Find Out What TV Show Was Popular the Year You Were Born
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When it comes to television, you never know which series will come out on top. It's already hard enough to decide between the best 2018 shows . (Seriously, how can you choose between Riverdale and 13 Reasons Why ?) And the next year, season two could end up being a complete flop! And just to show you, we've gathered the most watched series each year. Get ready for some throwbacks, some classics, and even a couple surprises!
1970
The Brady Bunch
The perfect family we all love to love (or love to hate) debuted this year, leading to a sensational amount of spin-off series and films.
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1971
All in the Family
Yet another family sitcom that follows the story of the Bunkers, an unrefined, middle-class family (though critics felt All in the Family was too crude and highly problematic).
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1972
M*A*S*H
A show about doctors saving South Korean War soldiers. *Ahem* It's also no coincidence that the show was filmed during the Vietnam War.
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1973
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Single, ex-engaged, and ready to mingle , the show follows Mary Richards in her adventures at her new television station job.
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1974
Happy Days
A loveable family set in 1950s Milwaukee, you can expect Grease -like leather jackets and bad boy motorcyclists.
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1975
Saturday Night Live
43 seasons in, and still going strong. Did you even know SNL was this old??
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1976
Charlie's Angels
No one could resist Farrah Fawcett's gorgeous blond locks or the angels' badass "take no prisoners" attitude.
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1977
Roots
Roots dealt with African American slavery pre- and post-Civil War. BBC called it the most important show to appear on television—and since the last episode was watched by 100 million viewers, we'd have to agree.
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1978
Laverne & Shirley
If these two aren't #bestiegoals then I don't know what is.
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1979
Mork & Mindy
Mork & Mindy was actually a spin-off of Happy Days . And yes, Robin Williams does play an alien named Mork.
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1980
Dallas
The Texas-based soap opera really caught everyone's attention during its third season cliffhanger when JR Ewing was shot twice by an unknown suspect. It gained momentum for the next five years. America was HOOKED, y'all.
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1981
The Dukes of Hazzard
Oh, this is where the term "daisy dukes" shorts came from!
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1982
60 Minutes
In 1982, 60 Minutes became the most watched series in America. In its fiftieth season now, it also holds the record for longest running primetime show. And as of June 2017, the show has also won 138 Emmy awards. Like, what?!
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1983
The A-Team
A group of U.S. military soldiers escape prison after being unjustly tried. Guns, muscles, war. Stakes are high, and so were the viewers during the 1983 premiere.
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1984
Murder, She Wrote
Over a ten-year run, Murder, She Wrote caught the most attention from its pilot in 1984.
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1985
Family Ties
In the Keaton family, son Steven is fiercely Republican while daughter Elyse is wildly liberal. It's like a modern day America!
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1986
Cheers
With its critically acclaimed first season and numerous spin-offs and cultural references thereafter, this sitcom really can't be beat.
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1987
The Golden Girls
Though it debuted in 1985, Golden Girls really made its mark when it won best comedy at the Emmys in 1987.
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1988
Full House
"How rude!"
- Stephanie Tanner
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1989
Married With Children
Suburbia. A flamboyant housewife, rebellious teens, and a dad who just can't . It's already hilarious.
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1990
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince premiered this year and we all couldn't stop watching. I mean, once you hear that theme song there's really no going back.
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1991
Home Improvement
This top-rated television program totally killed it for its play on reality television, and because Tim Allen is awesome.
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1992
Roseanne
Roseanne hit its highest ratings in its fourth season, topping the chart at #2 television program. It was so popular back in the day that a revival season is set to be one of 2018's television premieres .
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1993
Beverly Hills, 90210
Just your typical, rich L.A. kids drama. Not saying we wouldn't watch it... especially since the show hit highest ratings and most viewers in its fourth season. And it also had a CW remake in 2008—which, we definitely did watch.
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1994
Seinfeld
Comedy, dating, and NYC. It doesn't get much better. Not to mention Seinfeld ranked in the top two most watched shows from 1994 to 1998.
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1995
ER
Before Scrubs , there was ER . After its first season from 1994-1995, ER stayed in the top five most watched series for the next... wait for it... seven years!
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1996
Suddenly Susan
When ex-fiancé-Susan finds herself incredibly single , she has to learn how to be herself again. The first season skyrocketed the show to the top in 1996. But the hype was short-lived, as it dropped to #65 and below for the next three seasons.
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1997
The X-Files
X-Files , a now 11-season science fiction series that dives into extraterrestrial murders, hit an average viewership of 19.8 million in 1997.
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1998
Charmed
The beginning of the supernatural hype! Charmed , the popular series that made you hope you have a secret witch past too, took the world by storm after its first season debuted in October 1998.
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1999
The Sopranos
When The Sopranos hit HBO in 1999, there was really nothing like it. The drama about a modern day mob boss and the illicit ins and outs of the mafia was just too juicy.
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2000
Gilmore Girls
Ah, the best. The OG mom/daughter drama.
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2001
Will & Grace
A tough interior designer and her best friend, a gay lawyer, live in NYC together. With a set up like that, how can there not be adventures? The groundbreaking show was at its height in 2001, and ended up winning 16 Emmys over its eight-season run.
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2002
Friends
Though the series originally debuted in 1994, Friends hit top charts as the most watched television program in 2002.
Sidenote: aren't Rachel and Ross totally #relationshipgoals ??
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2003
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
This proved to be a great year for CSI , ranking as the top show, right above American Idol.
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2004
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives hit an all-time record during its 2004 pilot, with 21.3 million viewers. Oh yeah, it also made best new drama for the year and highest rated show of the week. Safe to say it was by far ABC's most popular debut.
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2005
Grey's Anatomy
Another ABC show, Grey's Anatomy 's premiere hit top charts immediately. With Desperate Housewives , Grey's Anatomy , and Lost , ABC was killing the game by 2005.
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