Subject: The silliest show ever on Television…

There must be many strong contenders over the past seven or eight decades.  The USA must have many worthy candidates.  Since I’m up late at night watching vintage TV Re-runs, “Lost in Space” looks like a great choice.  What am I missing to beat it?

Monty Python's Flying Circus, surely?

Honourable mention ... F Troop.

ABC World News Tonight with David Muir 

Unless the Pythons are disqualified for being (quasi-)high-browed at times.........they're surely the winners there.

Barring that......."Green Acres" probably edges out "F Troop".  But wasn't there an actual "3 Stooges" *show* - way back when??? Not certain of that at all.  If not, then "Laugh-In" and "Benny Hill" were probably sillier than the other ensemble-type offerings.

So much depends on the definition of "silliest".  I would say "Lost in Space" has at least as much "campy" content as silliness.

Batman had far greater actors. KAPOW! BAM!

I might add - any weather presentations since TV was invented!

Sid and Marty Krofft made all sorts of silly stuff.

The 60s was the heyday of silly TV. Lost in Space, Get Smart, The Monkees, and I agree the original Batman was great.  I remember my mom trying to explain to me how adults found Batman to be funny and she thought the show was taking advantage of kids. But I loved it anyhow.

From a UK perspective, some contenders:

Blackadder; Shooting Stars; The Fast Show (excerpt: "[Tomato] Ted [aubergine] your [potato] wife's [turnip] dead".

My Mother the Car

Mr Ed

Married with Children was awfully silly and I do mean awful.

https://youtube.com/shorts/DIRHllSVK10?si=bfei6nUDUm1L3X6H 

Honorable mention to Addams Family and Munsters. Mon cheri was the Belle of the Ball.

Hogan's Heroes?

My Favorite Martian?

Actually, no astronauts were ever "lost in space", defined as leaving Earth's orbit, although some came close (Apollos 11 and 13). Any others?

@roo

Speaking about astronauts, does anyone remember "It's About Time"?  It was about two astronauts thrown back in time to the Stone Age and became friends with some cave people (back in the 60's)

Early 90s

I loved how Chris Elliott's parents (his real dad a comedy legend and Elinor Donahue) never left the table or changed out of their robes. (examples for their 30 year old son who never left home?) Awesome theme song by R.E.M. 

Chris wrote the book on silly. 

SOME FOLKS NEED TO 

https://youtu.be/eQKjOPSBRF4?si=SH_CH0H79kpclZ1f 

I made this picture from a video clip the other day when I was posting about GET A LIFE on fb

I don't remember "It's About Time" but youtube does.  I do remember Time Tunnel. I think even when I was only about 10 I thought it was a little far fetched.

I suppose Land of the Giants was unbelievable too. Skepticism is the bane of childhood dreams.  

The Beverly Hillbillies was pure silliness that somehow gets funnier over time. Love the dancing. And real southerners say SEEment just like they say "cement pond".

Lol. I remember the theme song from It's About Time. 

I guess the question is: intentionally silly or attempted seriousness? Hillbillies and a lot of others mentioned were intentionally goofy.  

Sometimes "silly" is just a nicer way to say "stupid".

I did like Mr Ed, but I was very young at the time. Still know the theme song, of course. 

I recall my family discussing the stupidity of all those silly 60s shows. The consensus was, that tv shows were produced for the 12-13 year old psyche. 

The Beverly Hillbillies was pretty much genius, and the casting was genius+.

However............some don't know the background of my people:

The Immigrants--National Lampoon Radio Hour - YouTube

P.S.  --  forgot to note...........Buddy Ebsen, of the Cal-i-for-ni-ay branch of our clan, mention therein.

From the wonderful Brits 

FAWLTY TOWERS 

What about the TV show...."My mother the car" ???

And, if you count animated, you could include "South Park".

Oh,”My Mother the Car”.  So bad it never repeats currently, (AFAIK), on any medium, out there.  It’s almost embarrassing to admit I’ve seen repeats of it (but not for at least 50 years).  Punster, what made you remember that …

Cellmate mentioned My Mother the Car last Saturday on this thread. As I recall, the dude's mother died and was reinCARnated in his car. He hung out in the garage a lot. As far as I can remember, there wasn't a theme song worth remembering either, if there was one.

: MrFixit

Message:

I guess the question is: intentionally silly or attempted seriousness? Hillbillies and a lot of others mentioned were intentionally goofy.

Well, we knew that Lost in Space was silly. Whether that was intentional or not, is still UP IN THE AIR.

Outskirts - of course there is a Mother the  Car  theme song and you should go listen to it 10 or 20 times right now.

I probably won't 

Batman.  Even as a wee lad it bothered me that they used "laser guided sharks" AND left him alone

Listened to MMTC theme song, wasn't impressed and didn't remember it. What did impress me was the guy was Jerry Van Dyke!

Oops, I didn't realize that cellmate had mentioned "My mother the car", in that case....I second it !!

Also, spugeddy2 mentioned two shows that I liked, because they were done to be funny, "Hogan's Heroes" & "My favorite Martian". Of course, I'm sure some were done to be funny, but weren't.  :-)  Different strokes for different folks, I guess.