10 Classic 1970s TV Shows That Wouldn’t Survive Today’s Standards

Every decade of television brings something different to the table, and what was allowed to be shown and said on TV has changed a lot since the 1970s. A heyday for the classic family sitcom and an interesting period of history, the 1970s boast some of the most influential plots and formulas that shows have been in conversation with for years. While in the contemporary era, more explicit depictions of violence and sex can be shown on television, in the 1970s, it was what the characters said and the types of jokes they were making that wouldn’t fly today.

Of course, the context of these issues matters, as there are times when TV shows discuss the harm of stereotypes and discrimination. However, many of these series from the ’70s, like All In The Family, weren’t concerned with subverting these problematic archetypes and intentionally reinforced them instead. There are aspects of these series that are still beloved, and just because something hasn’t aged well doesn’t mean it should necessarily be forgotten forever. While there are plenty of modern TV shows that perfectly encompass the 1970s aesthetic, these series embody them effortlessly.

10The Love Boat (1977–1987)

This cruise-set sitcom features a revolving door of characters

The Love Boat quickly rose to prominence for featuring a new set of supporting characters in each episode as the ship went to different ports. The central cast, which was primarily made up of the ship’s crew, were the mainstays of the series and anchored the project as the guest stars came and went. While there were some topical episodes of The Love Boat, the show is very of its time in terms of the racial, gender-based, and political stereotypes that are particularly prevalent in how the characters interact with each other.

While the premise of The Love Boat has aged decently well, it’s the casual sexism and tokenization of characters of color that are the most difficult aspects of the show to sit through today. In some ways, it’s remarkable that The Love Boat was able to discuss sex and romance with so much candor, but it did so with off-hand jokes that wouldn’t land on contemporary audiences. Outside of this, The Love Boat has received criticism for repetitive storylines, especially in the later seasons.