The 20 Most Popular TV Shows From the 1960s

During the 1960s, television in America saw a significant shift. By the year 1960, almost 90% of households had a television, which marked the beginning of the end of the Golden Age of Radio. From then on, the focus of entertainment shifted to evening TV programming, which became the primary source of amusement for families. As the years progressed, color broadcasts became increasingly popular, and by 1966, it had become the new standard. The three major networks, namely NBC, CBS, and ABC, expanded their lineups to include numerous genres such as comedy, sci-fi, adventure, drama, and a remarkable 18 variety shows throughout the decade. 

CEOWORLD magazine compiled a list of the top television shows from the 1960s after analyzing data from the internet movie database. The rankings were based on average user ratings from IMDb and included only shows that aired between 1960 and 1967 for at least two seasons. Any shows with less than 1,000 audience votes were not considered.

1. The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978)
   Starring: Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, The Ernie Flatt Dancers, Harvey Korman

2. The Bugs Bunny Show (1960-1975)
   Starring: Mel Blanc, Pinto Colvig, Joe Bronx, June Foray

3. Match of the Day (1964-1964)
   Starring: John Motson, Gary Lineker, Barry Davies, Guy Mowbray

4. The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962-1965)
   Starring: Alfred Hitchcock, Hinton Pope, Jimmy Joyce, Lew Brown

5. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1992)
   Starring: Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon, Doc Severinsen, Skitch Henderson

6. The Three Stooges Show (1960-1972)
   Starring: Hal Fryar, Curley Myers, Larry Vincent

7. Star Trek (1966-1969)
   Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols

8. Doctor Who (1963-1989)
   Starring: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker

9. The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968)
   Starring: Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, Don Knotts, Frances Bavier

10. Combat! (1962-1967)
    Starring: Vic Morrow, Rick Jason, Pierre Jalbert, Jack Hogan

11. The Avengers (1961-1969)
    Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Honor Blackman, Linda Thorson

12. Get Smart (1965-1970)
    Starring: Don Adams, Barbara Feldon, Edward Platt, Robert Karvelas

13. Thriller (1960-1962)
    Starring: Boris Karloff, Richard Peel, Henry Daniell, Lillian O’Malley

14. Secret Agent (1964-1967)
    Starring: Patrick McGoohan, Peter Madden, Peter Brayham, Earl Cameron

15. The Outer Limits (1963-1965)
    Starring: Bob Johnson, Ben Wright, William Douglas, Robert Culp

16. The Wild Wild West (1965-1969)
    Starring: Robert Conrad, Ross Martin, Whitey Hughes

17. Dark Shadows (1966-1971)
    Starring: Jonathan Frid, Grayson Hall, Alexandra Isles, Nancy Barrett

18. The Fugitive (1963-1967)
    Starring: David Janssen, William Conrad, Barry Morse, Paul Birch

19. The Dean Martin Show (1965-1974)
    Starring: Dean Martin, The Dingaling Sisters, Ken Lane, Lou Jacobi

20. The Addams Family (1964-1966)
    Starring: John Astin, Carolyn Jones, Jackie Coogan, Ted Cassidy

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