Classic TV 2019: The Year in Review

This is the time when networks and newspapers look back on the year that’s ended to highlight its most newsworthy moments.

You wouldn’t think that concept would work for this blog, but there were a few notable classic TV-themed stories and events in 2019. Some of them were delightful. Others? Well, as one show reminds us, you take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have…the year in Comfort TV.

Best Classic TV Moment: A Very Brady Renovation

It was a completely ridiculous idea – that inspired the best new show I watched in 2019. HGTV purchased the home used for the exterior establishing shots on The Brady Bunch, with plans to convert that property into the actual Brady residence as seen on the series. You didn’t need to be an architect like Mike Brady to realize how impractical that would be – the home they bought did not even have a second story.

Each episode was a sugar rush of the sweetest kind of nostalgia. It also exemplified everything this blog has been about since its inception: celebrating that pull we feel from the shows we loved growing up, and how familiar they have become, right down to their smallest details. It acknowledged, even if it doesn’t fully understand why, that this 50 year-old series has become both significant and beloved, beyond any expectations anyone involved with its creation could have dreamed.

Now that the Brady residence exists in the real world, what are the odds it becomes accessible to fans via Airbnb? I’m ready to book my reservation.

Worst Classic TV Moment: Aunt Becky’s Perp Walk

While it inspired countless punch lines (“From Full House to the big house!”), it never feels great when a beloved classic TV star gets into serious legal trouble. 

Though if we’re being honest, all Lori Loughlin did was what wealthy people have always done – purchased a path for her kids into the college of their choice. Do you really think grades got Chris Cuomo into Yale? Still, fraud is fraud, and there should be consequences.  I can’t say I was ever a big Full House fan, but I hope Loughlin won’t regret her decision to fight the charges, rather than serve a few weeks in the slammer. 

Revivals

Following the debut of a new One Day At a Time series on Netflix, the Norman Lear renaissance continued with new live performances of episodes from All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Good Times. They were not my cup of Earl Grey, but if they inspired a few millennials to check out the original shows that’s something positive accomplished. 

Classic TV Character Sightings

While it was barely a cameo, it was still fun to see Burt Ward back as Dick Grayson in the CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. He only had one line, but it started with “Holy…!” and that was good enough for me. 

Keep an eye out also for Lynda Carter playing Wonder Woman when the story continues later this month. And if you were one of the eight or nine people who saw the new Charlie’s Angels movie, you were treated to the brief return of Jaclyn Smith as Kelly Garrett.

New on DVD and Blu-Ray

The home video market has been in steady decline for nearly a decade, but there were still a few notable 2019 releases to celebrate, including the long-awaited DVD debuts of Ben Casey and Our Miss Brooks. I’ll write more about both of them after I’ve had a chance to check them out. 

This past year also allowed fans of Perfect Strangers and Alice to complete their DVD collections, with the release of the final seasons of those shows. And western fans were glad to have more seasons of Bonanza, Gunsmoke and The High Chaparral.

A new 50^th anniversary Brady Bunch collection includes the DVD debuts of The Brady Brides and The Bradys. All that’s missing now for completists is the infamous variety show, which may never be released because of music rights. Thankfully, Fake Jan’s rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song” is as close as YouTube.

There were some rarities released as well, including Lucile’s Ball’s final sitcom, Life With Lucy, and the short-lived ‘70s adventure series Spencer’s Pilots.

New on Blu-Ray: Complete series sets for Charlie’s Angels, Space:1999, The Jetsons, Jonny Quest, The New Scooby-Doo Movies and Shazam, as well as the pilot movie for The Man From Atlantis. 

In Memoriam

This is always the tough part of any year in review piece. The list of classic TV stars lost in 2019 includes such pioneers as Diahann Carroll, icons Doris Day, Valerie Harper and Tim Conway, sitcom favorites Georgia Engel, Katherine Helmond and Bill Macy, and a man who was part of all of our childhoods, Sesame Street’s Caroll Spinney.

We also said goodbye to Peggy Lipton, Ken Kercheval, Rip Taylor, Luke Perry, Sid  Haig, Bob Einstein (aka Super Dave Osborne), Gene Okerlund, Denise Nickerson, Carol Lynley, Philip McKeon, Jan-Michael Vincent and Jack Sheldon.

Most Popular Comfort TV Post of 2019

Near the beginning of last year, the Classic TV Blog Association polled its members and came up with a list of the 25 Best Classic TV Shows of All Time. Apparently a lot of you were interested in the results, and I’m sure most of you had opposing views – but that’s what makes those lists fun.

Least Popular Comfort TV Post of 2019

I guess Greta Thunberg isn’t a Comfort TV fan, as my post about how TV contributed to the ecology movement did not attract that much attention. See? Now you’ve made that Indian cry all over again. 

What’s Ahead in 2020

As always there are rumors of various classic TV reboots and revivals, most of which will likely be disappointing. One that may buck that trend is Picard, featuring Patrick Stewart and several Star Trek: Next Generation cast members as well as Voyager’s Jeri Ryan, back as Seven of Nine. 

And as this blog enters its eighth (!) year, I want to thank all of you who stop by regularly or once in a while, and who take the time to comment on my ramblings. There is a possibility that 2020 will see a long hoped-for (by me at least) announcement of a book based on this blog. As they used to say on the networks, stay tuned.

And Happy New Year!