Welcome to a new Wildcard Wednesday! This week, if you’re still stuck at home, you may be looking for things to watch. So, I thought I’d do something that we used to offer during the holidays — a little contest, with rare TV prizes. But, don’t worry, this is minimally invasive. First up, I’ll tell you what the reward is: access to an episode from each of the ten Sitcom Tuesday series covered so far on this blog that have not yet been released in full on DVD. The shows/episodes that I will be sending — for subscribers only; please subscribe here if you want to play along — to all of the eligible winners are as follows:
- Our Miss Brooks: “The Magic Tree” (1953)
- He & She: “The Coming-Out Party” (1967)
- The New Dick Van Dyke Show: “The Former Mr. Preston” (1972)
- Phyllis: “Phyllis And The Little People” (1975)
- Murphy Brown: “It’s Just Like Riding A Bike” (1994)
- Dream On: “May Divorce Be With You” (1992)
- The John Larroquette Show: “Rachel Redux” (1995)
- The Drew Carey Show: “The Bachelor Party” (1998)
- The George Burns And Gracie Allen Show: “Gracie Is Brilliant” (1958)
- The Danny Thomas Show: “Danny Meets Kathy” (1957)
Now for the game. What you have to do is guess what I have selected as my favorite collective TV season for the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. (And, just so there’s no confusion, the 1950s consists of every season from 1950-’51 to 1959-’60; the 1960s consists of every season from 1960-’61 to 1969-’70, and so on, ending with 1990-’91 and 1999-’00…)
I have selected my favorite seasons mostly based on my affinity for the sitcoms that were on the air during that TV year. I have also factored in the quality of the shows during each specific timeframe, and please keep in mind that volume alone does not mean quality… That said, I have not deliberately tried to trick you with my answers.
Also, all you have to do to receive the prize is guess ONE of my five answers correctly. That’s right — just ONE! However, if you manage to guess three or more correctly, I will throw in a special Danny Thomas Show collection of bonuses.
Leave your guesses in the comments. I will update this post with the correct answers and award the winners next Wednesday. Here’s a template. (And please make guesses clear, i.e. 1950-51, or 1950-’51, or 1950-1951, or 50-51, or ’50-’51.) Happy playing!
1950s:
1960s:
1970s:
1980s:
1990s:
UPDATE – 04/22/20 – Thanks to everyone who participated in our quiz! I have emailed all the prize winners, along with the three lucky players who got three answers correct and are receiving a bonus collection of episodes from the heretofore unreleased fourth season of The Danny Thomas Show! Below are my answers.
1950s: 1955-1956 (the only year with the decade’s three best sitcoms in weekly rotation)
1960s: 1964-1965 (the year where the ’60s’ early gems meet its defining mid-decade classics)
1970s: 1973-1974 (the peak year for both the MTM and Lear styles, before they start to stale)
1980s: 1986-1987 (the ’80s is in full swing, with its good shows in great form, and FOX’s debut)
1990s: 1994-1995 (the best mid-’90s sitcoms are strong, and the “MSTV” trend isn’t yet pesky)
Come back next week for another Wildcard — and check this post out again next Wednesday when I edit it and add in the answers! Also, stay tuned for a new Musical Theatre rarity!