20 TV Shows That Are Still Popular

There are tons of TV shows out there to watch. Nothing beats the classic ones from the 1970s-1990s. They still hold up to this day. Thomas West, a writer for the MSN.com page YardBarker, has compiled a list of 20 TV shows that are still popular

Ironically, I actually watch quite a few of these shows. Such as The Golden Girls, I Love Lucy, The Carol Burnett Show, Scooby Doo, Where Are You?, Murder, She Wrote

1. The West Wing

-This political drama gives a good side to government. It shows that there are people who work in government offices who really do have the best interests of the people as their top consideration. This show is a great reminder of alternative options to handling situations

2. The Nanny

-It's a pretty hilarious sitcom. There was humor all around, from Fran Drescher's character to the kids, and there was romance between Fran Fine and her boss Mr. Sheffield. Then, of course, was the long running rivalry between C.C. and Niles. Overall, the show had a good heart as well

3. Maude

-Bea Arthur is mostly known for playing outspoken, sarcastic Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls. Prior to this, she starred on the 1970s television show Maude, as an outspoken feminist. She played a fiery feminist not afraid to speak her mind about the issues of the day, including abortion. And who doesn't love Bea Arthur?

4. All in the Family

-This 1970s-era television show dealt with all of the issues in the world at that time, such as gay rights, feminism, abortion, etc. There was an almost constant battle of the wits between Archie Bunker and his  daughter and son in law. The issues they debate about are still hot topics to this day and it makes the show feel relevant

5. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

-For many who grew up in the 1990s, Will Smith will always be The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. There is a strong sense of culture clash, as Will's character came from the working class area of Philadelphia and suddenly finds himself in the affluent area of Bel-Air, California. His humor is constantly present, making the show funny and also an overall good show to watch. It even spawned a new spin off called Bel-Air

6. Seinfeld

-There is not really much of a premise or plot to the show. It's a show about nothing. Somehow, it's found popularity with people. It's still popular thanks to streaming services. The characters still resonate with people, despite going off of the air nearly thirty years ago

7. Star Trek

-This is one of the most influential sci-fi shows around. It still holds up well to this day. The costumes and special effects seem incredibly outdated, especially in a world that now uses CGI and AI to do special effects. But, it's the outdated costumes and special effects that people love most. The show provided something that was joyful, exciting about the extents that it would go to regarding progressive points of view. It's from a time where things were far simpler. It's still popular to this day and finding new fans almost constantly

8. Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

-There have been few animated characters who have had a long, successful career. One of them is Scooby Doo. He is one of the most successful animated characters, inspiring spin off TV shows, television movies, such as Zombie Island, Alien Invaders, etc. Airing in the late 1960s, the show featured a cowardly Great Dane and five kids solving mysteries the old fashioned way, with clues and investigations. It's a reminder of the days when Saturday morning cartoons were a tradition with kids while others love the simply fun of an old fashioned mystery

9. Gunsmoke

-One of the many Western television programs on TV, they were quite popular in the 1950s. While many of the shows have been long since forgotten, Gunsmoke is not one of them. This show ran twenty seasons, from the 1950s to the 1970s. Today, it might seen as old fashioned, but it still holds up well. Many love the show for the great performances of James Arness, Milburn Stone and Amanda Blake

10. The Jeffersons

-This show was a revolution in TV. Staying on the air from 1975-1985, it showed an upwardly moving black couple and their family. It showed this family in a positive way in an era where black actors and actresses often got stuck in typecast roles. The show appealed to many because of the heartfelt and humorous relationship between Louise "Weezy" Jefferson and her husband George, played by Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley. To this day, this show is still popular and is also gaining new fans

11. The Carol Burnett Show

-This show is still popular thanks to streaming services. When it aired on TV, it was sure to be a night of laughs and music. The lady for whom the show is named, Carol Burnett, starred in sketches along with comedic actors Harvey Korman and Tim Conway. Many of the sketches are still remembered to this day, like the spoof of Gone with the Wind. In the case of the show, it was Went with the Wind. And there were so many guest stars, both actors, actresses and musicians, that everyone loved to see who was going to turn up in a sketch, from Julie Andrews to Jim Nabors to Maggie Smith to The Jackson 5 and more. Each episode of the show would end with the current guest star signing their autograph in a book for Carol. This show even inspired a spin off called Mama's Family, starring Vicki Lawrence as the titular Mama. Carol Burnett would appear from time to time playing Eunice

12. The Mary Tyler Moore Show

-Despite being something straight out of the 1970s, and a second wave of feminism following, the show is still popular. It was revolutionary at the time because it featured an unmarried, independent w

13. Designing Women

-Similar to The Golden Girls, this program, created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, focused on a group of four women who run a design firm in Atlanta, Georgia. This show dealt with touchy topics, such as HIV / AIDS. It was on TV during the 1980s and 1990s and is still a beloved TV show to this day

14. Cheers

-Everyone knows the iconic theme to this show centered around a Boston bar. This show was the very definition of workplace sitcom. It centered on Sam Malone, a bartender running a Boston bar and the various people who enter and leave the bar. Despite being on in the 1980s, it seems dated by today's standards. It's still popular for those looking for a good laugh. And some can even quote the show, like people quoting Norm by saying "It's a dog eat dog world and I'm wearing Milk Bone underwear"

15. M*A*S*H

-This TV show was based on a book of the same name. It told the story of a medical unit in Korea during the Korean War. It found the right balance between drama and comedy, creating tear-inducing laughing and heartbreaking grief. It's easy to see why this show still holds up today

16. Murder, She Wrote

-This show takes place in the Maine town of Cabot Cove. It centers on a murder mystery writer named Jessica Fletcher who always manages to find herself at the center of a juicy mystery. Angela Lansbury plays this role perfectly. There's just something about this show that people love. Whether it's the cozy, timeless feel of it or that it's good old fashioned detective work, this show never gets old

17. The Twilight Zone

-Rod Serling and his show The Twilight Zone, have remained one of the most thought-inducing programs out there. Each episode had a moral to learn. So it was as much educational as it was entertaining. Rod Serling had the ability to take anxieties people felt and turn them into stories that were terrifying to watch for the time. When you watch it, it takes you back to 1950s era America and the concerns plaguing the world at that time and their relation to current events

18. Kolchak: The Night Stalker

-This was a short lived television series. It had just 20 episodes. Despite its short run, it did make an impact on some people. It was said to have even inspired The X-Files. Darren McGavin played the title character and the stories were quite scary for the time period. While it doesn't rely on special effects, it relies on an eerie atmosphere, which is the reason it's still entertaining to watch

19. I Love Lucy

-Two of the most remembered episodes of this program were "Lucy Gets a Job" and Lucy Does a Commercial." There's no doubt Lucille Ball was the genius of comedy in the 1950s. She was thrown into superstardom with her program I Love Lucy. Despite airing in the 1950s, something about the show just makes it loveable. Her comedy style was hilarious, joyful and a refreshing change. Lucille Ball is a master of physical comedy as well as sarcastic remarks and facial expressions. It's no wonder the show is still highly popular, thanks to streaming services allowing people to re-discover this show and new fans to discover the show

20. The Golden Girls

-No one can deny the comedic genius of Bea Arthur (Dorothy), Estelle Getty (Sophia), Rue McClanahan (Blanche) and Betty White (Rose). Despite going on the air in 1992, the show was funny, heartfelt, with great actors and actresses, and politically relevant for the time period. They often discussed issues that were just as relevant then as they are now, from same-sex marriage to care and concerns for the elderly and the problems with aging. They tackle these issues with comedy, and cheesecake, of course

Ozzy Osbourne, "The Prince of Darkness", passes away at the age of 76

"The Prince of Darkness", a psychotic madman on stage, Ozzy Osbourne. Whatever you choose to call him, you knew him by name and by reputation. He was the iconic vocalist for legendary British metal band Black Sabbath, a successful solo artist and a loving family man. He passed away yesterday morning at the age of 76, just weeks after his, now literally, final show

His family issued a statement that reads "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time." In 2020, it was revealed that he was suffering from Parkinson's Disease after having a fall. He was almost always wearing all black or he was bare chested on stage. He was often the primary target of concerned parents groups for the imagery in his music and on stage. He was most famous for the incident where he bit the head off of a bat. Later on, he would reveal another side to him. A loving family man with a comical side

Black Sabbath's 1969 debut album has been credited, by some, as the Big Bang of heavy metal. This also led to the band's other nickname, The Godfathers of British Heavy Metal. It was made during the height of the Vietnam War and added a bit of doom to the hippie culture. The music was doom-laden, ominous and signaled a change in the music industry

June Birthdays

Since it's June, time to say Happy Birthday

Noriyuki "Pat" Morita

-Birth name: Noriyuki Morita

-DOB: 6/28/1932

-Where: Isleton, California

-DOD: 11/24/2005

-Where: Las Vegas, Nevada

-His first film appearance was the 1967 film Thoroughly Modern Millie

Nicholas Latifi

-Birth name: Nicholas Daniel Latifi

-DOB: 6/29/1995

-Where: Montreal, Canada

-His father is Michael Latifi, an Iranian-Canadian businessman

Ronnie Wood

-Birth name: Ronald David Wood

-DOB: 6/1/1947

-Where: Hillingdon, United Kingdom

-He suffered with addiction to drugs and alcohol before finally getting clean and sober at age 63 in 2010

Charlie Watts

-Birth name: Charles Robert Watts

-DOB: 6/2/1941

-Where: London, England

-DOD: 8/24/221

-Where: London, England

-Fellow Rolling Stones member Ronnie Wood describes Charlie as his Gemini twin

Nicko McBrain

-Birth name: Michael Henry McBrain

-DOB: 6/5/1952

-Where: London, England

-Nicko retired from the band Iron Maiden because he felt he could no longer give it his all in performing

Ian Paice

-Birth name: Ian Anderson Paice

-DOB: 6/29//1948

-Where: Nottingham, United Kingdom

-He is the sole member of Deep Purple who remained through all of the changes in lineup

Johnny Depp

-Birth name: John Christopher Depp II

-DOB: 6/9/1963

-Where: Owensboro, Kentucky

-He's known for the often oddball characters he plays in film

Noah Wyle

-Birth name: Noah Strausser Speer Wyle

-DOB: 6/4/1971

-Where: Los Angeles, California

-His mother was an orthopedic head nurse while his father was an entrepreneur and electrical engineer

Marilyn Monroe

-Birth name: Norma Jean Mortenson

-DOB: 6/1/1926

-Where: Los Angeles, California

-DOD: 8/4/1962

-Where: Los Angeles, California

-In real life, she fought with anxiety and low self-esteem

May Birthdays

Since it's May, time to say Happy Birthday

Blaze Bayley

-Birth name: Bayley Alexander Cooke

-DOB: 5/29/1963

-Where: Birmingham, England

-He has the birth and death dates of his wife Debbie Hartland tattooed on his arm

Yuki Tsunoda

-DOB: 5/11/2000

-Where: Sagimihara, Kanagawa, Japan

-He began competitive go kart racing at age 9

Tim McGraw

-Birth name: Samuel Timothy McGraw

-DOB: 5/1/1967

-Where: Delhi, Louisiana

-He once suffered from alcoholism

Zhou Guanyu

-DOB: 5/30/1999

-Where: Shanghai, China

-He is considered to be the only Chinese driver in Formula 1

Chow Yun-Fat

-DOB: 5/18/1955

-Where: Lamma Island, Hong Kong,China

-He attempted suicide when his relationship with TV star Idy Chan ended in 1983

Mike Myers

-Birth name: Michael John Myers

-DOB: 5/25/1963

-Where: Scarborough, Ontario, Canada

-His Saturday Night Live skit, Coffee Talk with Linda Richman, he based that character on his ex-mother in law Linda Richman

Cher

-DOB: 5/20/1946

-Where: El Centro, California

-She wanted to play the role of Morticia Addams in the 1991 film The Addams Family. But the role went to Anjelica Huston instead

Pierce Brosnan

-Birth name: Pierce Brendan Brosnan

-DOB: 5/16/1953

-Where: Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland

-He was the target of bullies when he was 11 because at that age, he was already 6' tall

Sonny Boy by Al Pacino

This book is written by himself. It's an autobiography about Al Pacino. I thought it was a very good book. He's always been one of my favorite actors. Because he can be funny one moment, intense the next

-Born Alfredo James Pacino on 4/25/1940, he was raised in the South Bronx by his mother Rose and father Sal. His father worked as a military police officer, but disappeared when Al was two, leaving his mother and her relatives and his father's relatives to raise him. He was given his Sicilian grandfather's first name. His mother would often take him to see plays and even films in the theatres, and this would interest the boy. As he got older, he found his mother started suffering from mental health issues and one day, one of his relatives told him to come to her apartment.  There, he found his mother deceased. She had ingested a large amount of pills and choked on her own vomit. He found school to be boring, so he left at 16 and found a calling in the theatre. As time went on, he got better and better at acting. Of course, having no job meant no money. He worked a series of odd jobs to keep the money coming in while he went to auditions

-Some of his earliest films would today be considered independent films or "indie" films. Such as The Panic in Needle Park, where he plays a drug addict looking for a fix. The film that really put his name on the map was the 1972 film The Godfather, where he played the youngest Corleone son Michael. Of course, Francis Ford Coppola, the director, wanted Pacino over the other actors auditioning for the role, which included Robert Redford, Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty and Ryan O'Neal. Despite his success, Al was constantly worrying about being fired

The Panic in Needle Park

The Godfather

-When he was not filming, he suffered with a bout of alcoholism, and would occasionally pop Valium pills to try and calm himself, since he made a habit of showing explosive bouts of energy. When it came time to film The Godfather Pt. II, he surprised Francis Ford Coppola by showing that he didn't know how to drive (because he grew up in New York, where you could hop in a cab or on a bus), didn't know how to dance the waltz and couldn't speak Italian (despite being of both Sicilian and Italian descent), three things required for the Italian wedding scene where he marries the woman Appollonia during Michael's exile to Sicily. During filming, he became good friends with Diane Keaton, who played Kay

The Godfather Pt. II

Italian wedding scene from The Godfather Pt. II

Al Pacino as Michael Corleone and Diane Keaton as Kay Adams

-After the filming of The Godfather films, he wanted to try something different. The "something different" became the film Serpico, a film based on the true story of an NYPD officer named Frank Serpico, who investigated and even tried to stop corruption in the NYPD. After that, he did more movies, such as Dog Day Afternoon, where he plays a bank robber looking to get money for his partner's gender reassignment surgery. He decided to do the play Richard III in the theaters, and it was around that time he had the realization that he needed help for his alcoholism. He asked for help and it was around the time he filmed the movie Bobby Deerfield that he started going to AA meetings and undergoing therapy to wean himself off of the alcohol, thus getting himself clean and sober

Serpico

Dog Day Afternoon

Bobby Deerfield

-In the early 1980s, came the film that would immediately connect his name to the film world: Scarface. The violent, 1983 film depicting a Cuban refugee turned drug lord directed by Brian DePalma and produced by Oliver Stone. He had to learn how to talk with a proper Cuban accent from both a dialect coach and his co-star, Cuban-born actor Steven Bauer. As a side note, people thought for the longest time that Al was a cocaine addict, because of his manic bouts of energy. He firmly states he has never touched that narcotic. He's never done drugs. He's just always had those manic fits of energy. Unfortunately, after Scarface, he decided to quit acting. He took some time off to simply relax from the stress of filming. Instead, he took to the theater, doing plays because that was what he started out doing and it was something he loved

Scarface

-It was not until he came out of his self-imposed break from acting that he starred in 1989's Sea of Love, where he played a police officer with a hard drinking habit investigating a series of murders. And the woman he's falling for might just be the prime suspect. It was here that he started developing the slightly gravelly voice he now has. This film has a long, drawn out lovemaking scene where Ellen Barkin's character initially gives Al Pacino's character a pat down, and then the two go straight into making love. He said he's normally not one to do love scenes, because he is uncomfortable doing them, especially if he is required to show certain parts of his body. After Sea of Love, he went into making The Godfather Pt. III, which is certainly not as popular with people as the first two installments. He firmly stated the only reason he did the third installment of the film was because he was in financial dire straits. He maintained his friendship with Diane Keaton, and it was actually her that helped him get a good agent to help him get back into good financial standing

Sea of Love

The Godfather Pt. III

-One of the movies he did that he enjoyed was the comic book-turned-movie for Dick Tracy. In the film, he played Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice. His character got the name "Big Boy" from the fact that he had elephantiasis in random parts of his body. He jokingly said he got to feel up Madonna in the film, but he said it was just "love taps" and nothing more. In October 1989, he became a first time father, to a daughter he named Julie Marie Pacino, with an acting teacher named Jan Tarrant that he was seeing. The 1990s proved to be a successful time for him. He starred in movies that proved to be successful, such as Scent of a Woman, Carlito's Way, Heat, The Devil's Advocate, Donnie Brasco, The Insider and Any Given Sunday.

Al Pacino and Jan Tarrant

"Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy

Scent of a Woman

Carlito's Way

Heat

The Devil's Advocate

The Insider

Any Given Sunday

-As the 1990s gave birth to the 2000s, the new decade would bring Al three new kids, two with wife Beverly D'Angelo, an actress. With her he had two children, a son he named Anton and a daughter they both named Olivia. They divorced in 2001. They simply couldn't make their marriage work only because they were both actors and based on opposite coasts. She was mostly based in Los Angeles, where she lived. And he was from New York, which he considered home. They still remain on good terms and remain good friends. Later on in life, he would have another child, a son he named Roman, with an actress from Argentina he was seeing named Lucila Sola.

Al Pacino and Beverly D'Angelo

Al Pacino and Lucila Sola

-He mentioned that he had strong financial troubles and was suffering from them, trying to get a good agent to help him out. As for films, he would continue to make films in the new decade. They would include 2002's Insomnia, 2003's The Recruit, 2005's Two for the Money, 2007's 88 Minutes, 2007's Ocean's Thirteen, 2008's Righteous Kill and more. As a side note, he still, to this day, maintains a good friendship with former The Godfather actress Diane Keaton. As time went on, he mentioned that he had started noticing his vision was not quite what it once was. He stated this issue started happening when he was 19 and it seemed to happen off and on over the years. He would wake up and his vision would be blurry, but would clear eventually. He said he was diagnosed with Fuch's dystrophy, which gets progressively worse as you age. When the COVID-19 crisis effectively shut down the world down for a time, he ended up getting stricken with the condition. Luckily, he was able to get through it

His family. Son Anton, daughters Olivia and Julie

Insomnia

The Recruit

Two for the Money

88 Minutes

Ocean's Thirteen

Righteous Kill

Filmography