TV Time Machine - Back to the '60s Quiz

Answer: The Danny Thomas Show

Andy Taylor first came into our living rooms on the night of February 15, 1960, in an episode of "The Danny Thomas Show" entitled "Danny Meets Andy Griffith". In the episode, Danny is traveling through Mayberry and receives a ticket from Andy for running a stop sign, but since Danny believes he's innocent he refuses to pay the fine and ends up spending the night in jail. Of course by the end of the show everything is resolved, but this encounter marked the beginning of what would eventually become one of the best-loved shows in U.S. television history, "The Andy Griffith Show". Premiering on October 3, 1960 on CBS, "The Andy Griffith Show" ran for eight seasons, airing a total of 249 episodes.

It was also one of only a handful of shows to go out on top, finishing it final season as the top-rated show in the 1967-1968 Nielsen ratings.

Answer: Hazel

The single-panel comic strip "Hazel" was created by Ted Key in 1943. He submitted the idea to 'The Saturday Evening Post', where it was accepted and became a regular feature until 1969, when the magazine ceased publication. Booth was already an accomplished actress when she was cast in the title role of "Hazel", having won two Tony Awards and an Academy Award earlier in her career. Booth received three Emmy nominations for her role in "Hazel", winning twice.

Answer: The Donna Reed Show

"The Donna Reed Show" premiered in September of 1958 and ran until March of 1966, airing a total of 275 episodes. The show revolves around the lives of the Stone family, Dr. Alex Stone, his wife Donna, and their two children Mary and Jeff. Shelley Fabares, who portrayed Mary Stone in the show, first performed the song in the season four episode "Donna's Prima Donna", which aired in February of 1962. Paul Petersen, who played the role of Mary's younger brother Jeff, had some singing success of his own during his time on the series.

His recording of "My Dad", which he also performed on the show, reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962.

Answer: It Takes a Thief

Although Robert Wagner has appeared in more than 40 motion pictures in his career, he is probably best-known for his work in television. "It Takes a Thief" focuses on Alexander Mundy, a professional thief who is doing time at San Jobel prison, and is offered a get out of jail free card if he uses his particular set of skills to steal for the U.S. government.

It was the first of three TV series that featured Wagner in a starring role, the others being "Switch" (1975-78) and "Hart to Hart" (1979-84). Wagner continues to work today, more recently in the role of Anthony DiNozzo Sr. in the very popular CBS police procedural "NCIS".

Answer: The Courtship of Eddie's Father

"The Courtship of Eddie's Father" debuted on ABC in September of 1969, and ran until March of 1972. It stars Bill Bixby as Tom Corbett, who after the death of his wife, is now solely responsible for raising his young son Eddie (Brandon Cruz). The show, which was based on the 1963 film of the same name, focuses not only on the special relationship between a father and a son, but on Eddie's best attempts at helping his father find a new wife, while at the same time finding himself a new mother. "Best Friend" is actually a revamped version of a song Nilsson recorded in 1968 entitled "Girlfriend".

After tweaking the lyrics and changing the title, the song fit in perfectly with the theme of the show.

Answer: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." premiered in September of 1964 on NBC, airing 105 episodes during its four season run. The show, which was co-created by Sam Rolfe and Norman Felton, centers around secret agents Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum), and their battles against the evil THRUSH, an organization intent on taking over the world.

The series was a moderate hit, reaching the top twenty in the Nielsen rankings during its second season, but the show was unable to build on its early success and was cancelled in January of 1968.

Answer: 1928 Porter

"My Mother the Car" stars Jerry Van Dyke as David Crabtree and Ann Sothern as his deceased mother, who has re-entered his life in the form of a 1928 Porter. Long considered on of the worst shows in television history, TV Guide made it official in 2002, ranking it as the second worst of all time, trailing only "The Jerry Springer Show". Created by Allan Burns and Chris Hayward, Burns did manage to redeem himself.

After teaming up with producer James L. Brooks, he went on to co-create such hit shows as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "Rhoda" and "Lou Grant".

Answer: Daktari

"Daktari", which means doctor in Swahili, centers around veterinarian Dr. Marsh Tracy, who along with his daughter Paula and his staff, operates the fictional Wameru Study Center for Animal Behavior on a wildlife preserve in East Africa. Besides their work at the center, many of the episodes focus on the teams efforts to protect the animals from outside threats, such as poachers. "Daktari" premiered on CBS in 1966, airing a total of 89 episodes before its cancellation in 1969.

In the shows final season Erin Moran, best-known for playing Joanie Cunningham on the very popular sitcom "Happy Days", joined the cast as Jenny Jones, an orphan who became a part of the Tracy family.

Answer: Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco, California, on November 27, 1940. He was only an infant when he made his acting debut in the 1941 film "Golden Gate Girl". Lee had already appeared in over 20 films when he made his American television debut as the Green Hornet's sidekick, Kato.

Although the series only lasted one season, Bruce Lee went on to star in a number of successful martial arts films, and was instrumental in the genres popularity throughout the 1970s and beyond. Sadly, Lee didn't live long enough to experience all of his success, passing away in 1973 at the age of 32.

Answer: Room 222

"Room 222" aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974 for a total of 112 episodes. The show centers around the teachers and students of Walt Whitman High School, in particular Pete Dixon (Lloyd Hanes), who not only teaches American History, but also helps his students cope with the issues of the day, such as the Vietnam War and race relations. "Room 222" won three Emmy Awards in 1970, including one for Outstanding New Series, but after peaking at number 28 in the Nielsen ratings during its second season, the shows popularity began to wane and it was cancelled midway through the 1973-1974 season.