Classic Sitcoms

For forty years, the American family gathered around one television set, and more often than not, what we watched together was a sitcom. These quizzes cover the classics from the 1950s through the 1980s: the black-and-white days of Lucy, Ralph Kramden and the Cleavers, the witches, Martians and castaways of the 1960s, the bold comedies of the 1970s, and the friendly hangouts of the 1980s.

These shows were part of the week. Many of us knew which night belonged to which program and planned supper around it. We repeated the catchphrases at school and at work the next morning, and we still hum the theme songs without meaning to. The characters felt like neighbors, and some of them were funnier and kinder than the real ones. Decades later, plenty of these shows still turn up in reruns, and they hold up well.

There are four quizzes of ten questions each, with one for every era. Some questions are easy, a few will make you think, and every answer comes with a little background on the show. There is no timer and no rush, so settle into your favorite chair and see how many of these old friends you remember.