The 1970s gave us some of the most iconic sitcoms of all time—All in the Family, Happy Days, The Mary Tyler Moore Show—but not every show from the era had the staying power of those classics. Some sitcoms were massive hits while they were on the air, racking up high ratings and loyal audiences, only to fade into obscurity once they left the airwaves. Whether they were overshadowed by bigger hits, victims of changing TV trends, or just didn’t hold up over time, these shows were once must-watch TV but are now barely remembered. Here are 12 lost ‘70s sitcoms that were huge at the time but completely forgotten today.
1. Bridget Loves Bernie (1972-1973)
When Bridget Loves Bernie premiered, it was a smash hit, ranking in the top five most-watched shows of the 1972-73 season. Starring Meredith Baxter and David Birney, the sitcom followed an interfaith marriage between a wealthy Irish Catholic woman and a working-class Jewish man, with their families providing most of the comedy. The show had all the makings of a long-running success, including a prime Saturday night time slot between All in the Family and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Sadly, we’ve lost a few big names from this landmark series, who are mourned in The New York Times.
So why did it vanish? Controversy. Some viewers, particularly within the Jewish community, criticized the show’s portrayal of interfaith marriage, and CBS canceled it after just one season—despite its strong ratings. Today, it’s rarely mentioned, overshadowed by the more enduring sitcoms of the era.
2. Phyllis (1975-1977)
As a spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Phyllis had built-in star power, following Cloris Leachman’s character, Phyllis Lindstrom, as she moved to San Francisco after becoming a widow. With sharp writing and Leachman’s signature comedic timing, the show debuted strong, ranking in the top 10 in its first season. As celebrated on Screen Rant, however, the show still manages to make it into pop culture, regardless of its disappearing act otherwise.
But after its second season, Phyllis fell apart due to behind-the-scenes losses—several key actors passed away, and the storylines lost steam. Despite being a hit in its prime, it’s largely forgotten today, living in the shadows of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda.
3. Chico and the Man (1974-1978)
Starring Jack Albertson as a grumpy old mechanic and Freddie Prinze as his charismatic young assistant, Chico and the Man was a groundbreaking sitcom that helped introduce Latino characters to mainstream television. The show was a hit, running for four seasons and making Prinze a rising star. It’s hard to believe the series turned 50 last year, but it more than earned a sweet tribute on Women’s World.
Tragically, Freddie Prinze’s sudden death in 1977 sent the show into a downward spiral, and it never recovered. Without its heart and soul, Chico and the Man quietly ended its run, and over time, it slipped from the collective memory of TV audiences.
4. Barney Miller (1975-1982)
At the time, Barney Miller was a respected and well-loved sitcom about a police precinct, balancing comedy with smart social commentary. Airing from 1975 to 1982, it stood out from other cop shows by focusing more on the mundane and often absurd day-to-day life inside a New York City police station rather than high-stakes action. Hal Linden’s portrayal of the level-headed Captain Barney Miller anchored the series, while a colorful ensemble cast—including Abe Vigoda, Max Gail, and Ron Glass—brought humor and warmth to the stories. The show racked up critical praise, won multiple Emmy Awards, and was recognized for its ability to address real social issues while keeping its humor sharp and character-driven. The show fizzled out, but like a lot of great things from the ’70s, its coming back, as reported by Remind, complete with polls just for fans.
Yet, unlike other ‘70s sitcoms that remained in syndication, Barney Miller never got the nostalgic revival it deserved. While beloved by those who watched it during its original run, it didn’t have the same broad rewatch appeal as shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show or Happy Days, possibly because its humor was more subdued and dialogue-heavy rather than built on broad slapstick or catchphrases. Additionally, as police-themed TV evolved, newer, flashier comedies like Brooklyn Nine-Nine took center stage, leaving Barney Miller somewhat overlooked in pop culture discussions. While die-hard fans still appreciate its wit and realism, the show has largely faded from mainstream memory, despite being one of the most well-crafted sitcoms of its era.
5. Angie (1979-1980)
Angie was ABC’s attempt to cash in on the same romantic comedy magic that had made Laverne & Shirley and Three’s Company hits. Starring Donna Pescow as a working-class waitress and Robert Hays as her wealthy doctor boyfriend, the show was a surprise success, even cracking the top 10 in its first season.
Unfortunately, ABC moved it to a different night for its second season, and viewership plummeted. With ratings in freefall, the network pulled the plug, and Angie quickly became another forgotten TV experiment.
6. Temperatures Rising (1972-1974)
This medical sitcom starring Cleavon Little and James Whitmore went through so many retools and cast changes that even dedicated fans struggled to keep up. At first, it was a wacky hospital comedy in the vein of MASH*, but after a ratings dip, it was rebranded as The New Temperatures Rising Show with a different tone.
Despite its struggles, it managed to last for three seasons before finally being put out of its misery. Today, it’s almost completely forgotten, remembered only by those who watched TV religiously in the early ‘70s.
7. The Tony Randall Show (1976-1978)
Fresh off his success in The Odd Couple, Tony Randall took on another sophisticated yet comically neurotic role in The Tony Randall Show, which ran from 1976 to 1978. This time, he played Judge Walter Franklin, a widowed Philadelphia judge balancing his legal duties with raising two children. The show had a witty, intelligent tone, blending courtroom humor with slice-of-life family moments. With a strong supporting cast, including Barney Martin and Allyn Ann McLerie, and the creative minds behind The Mary Tyler Moore Show involved, it seemed poised for a long run.
Despite critical praise and a dedicated fanbase, The Tony Randall Show struggled to find a stable audience. It originally aired on ABC but was moved to CBS in its second season, where it failed to gain traction. Unlike The Odd Couple, which became a syndication staple, The Tony Randall Show all but disappeared after its cancellation. Without reruns or nostalgia-driven revivals to keep it alive, it quickly faded from public memory, failing to leave a lasting legacy beyond Randall’s devoted fans.
8. The New Odd Couple (1982-1983)
Speaking of The Odd Couple, CBS attempted to breathe new life into the classic sitcom in the early ‘80s with The New Odd Couple, featuring an all-Black cast. Starring Ron Glass (Barney Miller) as the neat and meticulous Felix Unger and Demond Wilson (Sanford and Son) as the laid-back, messy Oscar Madison, the show followed the same premise as the original—two mismatched friends forced to live together despite their clashing personalities. The casting brought a fresh dynamic to the familiar story, and with two well-known TV stars leading the show, CBS hoped it could recreate the success of its predecessor.
Unfortunately, The New Odd Couple never found the same magic as the Tony Randall and Jack Klugman version. The scripts were largely recycled from the original series, which made the show feel dated rather than fresh. Ratings were low from the start, and it struggled to stand out in a television landscape that was rapidly changing. After just 18 episodes, CBS pulled the plug, and the show quickly faded into obscurity. While the original Odd Couple remains a classic, this short-lived revival is little more than a footnote in sitcom history, rarely mentioned even among TV historians.
9. C.P.O. Sharkey (1976-1978)
Don Rickles brought his legendary insult-comedy style to television with C.P.O. Sharkey, a sitcom that ran from 1976 to 1978. In the show, Rickles played Chief Petty Officer Otto Sharkey, a gruff but ultimately well-meaning Navy officer in charge of a diverse group of young recruits. True to Rickles’ comedic style, much of the humor revolved around his rapid-fire insults and sharp-tongued sarcasm, often directed at the recruits under his command. The show leaned heavily on his natural comedic timing, and for fans of his stand-up, it was a rare chance to see him in a leading role on network television.
While C.P.O. Sharkey wasn’t a massive breakout hit, it performed well enough to last two seasons on NBC, airing alongside other military-themed comedies of the time. However, unlike MASH*, which balanced humor with deeper storytelling, C.P.O. Sharkey was more of a straightforward sitcom with little emotional depth. The show never gained much traction in syndication, which contributed to its quick fade from public memory. Without reruns to keep it alive in the pop culture consciousness, it became one of those shows that even Rickles’ biggest fans rarely discuss. While his stand-up comedy remains legendary, C.P.O. Sharkey serves as a forgotten footnote in his long and storied career.
10. Hello, Larry (1979-1980)
McLean Stevenson left MASH* to star in Hello, Larry, a sitcom about a radio talk show host adjusting to single fatherhood. NBC heavily promoted it as a hit in the making, but it became a legendary flop instead.
Despite lasting two seasons, Hello, Larry became more famous for its failure than for anything it actually did right. Today, it’s remembered mostly as an example of how risky it was for actors to leave successful shows too soon.
11. Fish (1977-1978)
Abe Vigoda’s grumpy yet lovable Detective Phil Fish was such a standout character on Barney Miller that ABC gave him his own spin-off, Fish, in 1977. The show took a different approach from its parent series, shifting from the gritty yet comedic setting of a police precinct to Fish’s home life, where he and his wife Bernice (Florence Stanley) ran a foster home for troubled children. The premise allowed for plenty of heartwarming and comedic moments, with Fish’s world-weary personality clashing with the energy and antics of the kids. The show performed well in its first season, benefitting from Vigoda’s popularity and the built-in audience from Barney Miller.
However, Fish struggled to maintain interest in its second season. Without the ensemble dynamic and sharp writing that made Barney Miller a classic, the show felt more like a standard sitcom, and ratings began to decline. It also didn’t help that Vigoda was in poor health at the time, which limited his screen presence and energy. After two seasons, Fish was quietly canceled, and unlike Barney Miller, it never found a lasting presence in syndication. Today, it remains a largely forgotten footnote in 1970s television history, remembered mostly by die-hard fans of Abe Vigoda rather than as a classic in its own right.
12. On the Rocks (1975-1976)
This sitcom about a group of prisoners navigating life behind bars was surprisingly successful in its short run, proving that audiences were willing to embrace comedy in unconventional settings. On the Rocks, which aired on CBS from 1975 to 1976, was based on a British sitcom called Porridge and followed a group of inmates in a minimum-security prison as they clashed with authority and tried to outwit the warden. The show’s humor came from the interactions between the prisoners and the guards, balancing lighthearted antics with just enough grit to keep things interesting. Despite its unusual premise, On the Rocks pulled in respectable ratings, showing that audiences were open to a sitcom set behind bars.
However, despite its initial success, CBS chose not to renew On the Rocks after just one season. Some speculate that a comedy centered around criminals—regardless of how harmless or likable they were portrayed—was simply too risky for network television at the time. Unlike MASH*, which tackled serious themes under the guise of comedy, On the Rocks didn’t have the same depth or lasting appeal. With no rerun exposure or syndication deals to keep it in circulation, the show faded from memory almost immediately. Today, it’s little more than a blip in 1970s television history, rarely mentioned even among fans of obscure sitcoms.
The ‘70s were filled with sitcoms that captured audiences for a brief moment before vanishing into obscurity. Some were canceled too soon, while others were simply products of their time. While they may not have lasted, for a short while, they were some of the biggest shows on TV—until they weren’t.
