10 Classic TV Shows That Changed Television As We Know It

3) Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

More than a variety show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson set the tone for all other late night shows to follow. The conversational style of the interviews, combined with the comedic banter between Ed McMahon and Carson, was a change of pace from the rehearsed and carefully planned performances, complete with lip synching, that had been so popular in the 1950s and 1960s with programs like The Ed Sullivan Showand The Jack Benny Program.

The Tonight Show would become the most popular late night program for decades, with Carson’s energetic persona at the helm of this new form of TV show. Years later there are many late night Tv shows, but Carson remains the most popular hostdespite the fact that he retired in 1992!

2) Gunsmoke

In the early part of the 20th century, Westerns had often been intended for children. But, Gunsmoke was one of the first Westerns to be created for adults as well. The show dealt with some of the logistics of how things were run in the Wild West and portrayed the treatment of outsidersin many different ways, something had seldom been done on TV before.

The show was the longest-running Western on TV with its 20 year stint. For this reason and many others besides it continues to be a classic that is alone in its class.

1) American Bandstand

Soul Train owes a debt to American Bandstand, as does MTV- though Hit Parade was a radio show long before either one was on air. American Bandstand was the place to learn dance moves, to see what the kids we wearing, and to hear the songs which were topping the charts. The show was closely linked with record sales, something which had not been done before. American Bandstand was also one of the first TV shows to cater to a teenaged audience.

From the music to the interviews to the ads, the show was decidedly not for grown-ups. Instead, American Bandstand was a celebration of the new youth-centric music and culture that had sprung up since the end of World War II and which continues to dominate the media even today. Have a look at an American Bandstand dance contest from 1968, complete with the show ads, in the clip below.