The 1970s: When TV Got Real - Prove What You Know About This Groundbreaking Decade in TV History!
Written by Susanna Henke
Last updated · 7 min play time
How well do you remember the TV shows of the 1970s? Give this fun quiz a try and find out!
Later, Lassie
The 1970s were a time of massive cultural change — and nowhere was that reflected more than on television. At the dawn of the decade, cowboys and goofy hillbillies still ruled the airwaves; by the end of the 1970-71 season, they had all but vanished. In what came to be known as the "rural purge", the networks abruptly canceled virtually all rural-themed shows, including The Beverly Hillbillies, Lassie, Green Acres, and Mayberry R.F.D. "Move over, Grandma," said the new, socially conscious generation. It was time to get real.
Seemingly overnight, shows began popping up that dealt with topics long considered utterly taboo. It's hard to believe now, but when The Mary Tyler Moore Show debuted in 1970, it was the first series in television history to depict a single, working woman. Another groundbreaking debut was M*A*S*H (1972-83), which offered an unflinching portrayal of the atrocities and injustice of war that resonated deeply with a generation that had grown increasingly cynical about the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Four years earlier, the #2 show was Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., a military-themed series set in the 1960s that never mentioned the Vietnam War.
And then there was Norman Lear's All in the Family (1971-9). More than anyone else in television at the time, Lear broke down cultural barriers by taking on off-limits issues like bigotry, race, and homosexuality. In All in the Family, as well as its spinoffs Maude (1972-78), Sanford and Son (1972-77) and The Jeffersons (1975-85) Lear artfully wove social commentary in with good old sitcom yucks — and changed the face of television forever.
Da Plane! Da Plane!
By mid-decade, dismaying events like Watergate and the U.S. defeat in Vietnam had led to a distinct shift in mood; TV producers and networks thought it might do for a little escapism once again. Enter Garry Marshall's Happy Days, which debuted in 1974; in 1976, the retro high school comedy knocked All in the Family off the #1 show spot it had held for five years. Multiple feel-good spinoffs such as 1960s-era Laverne and Shirley (1976-83) followed. The late 70s also saw the birth of "jiggle TV", a genre defined by scantily clad young women that included shows like The Love Boat (1977-86) and Charlie's Angels (1977-81). As the decade wound down, one more massive trend emerged: the catchphrase. Nanu Nanu, Sit on it!, Dy-no-mite, Kiss my grits!, What'chu talkin' 'bout, Willis? and the list goes on and on (and on).
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Quiz written by
Susanna Henke: 1970s TV Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 734 Plays · 1 Comment
Question 1
What were the names of Jack, Janet, and Chrissy's bickering landlords on Three's Company (1977-84)?
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AMr. and Mrs. Hooper
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BMr. and Mrs. Roper
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CMr. and Mrs. Ripper
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DMr. and Mrs. Hopper
Mr. and Mrs. Roper
The fondly remembered <i>Three's Company</i> delighted audiences week after week with its slapstick-infused comedy of errors format. The bigoted Mr. Roper and the sexually frustrated Mrs. Roper (played by Norman Fell and Audra Lindley, respectively) were such a hit that the pair left after the third season to do a spinoff show based on their characters. When that show was canceled midway through the second season, ABC wouldn't let them return to the parent show (pursuant to their contract, which provided that they could only return if the spinoff didn't make it past the first season).
Question 2
What was the name of the gang of underachieving teenage wiseguys in Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-79)?
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AWartdogs
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BWethogs
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CSweathogs
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DStewpigs
Sweathogs
<i>Welcome Back, Kotter</i> centers on Mr. Kotter, who returns to his alma mater to teach a class of remedial students (which he had once been himself). The Sweathogs were a diverse band of delinquent "high schoolers" (all played by actors in their mid-20s) who gave their teacher tons of grief but were essentially lovable goofballs. The name "Sweathogs" derives from the remedial classroom's location on the top floor of an un-airconditioned school building.
Question 3
What did Carol Burnett do as a way of signing off at the end of each episode of The Carol Burnett Show (1967-78)?
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ACross her eyes
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BWiggle her nose
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CTug her ear
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DStick out her tongue
Tug her ear
Carol's ear tug was a private message to her beloved grandmother — it meant "Hello, I love you." Even after her grandmother died, Carol continued the tradition.
Question 4
During which war did the fictional series M*A*S*H (1972-83) take place?
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AWorld War II
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BVietnam War
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CKorean War
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DWorld War I
Korean War
A hit with audiences and critics alike, the pioneering series <i>M*A*S*H</i> lasted for eleven seasons — eight years longer than the Korean War itself!
Question 5
What is the name of the brewery where Laverne and Shirley worked as bottle cappers?
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AShotz Brewery
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BSchnotz Brewery
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CSlotz Brewery
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DSchnitz Brewery
Shotz Brewery
<i>Laverne & Shirley</i> (1976-83), a spinoff off the smash hit <i>Happy Days</i>, may not have charmed the critics, but audiences were a different story entirely. Adoring viewers tuned in every week in droves to cheer on Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams), best pals, roommates and fellow bottle cappers in the fictitious Milwaukee brewery. By season two, the show was outperforming its parent series.
Question 6
Which U.S. college town was the setting for Mork & Mindy (1978-82)?
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AGainesville, Florida
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BAnn Arbor, Michigan
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CBoulder, Colorado
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DMissoula, Montana
Boulder, Colorado
Producer Garry Marshall wanted the show set in a college town and chose Boulder because a friend had a kid attending university there. While the series was shot primarily on a Hollywood sound stage, many exterior scenes were shot in and around Boulder, including the opening and closing credits and shots of Mindy's boarding house and her father's record store in the town's Pearl Street Mall.
Question 7
How many celebrity guest stars appeared on The Muppet Show (1976-81) during its 120-episode run?
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A100
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B120
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C80
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D60
120
Jim Henson's <i>The Muppet Show</i> had one ironclad rule: celebrities were only allowed to host once. So, in the 120 episodes during the show's initial six-year run, there were precisely 120 celebrity hosts. Since the stars only got the one shot each, they were permitted to request scenes with their favorite muppet. Miss Piggy was #1, followed closely by Animal at #2.
Question 8
Which of these was NOT a spinoff of All in the Family (1971-79)?
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AThe Jeffersons
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BSanford and Son
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CGloria
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DMaude
Sanford and Son
Although not an immediate hit, the taboo-breaking sitcom <i>All in the Family</i> hit its stride by season two and enjoyed a five-year reign as the top-rated TV series. The show spun off a total of five other sitcoms, including <i>Maude</i>, <i>Gloria</i>, and <i>The Jeffersons</i> — all of which were produced by the legendary Norman Lear and based on characters who'd appeared on <i>All in the Family</i>. Lear was also behind <i>Sanford and Son</i>, but that show was unrelated to <i>All in the Family</i>.
Question 9
Happy Days (1974-84) generated an unprecedented seven spin-off shows. Which of these was NOT one of them?
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ALaverne and Shirley
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BMork & Mindy
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CCharles in Charge
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DJoanie Loves Chachi
Charles in Charge
<i>Charles in Charge</i> (1984-90) (like <i>Joanie Loves Chachi</i>) was a Scott Baio vehicle, but it wasn't related to <i>Happy Days</i>. Believe (or remember) it or not, "Mork" actually made his TV debut on <i>Happy Days</i>. Williams, who was still comedy busking for donations in the street at the time, was a last-minute substitute to play the alien in the "My Favorite Orkan" episode. Although virtually unknown at the time, Williams won the producers over when he sat on his head after being asked to take a seat during the audition. Mork was such a hit with audiences that the network created his own spinoff show. Nanu Nanu!
Question 10
Which star of What's Happening (1976-79) legally changed their name to their character's name after the series ended?
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ADwayne
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BDee
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CRerun
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DRaj
Rerun
When actor Fred Berry showed up to audition for <i>What's Happening</i>, producers told him the role he was aiming for was written for a "skinny white kid" — to which Berry responded, "I am a skinny white guy" (he was neither). They liked him so much they rewrote the part for him.
Question 11
What could Mary "do with her smile" in the theme song of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-77)?
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A"light up the world"
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B"light up the sky"
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C"turn the world on"
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D"turn it upside down"
"turn the world on"
Composed by one-time Buddy Holly bandmate Sonny Curtis, "Love is All Around" played during the show's iconic opening title sequence — you know, the one that culminates with the actress tossing her cap into the air. According to the <i>New York Times</i>, it's not uncommon to see a visitor toss their hat in the air when walking along the Minneapolis mall where the sequence was filmed. The song has been covered by artists as varied as Joan Jett, Sammy Davis Jr. and Hüsker Dü.
Question 12
Who was the only one of Charlie's Angels to last the entire series?
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AFarrah Fawcett-Majors
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BJaclyn Smith
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CKate Jackson
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DCheryl Ladd
Jaclyn Smith
Jaclyn Smith may have lasted the longest, but there's no doubt that the show's true star was Farrah Fawcett-Majors — amazingly, the Angel who actually lasted the shortest. Farrah quit after a single season, resulting in a $7 million lawsuit and loss of other roles (including Goldie Hawn's character in <i>Foul Play</i>).
Question 13
One of the wisecracking regulars from the game show Hollywood Squares (1966-81) was "Charlie Weaver" (far left). The actor who portrayed him is part of which Hollywood dynasty?
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AArquette
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BCoppola
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CBarrymore
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DFonda
Arquette
Cliff Arquette (1905-74) was a comic, actor and night club pianist. Originally created for <i>The Jack Paar Show</i>, Arquette's rumpled, grandfatherly "Charley Weaver" character appeared many times during his career. On <i>Hollywood Squares</i>, his square (bottom left) was one of the most popular. Other than the host and announcer, Arquette appeared on more episodes than any other cast member — even the outrageous jokester in the center square, Paul Lynde.
Question 14
What is the name of Felix's estranged wife on The Odd Couple (1970-75)?
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ABlanche
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BMyrna
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CGloria
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DEdna
Gloria
"On November 13th, Felix Unger was asked to remove himself from his place of residence; that request came from his wife." These words, spoken during the opening credits of each episode of <i>The Odd Couple</i>, essentially summed up the entire premise of the show. Felix, the poster child of persnickety uptightness, has driven his wife Gloria up the wall and is forced to move in with his (slovenly) friend Oscar — who he proceeds to drive up the wall (hilariously) for the rest of the series.
Question 15
If you were born anytime before 1975, chances are good you remember Flo's catchphrase "Kiss my Grits" from the sitcom Alice (1976-85). How was the line originally written?
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AKiss my beans!
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BKiss my coleslaw!
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CKiss my honeydew!
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DKiss my catfish!
Kiss my honeydew!
If you look up "truck stop waitress" in the dictionary, you'll see a photo of Flo in all her gum-snapping, sass-talking, beehived glory. "Honeydew" may have sunk like a lead balloon — but "grits" absolutely killed. Actress Polly Holliday stole the show. . . every show. Apparently, lead actress Linda Lavin got so fed up with being upstaged (and out-awarded) that Holliday was eventually written off the show and into her own sitcom. Decades later, Holliday admitted that she hadn't uttered her trademark line since the day she left the series. "People ask me to say it, but the way I get out of it is by suggesting that they should say it too. They can probably say it pretty well themselves."
Question 16
Mission Impossible (1966-73) was first produced by which well-known Hollywood figure's production company?
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AGarry Marshall
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BDanny Thomas
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CBruce Paltrow
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DLucille Ball
Lucille Ball
The goofball comedienne may not be an obvious match for the cerebral espionage series. But Lucille Ball's Desilu Productions (initially run with husband Desi Arnaz) was actually behind a number of shows that were about as far from Ricky- and Lucy-ville as you can get, including <i>The Untouchables</i> (1959-63) and <i>Star Trek</i> (1966-69).
Question 17
How many seasons of The Brady Bunch were there?
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A10
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B5
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C7
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D6
5
Given the show's instant familiarity with virtually everyone in the western world, you might think the <i>The Brady Bunch</i> run was a lot longer than five seasons. In fact, it wasn't particularly popular during its original run; it never even broke into the top 30 primetime shows. The sitcom was never granted more than a 13-episode renewal in all of its years on the air. It wasn't until post-mortem syndication that the show really took off.
Question 18
Which artist inspired the distinctive paint job on the Partridge Family's iconic school bus?
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APicasso
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BMondrian
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CMichelangelo
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DMonet
Mondrian
In the hugely successful show's 1970 pilot episode, the musical family scores an old school bus (a' 57 Chevrolet 6800 Superior), whips up a geometric paint job worthy of <i>De Stijl</i>, and heads to Vegas for their very first live gig at Caesars Palace.
Question 19
Who was the only cast member on One Day at a Time (1975-84) to win an Emmy?
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AValerie Bertinelli
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BMackenzie Phillips
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CBonnie Franklin
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DPat Harrington, Jr.
Pat Harrington, Jr.
As the oddball superintendent Dwayne Schneider, who had a habit of popping in unannounced to offer unsolicited advice, Harrington provided a couple of minutes of scene-stealing comic relief in every episode of <i>One Day at a Time</i>. Although he was the only one to receive an Emmy, Bertinelli won two Golden Globes.
Question 20
Who is the only member of the Little House on the Prairie cast that received an Emmy nomination?
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AMelissa Gilbert (Laura)
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BMelissa Sue Anderson (Mary)
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CAlison Arngrim (Nellie)
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DMichael Landon (Pa)
Melissa Sue Anderson (Mary)
In its entire nine-year run from 1974-83, <i>Little House</i> only garnered a single Emmy nom — for Melissa Sue Anderson's portrayal of Mary's sudden, tragic blindness. Unfortunately, she lost (to <i>Family</i>'s Sada Thompson).
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