With shows likeStranger Thingsstirring up nostalgia for the eighties , fans ca n’t help but change state their attention to the groovy decade that came before it and explore all the big medium that the decade produce . With 12 of goggle box shows on the air over those 10 years , some nifty programs have simply pass off away .

From transfix adjective shows likeEmergency!to sidesplitting godless drollery likeWKRP in Cincinnati , the 1970s had a lot more to offer than recessions and the gas crisis . Even though many ' seventy show have been block , only the very best deserve a modern rewatch .

Cannon (1971-1976)

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Though procedurals are all the rage now , it was the seventies that actually laid the groundwork for the music genre . Cannonis the tale of an ex - LAPD officer who trade in his badge to become a private investigator to crack the ruffianly grammatical case that Los Angeles can throw his way .

The case were always interesting , and Cannon was able-bodied to figure out them using whatever intend he had at his disposition . Though it is somewhat dated by today ’s standards , Cannonis still one of the best character - labour detective appearance of all time .

McCloud (1970-1977)

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The free - canyon cop who does n’t play by the rules is a cliché today , but in the ' 70s , a few names exemplify that idea , likeMcCloud . Cowboy justice comes to the big city when a New Mexico lawman is reassigned to New York City ’s 27th precinct .

In genuine life , McCloud would be one ofthe dirtiest cops in TV chronicle , but his off - the - wall method acting worked perfectly for a weekly series . Tough - as - nails but sensitive , McCloud embody the stereotype of ' LXX machismo which was help along by role player Dennis Weaver ’s stellar performance and rugged good face .

Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979)

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Thoughsome conceive this TV show would n’t flee today , Welcome Back , Kotterwas a situation comedy that was n’t afraid to tackle authoritative social issues that affect intimate - city youth . The series follows a instructor who returns to the eminent school he graduated from to instruct a new generation of troubled youths .

John Travolta ’s wizard - piddle role as Vinnie Barbarino was n’t the only thing the series had going for it , and it was actually very comic between its political electronic messaging . With its simple set - up , the show was able to fully explore its characters and present a more fleshed - out ensemble than most sitcom can pull off .

Quincy M.E. (1976-1983)

Hollywood caption Jack Klugman come back to the small screen to head up up one of TV ’s most adventuresome crime procedurals up to that period . Dr. Quincy is a no - gimcrack aesculapian examiner who survive above and beyond to investigate cases that he believe are murders .

Shows about detectives and uniformed cops were a dime bag a twelve back in the day , butQuincy M.E.gave viewers a coup d’oeil into an entirely different side of constabulary work . Science had never been an integral part of a fuzz show before , and Jack Klugman ’s amazing performance added a character - repulse spicery to what was already a gripping procedural .

Maude (1972-1978)

All in the Familywas one of the biggest shows of the 10 , but its lesser - screw spinoff , Maude , is worth think as well . Maude Findley is an sovereign woman of the ' 70s who try on to make a life for herself in the modest townspeople of Tuckahoe , New York .

eld before she would turn heads once again inThe Golden Girls , Bea Arthur found the part she was put up to toy as Maude . Snappy and meet with highly strung wit , the show put woman ’s liberation in the context of a realistic and credible lineament who was also flawed and human . lover of Arthur ’s later work will get a kick from her star - making turning inMaude .

Emergency! (1972-1979)

Most ofthe best TV medical dramashave come in the last few decades , butEmergency!laid the groundwork for what those shows could be . The series follows the men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department and the paramedics who assist in the city ’s major disasters .

position an emphasis on exciting danger , the show was anything but a dead procedural . The heroes were often in life - and - death situation that helped to tot an abundance of intrigue and tension to the programme . No serial up to that point had really illustrated just how dangerous a job in the emergency services could be on a day-to-day basis .

WKRP In Cincinnati (1978-1982)

Rock ' n Roll was all the rage in the ' 70s , andWKRP in Cincinnatiwas a rare workplace comedy that had its finger on the pulsation of the nation at the prison term . sputter to vie in a great market , the denizen of WKRP in Cincinnati Ohio must find a way to stand out in the concentrated top 40 market in the Midwest .

Unlike most sitcoms of the era that rehashed stock former jape and were somewhat feebleminded in their societal commentary , WKRPwas screaming and on - topic throughout its entire short run on the air . A fate of watcher recall the infamous Thanksgiving instalment , but there are mint of memorable moments besides that one holiday classic .

Soap (1977-1981)

Stream On Tubi & Fubo

While most prove in the ' seventy were have sex for being on - the - nose with their humor , Soapwas a surprisingly seditious series for the prison term it was on the air . Parodying all the tropes of goop opera , the series follow the over - the - top exploit of two competing phratry .

Though soap operas may seem like an easy target , their prevalence in the ' LXX meant thatSoap ’s clever lampooning was much needed . As a parody it is top - notch , but the serial succeeded further by have memorable characters that grew and change over the class of the run and helped make stars of actors like Billy Crystal .

Barney Miller (1975-1982)

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Thoughlighthearted cop express likeBrooklyn Nine - Nineare common today , Barney Millerblazed its own trail by mix the distinctive copper play with a levelheaded dose of humor as well . go under within the team room of the NYPD ’s 12th district , Captain Barney Miller has to cope with the over - the - top personalities of his officers and the zany locals .

Barney Milleris amazing because of how much it could do with so little space . The show could tell compelling stories that seldom had to leave a single way , and the characters each had enough personality to fill their own display . Millerwas spin around off into shows likeFish , but none could capture the same energy as their predecessor .

Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975)

Stream On NBC

Though it only stuck around for one eery season , Kolchak : The Night Stalkeris still one of the most effective repulsion shows in goggle box history . Kolchak is a veteran reporter who always seems to find himself on the beat of some of Chicago ’s unknown case .

From supernatural monsters to sadistic grampus , Kolchakwas anything but the distinctive procedural criminal offense show . Even for a show that is near its 50th anniversary , Kolchakfeatured several episodes that are downright bone - chilling , and each outing always had TV audience guessing as to which form of out - of - sight terror poor Kolchak would find himself tangled up in .

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Stills from various forgotten shows from the ’70s

The main character look out in Cannon

McCloud stands in front of a map of New York City

John Travolta with long hair, looking off to the side in a scene from Welcome Back, Kotter.

Quincy looks grumpy in his lab from Quincy M.E.

Maude is comforted by her friends in Maude

Two paramedics explain the situation from Emergency!

The cast of WKRP in Cincinnati pose for a promo image

The cast of Soap pose for a black and white promo image

The cast of Barney Miller pose for a promotional image

Kolchak fends off a vampire with a cross from Kolchak: The Night Stalker