Classic TV Series to check out
by loopylupi | created - 12 Dec 2019 | updated - 23 Oct 2021 | PublicOld Television Shows that I want to watch; I was either too young, (or even born!). Some even weren't shown in England.
Added shows that either passed me by or of which only a few episodes were seen. Ongoing.
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1. Honey West (1965–1966)
Not Rated | 30 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After her father's death, Honey West takes over his high-tech private-detective firm, assisted by rugged Sam Bolt--and her pet ocelot Bruce.
Stars: Anne Francis, John Ericson, Bruce, Irene Hervey
Votes: 796
#completed#
2. Burke's Law (1963–1966)
50 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
The millionaire captain of the LAPD homicide division is driven to the crime scenes in his 1962 Rolls-Royce by his loyal chauffeur.
Stars: Gene Barry, Gary Conway, Regis Toomey, Leon Lontoc
Votes: 986
#completed# season's 1 & 2. season 3 not yet released as of 20/05/2020
3. Danger Man (1960–1961)
TV-PG | 24 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
John Drake is a special operative for NATO, specializing in security assignments against any subversive element which threatened world peace.
Stars: Patrick McGoohan, Richard Wattis, Lionel Murton, Michael Ripper
Votes: 1,379
#completed#
4. Secret Agent (1964–1967)
TV-PG | 49 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
John Drake is a special operative for M9, specializing in security assignments against any subversive element that threatens world peace.
Stars: Patrick McGoohan, Peter Madden, Peter Brayham, Earl Cameron
Votes: 1,532
#completed#
5. The Saint (1962–1969)
TV-PG | 50 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Simon "The Saint" Templar, a wealthy adventurer and 20th-century Robin Hood, travels the world in his white Volvo P1800S, solving unsolvable problems and righting wrongs.
Stars: Roger Moore, Ivor Dean, Leslie Crawford, Justine Lord
Votes: 6,181
6. Department S (1969–1970)
60 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
An elite department within Interpol, Department S inherits those cases which the other member groups have failed to solve.
Stars: Peter Wyngarde, Joel Fabiani, Rosemary Nicols, Dennis Alaba Peters
Votes: 580
#completed#
7. Jason King (1971–1972)
60 min | Action, Adventure
A playboy novelist, who has had a spell of work with an intelligence agency as a sideline, leaves, but finds himself performing new missions around the world.
Stars: Peter Wyngarde, Anne Sharp, Ronald Lacey, Dennis Price
Votes: 331
8. Supercar (1961–1962)
30 min | Family, Sci-Fi
The adventures of the crew of Supercar, an amazing land, sea, and air vehicle, based at a secret laboratory in the Nevada Desert in 1961.
Stars: David Graham, Graydon Gould, Sylvia Anderson, George Murcell
Votes: 391
#completed# Quirky would be the best way to describe this i reckon. I'm an animal lover but i could quite easily 'exterminate' that annoying pet-monkey Mitch (ha). Interesting to see the origins of 'Supermarionation' and from where Gerry Anderson would take it.
9. Colditz (1972–1974)
50 min | Drama, History, War
The series deals with Allied prisoners of war imprisoned at Colditz Castle and their many attempts to escape captivity, as well as the relationships formed between the various nationalities and their German captors.
Stars: David McCallum, Richard Heffer, Paul Chapman, Jack Hedley
Votes: 1,020
10. The Invaders (1967–1968)
TV-PG | 51 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
The Aliens are here, posing as human, and not friendly. David Vincent has seen them land and now must evade them and convince others of their presence while not being put in the booby hatch.
Stars: Roy Thinnes, Kent Smith, Max Kleven, William Windom
Votes: 3,412
#completed#
11. The Adventures of Champion (1955–1956)
30 min | Western
The exploits of Champion, a wild stallion who befriends twelve year-old Ricky North in the American Southwest in the 1880's. Although Ricky, who lived on his Uncle Sandy's ranch, had a ... See full summary »
Stars: Champion, Barry Curtis, Jim Bannon, Blaze
Votes: 177
#completed#
12. The Fugitive (1963–1967)
TV-PG | 51 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama
A doctor, wrongly convicted for a murder he didn't commit, escapes custody and must stay ahead of the police to find the real killer.
Stars: David Janssen, William Conrad, Barry Morse, Paul Birch
Votes: 4,661
13. The Protectors (1972–1974)
TV-14 | 30 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
Challenges abound for worldwide crime-fighting team The Protectors. Organised into a global secret society, their mission is to protect the innocent and apprehend the guilty. Starring Emmy winner Robert Vaughn "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.".
Stars: Robert Vaughn, Nyree Dawn Porter, Tony Anholt, Yasuko Nagazumi
Votes: 571
14. Man in a Suitcase (1967–1968)
60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
McGill (known as "Mac") is a former U.S. intelligence agent based in London. After being thrown out of the agency for something he did not do, he finds his infamous reputation has preceded ... See full summary »
Stars: Richard Bradford, Ricardo Montez, Warren Stanhope, Frank Forsyth
Votes: 457
15. Rocky Jones, Space Ranger (1954)
26 min | Family, Sci-Fi
Cruising the galaxy in his space ship "The Orbit Jet" Space Ranger, Rocky Jones, Vena Ray, and 10 year-old Bobby defend the Earth and themselves against space-bound evil doers.
Stars: Richard Crane, Sally Mansfield, Scotty Beckett, Robert Lyden
Votes: 235
16. Dragnet 1967 (1967–1970)
TV-14 | 30 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Police Detective Sgt. Joe Friday and his partners investigate crimes in Los Angeles.
Stars: Jack Webb, Harry Morgan, Don Ross, Marco Lopez
Votes: 3,395
17. Dragnet (1951–1959)
TV-14 | 30 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Sgt. Joe Friday and his partners methodically investigate crimes in Los Angeles.
Stars: Jack Webb, Ben Alexander, Olan Soule, Vic Perrin
Votes: 2,353
18. I Spy (1965–1968)
51 min | Action, Adventure
A pair of intelligence agents posing as a tennis pro and his coach go on secret missions around the world.
Stars: Robert Culp, Bill Cosby, Kenneth Tobey, Arthur Batanides
Votes: 2,470
19. My Favorite Martian (1963–1966)
TV-Y7 | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi
An exoanthropologist from the planet Mars, stranded on Earth, is rescued by Tim O'Hara, a newspaper reporter who introduces the Martian to his friends and the authorities as his uncle Martin.
Stars: Ray Walston, Bill Bixby, Pamela Britton, Alan Hewitt
Votes: 2,982
20. The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (1959–1965)
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Mystery crime stories with sometimes different cops and many now-famous faces.
Stars: John Wilder, George Hilsdon, Bernard Lee, Stanley Morgan
Votes: 197
21. The Untouchables (1959–1963)
50 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Special Agent Eliot Ness and his elite team of incorruptable agents battle organized crime in 1930s Chicago.
Stars: Robert Stack, Walter Winchell, Nicholas Georgiade, Paul Picerni
Votes: 3,062
22. Get Smart (1965–1970)
TV-G | 25 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Maxwell Smart, a highly intellectual but bumbling spy working for the CONTROL agency, battles the evil forces of rival spy agency KAOS with the help of his competent partner Agent 99.
Stars: Don Adams, Barbara Feldon, Edward Platt, Robert Karvelas
Votes: 13,729
23. The Magician (1973–1974)
60 min | Adventure, Crime, Mystery
The cases of a stage magician/escape artist who moonlights as an amateur crimefighter.
Stars: Bill Bixby, Julian Christopher, Keene Curtis, Joseph Sirola
Votes: 615
24. Banacek (1972–1974)
TV-PG | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The adventures of proud Polish-American freelance insurance investigator Thomas Banacek.
Stars: George Peppard, Ralph Manza, Murray Matheson, Christine Belford
Votes: 2,215
25. The Wild Wild West (1965–1969)
TV-PG | 50 min | Action, Adventure, Western
Two Secret Service agents, equipped with a wide array of gizmos, work for the government in the Old West.
Stars: Robert Conrad, Ross Martin, Dick Cangey, Whitey Hughes
Votes: 6,431
26. Night Visions (2001–2002)
TV-14 | 43 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Night Visions is an anthology series similar to The Twilight Zone - some tales are supernatural, others are just commentaries on twisted human nature. Each hour episode is made up of two half-hour episodes aired back-to-back.
Stars: Henry Rollins, Emily Holmes, Dion Luther, Ty Olsson
Votes: 1,044
#completed#
27. Ghost Stories (I) (1997–1998)
30 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A supernatural anthology series, hosted by Rip Torn, with each episode featuring a different chilling tale.
Stars: Rip Torn, Emilie Jo Tisdale, M.J. Karmi, Megan Gallacher
Votes: 275
28. Twisted Tales (2005– )
30 min | Comedy, Drama, Horror
Darkly comic stories with a mysterious twist, the tales set out to spook the brain and tickle the funny bone. A follow-up to the earlier Spine Chillers series.
Stars: Yoel Goldenberg, Margaret Henshaw, Marc Warren, Simon Woods
Votes: 72
29. Twisted Tales (1996–1998)
Comedy, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Bryan Brown introduces stories of the bizarre and the supernatural. Sometimes serious, often comical, but always with a twist at the end of the story.
Stars: Rachel Ward, Geoffrey Rush, Kimberley Davies, Brittany Byrnes
Votes: 95
30. The Evil Touch (1973–1974)
30 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
"The Evil Touch" was an anthology horror, science fiction and mystery series hosted by Anthony Quayle between 1973-74..
Stars: Anthony Quayle, Darren McGavin, Jack Thompson, Leslie Nielsen
Votes: 120
31. I, Claudius (1976)
Not Rated | 669 min | Biography, Drama, History
The personal and governmental affairs of the Julio-Claudian dynasty at the beginning of the Roman Empire, as recalled by one of its rulers.
Stars: Derek Jacobi, John Hurt, Siân Phillips, Brian Blessed
Votes: 19,284
32. Roots (1977)
TV-14 | 588 min | Biography, Drama, History
A dramatization of author Alex Haley's family line from ancestor Kunta Kinte's enslavement to his descendants' liberation.
Stars: LeVar Burton, Robert Reed, John Amos, Louis Gossett Jr.
Votes: 18,755
33. Death Valley Days (1952–1970)
TV-PG | 25 min | Western
Western stories and legends based, and filmed, in and around Death Valley, California. One of the longest-running Western series, originating on radio in the 1930s. The continuing sponsor was "20 Mule Team" Borax, a product formerly mined in Death Valley.
Stars: Stanley Andrews, Robert Taylor, Ronald Reagan, Dale Robertson
Votes: 1,025
34. The Rifleman (1958–1963)
TV-PG | 30 min | Family, Western
The adventures of a Wild West rancher, wielding a customized rapid-fire Winchester rifle, and his son.
Stars: Chuck Connors, Johnny Crawford, Paul Fix, Joe Benson
Votes: 4,957
35. Mannix (1967–1975)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Private detective Joe Mannix uses force to solve crimes.
Stars: Mike Connors, Gail Fisher, Ward Wood, Ron Nyman
Votes: 4,248
36. It Takes a Thief (1968–1970)
TV-PG | 51 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
The adventures of suave cat burglar Alexander Mundy, who plies his trade for the U.S. Government.
Stars: Robert Wagner, Fred Astaire, Malachi Throne, Murray Pollack
Votes: 2,183
37. A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001–2002)
TV-PG | 46 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
Genius detective Nero Wolfe and his right-hand man: Archie Goodwin, solve seemingly impossible crimes, in 1950's New York.
Stars: Timothy Hutton, Maury Chaykin, Colin Fox, Bill Smitrovich
Votes: 1,977
38. The Rebel (1959–1961)
Approved | 30 min | Western
After the end of the Civil War, a former Confederate Army private roams the Wild West, and, as a rogue drifter, gets involved in helping out various settlers threatened by various bad guys.
Stars: Nick Adams, Chuck Hamilton, Sid Troy, Ross Sturlin
Votes: 651
39. The Baron (1966–1967)
TV-PG | 49 min | Crime, Drama
Stories of an antique dealer who is really an undercover agent.
Stars: Steve Forrest, Sue Lloyd, Paul Ferris, Colin Gordon
Votes: 321
#completed#
40. Peter Gunn (1958–1961)
TV-14 | 30 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Peter Gunn is a private detective with a knack for finding trouble. His cases often mean he runs into the shadiest characters, most vicious thugs and the most powerful crime bosses. Cool and resourceful, he always gets the guilty party.
Stars: Craig Stevens, Herschel Bernardi, Lola Albright, Bill Chadney
Votes: 1,634
41. Gideon C.I.D. (1964–1966)
60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Follows Commander George Gideon of Scotland Yard and his family life.
Stars: John Gregson, Alexander Davion, Daphne Anderson, Richard James
Votes: 308
42. Mike Hammer (1958–1959)
30 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The adventures of Mickey Spillane's tough-talking, brawling, skirt-chasing private detective Mike Hammer, who's always ready to use his fists on a "mug" or his charm on a "skirt" to get the case solved.
Stars: Darren McGavin, Bart Burns, Vito Scotti, Johnny Seven
Votes: 297
43. Mr. & Mrs. North (1952–1954)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Jerry and Pamela North live in Greenwich Village in New York City. Jerry is a mystery magazine publisher who thinks he is a good amateur detective. He and his wife investigate various crimes and solve them before the police do.
Stars: Richard Denning, Barbara Britton, Francis De Sales, Lowell Gilmore
Votes: 250
44. Bat Masterson (1958–1961)
TV-14 | 30 min | Western
Bat Masterson roams The West and defends the innocent.
Stars: Gene Barry, Allen Jaffe, Allison Hayes, Ken Drake
Votes: 1,217
45. Sherlock Holmes (1954–1955)
TV-PG | 30 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The adventures of master detective Sherlock Holmes as he and his assistant, Dr. Watson--and, somewhat reluctantly, the bumbling Inspector Lestrade--battle criminals in London.
Stars: Ronald Howard, Howard Marion-Crawford, Archie Duncan, Richard Larke
Votes: 1,089
#completed#
46. Great Ghost Tales (1961)
30 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
The last regularly scheduled television series to be broadcast live in the U.S. was hosted by Frank Gallop, and featured dramatizations of ghost stories and other tales of the supernatural,... See full summary »
Stars: Frank Gallop, Robert Duvall, Lee Grant, Richard Thomas
Votes: 53
47. The Fantastic Journey (1977)
60 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Travelers are stranded in the Bermuda Triangle. On an island, they meet Varian, a man from the future, and Liana, an Atlantean. Together, they journey through different worlds, in hopes of returning home.
Stars: Jared Martin, Carl Franklin, Ike Eisenmann, Katie Saylor
Votes: 742
#completed#
48. Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–1962)
TV-14 | 25 min | Drama, Mystery
Series of unrelated short stories covering elements of crime, horror, drama, and comedy about people of different backgrounds committing murders, suicides, thefts, and other sorts of crime caused by certain motivations, perceived or not.
Stars: Alfred Hitchcock, Harry Tyler, John Williams, Patricia Hitchcock
Votes: 19,260
49. The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962–1965)
TV-14 | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
"The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" was a continuation of the dramatic anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) hosted by the Master of Suspense and Mystery.
Stars: Alfred Hitchcock, Hinton Pope, Jimmy Joyce, Lew Brown
Votes: 5,133
50. Topper (1953–1955)
30 min | Fantasy, Comedy
A somewhat grumpy and uptight banker, Cosmo Topper, and the ghosts which only he could see or hear, George and Marion Kerby. The Kerbys would often try to get Cosmo to loosen up and enjoy life, but more often they would complicate it.
Stars: Anne Jeffreys, Robert Sterling, Leo G. Carroll, Buck
Votes: 565
51. Catweazle (1970–1971)
30 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A medieval wizard (though not a very good one) is transported to the modern age.
Stars: Geoffrey Bayldon, Robin Davies, Gary Warren, Charles 'Bud' Tingwell
Votes: 1,123
52. The Day of the Triffids (1981)
50 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
When a comet blinds nearly everyone in the world, a genetically-engineered species of plant takes over.
Stars: John Duttine, Emma Relph, Maurice Colbourne, Jonathan Newth
Votes: 2,422
53. Kinvig (1981)
30 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi
Lazy, unambitious repairman and UFO enthusiast Des Kinvig encounters a spaceship captained by the beautiful Miss Griffin from Mercury. Or is it all just the fantasy of a man having a quiet breakdown?
Stars: Tony Haygarth, Patsy Rowlands, Prunella Gee, Colin Jeavons
Votes: 82
54. Survivors (1975–1977)
50 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
A community of survivors struggle to stay alive in the wake of a global pandemic known as the Death that wiped out 99.98% of humanity.
Stars: Lucy Fleming, Ian McCulloch, Denis Lill, Stephen Dudley
Votes: 1,429
55. Orson Welles' Great Mysteries (1973–1974)
30 min | Drama, Mystery
A genre anthology series in the vein of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) hosted by Orson Welles.
Stars: Orson Welles, Christopher Lee, Joan Collins, Carol Lynley
Votes: 231
56. Hawkins (1973–1974)
90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The cases of slow-talking West Virginia attorney Billy Jim Hawkins.
Stars: James Stewart, Strother Martin, Mayf Nutter, James Hampton
Votes: 194
57. Out of the Unknown (1965–1971)
60 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
A classic anthology science fiction series which features adaptations of stories by famous authors including Isaac Asimov, J.G. Ballard, Frederik Pohl and John Wyndham.
Stars: John Gabriel, Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, Erik Chitty, Peter Copley
Votes: 172
Less than half the episodes left. Thanks a lot BBC.
58. Doomwatch (1970–1972)
50 min | Sci-Fi, Drama
Doomwatch is the nickname for the Department of Measurement of Scientific Work. Under the leadership of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dr. Spencer Quist, the Doomwatch team struggled, for ... See full summary »
Stars: John Paul, Joby Blanshard, Simon Oates, Vivien Sherrard
Votes: 195
Another series castrated by BBC short-mindedness. Sigh.
59. The Rat Patrol (1966–1968)
30 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The World War II North African missions of an Allied commando patrol squad of the Long Range Desert Group.
Stars: Christopher George, Gary Raymond, Eric Braeden, Lawrence P. Casey
Votes: 1,989
60. The Adventurer (1972–1974)
30 min | Adventure
Basically an updating of Gene Barry's "Amos Burke, Secret Agent" character, Gene Bradley is a wealthy government agent, who, posing as an American movie star, travels the globe in search of adventure, intrigue and danger.
Stars: Gene Barry, Barry Morse, Catherine Schell, Garrick Hagon
Votes: 105
61. My Living Doll (1964–1965)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi
A psychiatrist is given care of Rhoda Miller "real name 'AF 709'", a lifelike sophisticated but naïve android that eventually learns how human society works and begins showing "or at least emulating" rudimentary emotions.
Stars: Julie Newmar, Robert Cummings, Jack Mullaney, Doris Dowling
Votes: 279
It's Julie Newmar. 'Nuff Said.
62. Thriller (1973–1976)
TV-14 | 65 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
"Thriller" was an anthology series of self-contained episodes, with genres ranging from murder mystery to suspense to psychological and supernatural horror.
Stars: Donna Mills, Gary Collins, Derek Francis, Michael Jayston
Votes: 967
63. Planet Patrol (1963–1968)
30 min | Family, Sci-Fi
Capt. Dart, Slim and Husky patrol the solar system in their Galasphere 347 as part of the peace-keeping force, the United Galactic Organization.
Stars: Ronnie Stevens, Murray Kash, Dick Vosburgh, Libby Morris
Votes: 111
#completed#
64. Green Acres (1965–1971)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family
A New York City attorney and his wife attempt to live as genteel farmers in the bizarre community of Hooterville.
Stars: Eddie Albert, Eva Gabor, Tom Lester, Pat Buttram
Votes: 7,597
65. The Name of the Game (1968–1971)
TV-PG | 90 min | Adventure, Drama, Mystery
Sandy, a young woman in the research dept of Howard Publications has wild romantic daydreams about her boss Glenn Howard that confuse her sense of reality, hampering Howard in an investigation.
Stars: Gene Barry, Susan Saint James, Robert Stack, Anthony Franciosa
Votes: 693
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