The Brady Bunch premiered in 1969—with a wedding
The Honeymoon introduced Mike, Carol and their six children on September 26, 1969. Revisit the beginning behind an enduring rerun memory.
A familiar thread
Classic television
The opening routines, Saturday cartoons and living-room rituals that made television part of the day.
Start with a familiar detail: a sweater, a theme tune, a tray pulled up beside the sofa. These stories revisit the habits around watching television as well as the shows themselves.
8 stories to explore · Start anywhere
Was Mary Richards’s television station WJM real?
WJM was fictional, but its office exterior belonged to a real Minneapolis building. Here is how the station, the city and Mary’s job fit together.
Who whistled The Andy Griffith Show theme? Earle Hagen’s role
Composer Earle Hagen performed the opening whistle. Learn who supplied the finger snaps, how the music shaped the fishing scene, and where to hear his account.
I Dream of Jeannie: the blink that turned Tony Nelson’s day upside down
Barbara Eden’s enthusiastic genie and Larry Hagman’s anxious astronaut made a comic partnership: a blink could grant a wish, then leave Tony explaining the result.
The ordinary suburban world that made Bewitched funny
Samantha could change a room with a nose twitch. Bewitched made that power funny by giving her familiar problems: a husband, visiting relatives, neighbors and work.
Why did Mister Rogers change his sweater and shoes?
The change of clothes gave children time to settle into the visit. Quiet sneakers and hand-knitted sweaters each had a different story behind them.
Was The Flintstones Originally a Saturday-Morning Cartoon?
Its 1960 premiere was in the evening. A childhood viewing time and a show’s original time slot can tell different stories.
Did Swanson Invent the TV Dinner? The Earlier Meals Matter
Frozen meals existed before the famous name. The divided tray also solved a practical problem.