic, there were plenty of sitcoms that crashed and burned, fading into obscurity almost as soon as they aired. Whether they suffered from bad writing, awkward premises, or simply couldn’t compete with the heavyweights of the era, these shows never found their audience. Here are 14 sitcoms from the 1970s that tried but failed to make a lasting impression—and what they did so wrong that no one remembers them today.
1. The Dumplings (1976)
On paper, The Dumplings seemed like a charming concept—a sitcom about a happily married, overweight couple who ran a lunch counter together. Created by All in the Family’s Norman Lear, it had all the makings of a heartfelt, character-driven comedy. But despite a likable lead duo in James Coco and Geraldine Brooks, the show leaned too hard on fat jokes instead of clever humor. Audiences weren’t laughing, and the show was canceled after just 10 episodes. Nostalgia Central emphasizes the effort that went into this short-lived istcom.
The biggest problem was that it failed to make its characters feel real or relatable. Instead of exploring their relationship with depth, it relied on tired, one-note gags about their size. With no compelling reason to tune in each week, viewers quickly moved on to better-written comedies. Even with Lear’s golden touch, The Dumplings was a misfire that vanished as quickly as it arrived.
2. The Texas Wheelers (1974)
Starring a young Gary Busey and Mark Hamill, The Texas Wheelers had a promising cast but a premise that never quite clicked. It followed a group of siblings struggling to survive after their unreliable father, played by Jack Elam, unexpectedly returns to their lives. The show attempted to blend comedy and drama, but the balance never felt quite right. Audiences at the time weren’t looking for a sitcom with such a downbeat premise, and the show was canceled after just four episodes. MovieWeb doesn’t want you to forget Mark’s involvement in this series.
One major issue was that the father, who was supposed to be the lovable rogue of the show, just came across as irresponsible and frustrating. The humor felt forced, and the emotional moments didn’t land, making it difficult for viewers to connect with the characters. Even though The Texas Wheelers had some future stars in its cast, it never had a chance to build an audience. The network tried re-airing it the following year, but the results were the same—cancellation.
3. A Year at the Top (1977)
What if you sold your soul to the devil in exchange for rock and roll stardom? That was the premise of A Year at the Top, which followed two musicians who made a pact with the underworld to become famous. The show was supposed to blend comedy and music, but instead, it felt like a bizarre, watered-down version of The Monkees with an odd supernatural twist. Viewers weren’t interested, and the show barely made it past the summer. Others may have forgotten, but Lost Media Archive is determined to remember this series.
The problem was that the premise didn’t have enough depth to sustain an ongoing series. Once you got past the gimmick of the devil’s deal, there wasn’t much left to keep things interesting. The comedy wasn’t sharp, the music wasn’t memorable, and the supernatural angle felt out of place in a lighthearted sitcom. Even with the backing of legendary producer Norman Lear, A Year at the Top quickly hit rock bottom.
4. Me and the Chimp (1972)
Created by Happy Days mastermind Garry Marshall, Me and the Chimp was exactly what it sounded like—a sitcom about a guy and his pet chimpanzee. Ted Bessell played a suburban dad dealing with the chaos that ensued when his family adopted a mischievous chimp named Buttons. The show was meant to be a lighthearted family comedy, but the humor rarely went beyond the obvious “monkey causes trouble” setup.
The biggest issue was that the premise was just too silly, even for the early ’70s. The chimp was cute, but there was only so much comedic mileage the writers could get out of him stealing sandwiches or messing up the house. Even kids found it repetitive, and adults didn’t bother tuning in. After just 13 episodes, CBS pulled the plug, and Me and the Chimp faded into sitcom obscurity.
5. The Cop and the Kid (1975)
This short-lived sitcom tried to blend heartwarming drama with comedy but failed to strike the right balance. The Cop and the Kid followed a tough but kind-hearted police officer who unexpectedly found himself raising an orphaned boy. The show attempted to mix police procedural elements with a feel-good family dynamic, but neither aspect was developed enough to make it stand out. It felt like the creators were trying to mimic The Courtship of Eddie’s Father but with a law enforcement twist.
The problem was that audiences weren’t sure what to make of it—was it a cop show, a family sitcom, or something in between? The humor often felt forced, and the emotional moments didn’t quite hit their mark. With so many other family-friendly sitcoms on the air in the mid-’70s, The Cop and the Kid got lost in the shuffle. After just a handful of episodes, it quietly disappeared from TV schedules, leaving little behind except for a few vague memories.
6. The Girl with Something Extra (1973)
The Girl with Something Extra starred Sally Field as a woman with ESP who could read minds—a talent that complicated her marriage to her regular-guy husband, played by John Davidson. The show tried to capitalize on the success of other supernatural sitcoms like Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie, but it lacked the charm and originality of those classics. The humor often revolved around misunderstandings caused by her powers, which quickly became repetitive.
The biggest issue was that audiences had already seen variations of this premise done better. Sally Field was as likable as ever, but even her star power couldn’t save the show from weak scripts and unconvincing chemistry between the leads. Without strong storytelling or a fresh take on the genre, The Girl with Something Extra felt like an uninspired retread of older hits. NBC pulled the plug after just one season, and the show faded into obscurity.
7. On the Rocks (1975)
On the Rocks attempted to bring a new spin to the sitcom genre by setting it inside a prison. Based on a British series called Porridge, the show followed a group of bumbling inmates trying to navigate prison life while getting into humorous scrapes. The problem was that audiences weren’t quite sure how to feel about a comedy set in a jail. The humor often felt forced, and the setting made it hard for viewers to fully embrace the characters.
Unlike Barney Miller, which succeeded in blending comedy and law enforcement, On the Rocks struggled to find the right tone. Some critics praised it for being different, but the general audience found it hard to connect with. It also didn’t help that the writing relied on stereotypes rather than fleshed-out characters. After one season, On the Rocks was off the air, making little impact in the world of sitcoms.
8. Joe and Sons (1975)
In an attempt to create a heartwarming sitcom about family life, Joe and Sons told the story of a widowed father (Richard Castellano) raising his two sons while running a plumbing business. The premise was similar to other successful shows, but it lacked the spark needed to make it stand out. The humor was mild, and the father-sons dynamic never felt as strong as it needed to be. Even Castellano, fresh off The Godfather, couldn’t give the show the personality it desperately needed.
The biggest issue was that it tried too hard to be both sentimental and funny, never fully succeeding at either. With shows like The Waltons already delivering heartfelt family drama and Good Times offering comedy with real emotional weight, Joe and Sons had trouble finding its audience. CBS gave it a shot but canceled it after just 12 episodes. It’s now mostly forgotten, except by the few who tuned in during its brief run.
9. The Waverly Wonders (1978)
Larry Hagman is best remembered for playing the ruthless J.R. Ewing in Dallas, but before that, he starred in this ill-fated sitcom about a washed-up pro basketball player turned high school coach. The premise was shaky to begin with, and the show’s humor relied too much on slapstick and sports clichés. Hagman did his best with the material, but even his charm couldn’t save The Waverly Wonders from its weak scripts.
The biggest flaw was that the show didn’t seem to know who its audience was. Sports fans didn’t find enough actual basketball in it, and sitcom fans had seen plenty of bumbling coach stories before. NBC quickly realized it had a dud on its hands and canceled it after just nine episodes. Hagman, of course, bounced back in a big way the following year when he took on Dallas, proving that even the best actors sometimes get stuck in bad projects.
10. The San Pedro Beach Bums (1977)
This sitcom was an attempt to recreate the carefree, beachy fun of The Monkees—but with five goofy guys hanging out in San Pedro. The plot revolved around a group of young men living in a beach house and getting into lighthearted misadventures. Unfortunately, the humor was bland, the writing uninspired, and the characters forgettable. Instead of feeling like a fresh take on youth culture, it felt like a cheap knockoff of better shows.
The main issue was that nothing about it felt original or engaging. Without a strong hook, the show quickly faded into the background. Audiences barely noticed when ABC canceled it after 10 episodes. If anything, The San Pedro Beach Bums serves as an example of how trying to recapture the magic of The Monkees without their charisma just didn’t work.
11. Mr. T and Tina (1976)
A spinoff of Welcome Back, Kotter, Mr. T and Tina starred Pat Morita as a Japanese inventor trying to adjust to life in America while dealing with his wacky housekeeper, Tina. While Morita was undeniably talented, the show relied too heavily on cultural misunderstandings for laughs, making it feel outdated even for the time. Instead of offering sharp, character-driven humor, it leaned on tired stereotypes.
The show also suffered from a lack of direction—was it about Morita’s job, his home life, or something else entirely? The disjointed storytelling made it hard for viewers to connect. ABC canceled it after just nine episodes, and Morita moved on to bigger things, eventually finding real sitcom success years later with Happy Days.
12. Struck by Lightning (1979)
What if Frankenstein’s monster had a sitcom? That’s what Struck by Lightning attempted to answer, following a mild-mannered English teacher who discovers that his handyman is actually the descendant of the infamous monster. The show had a ridiculous premise that might have worked as a one-off Halloween special, but as a weekly sitcom, it quickly wore thin. The humor was corny, and the attempts at blending horror and comedy never quite gelled.
The biggest problem was that audiences simply didn’t care. There wasn’t enough heart or humor to make the bizarre premise work. CBS pulled the plug after just three episodes, making Struck by Lightning one of the shortest-lived sitcoms of the decade.
13. Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1973)
Based on the hit 1969 movie of the same name, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice attempted to bring its adult themes of relationships and marriage to network television. However, the suggestive humor that worked in a film setting felt out of place in a primetime sitcom. Network censors forced the show to tone things down, leaving it in a strange middle ground where it wasn’t edgy enough to be daring but too awkward to be funny.
Audiences weren’t sure what to make of it, and without the star power of the original film cast, it lost its appeal. Just seven episodes aired before CBS pulled it off the schedule. Today, it’s barely remembered, proving that not every hit movie translates well to television.
Despite their best efforts, these sitcoms never found their footing in the crowded landscape of 1970s television. Some suffered from weak writing, others had premises that didn’t translate well to the small screen, and a few were simply ahead of their time. Whatever the reason, they quickly disappeared, leaving behind little more than a footnote in TV history. With so many legendary sitcoms from the era, it’s no surprise that these flops have been largely forgotten—but for those who do remember them, they serve as a reminder that not every show from the ’70s was a hit.
