Classic TV Comedy Trivia | Test Your Knowledge With These Quizzes and Polls

We seldom watched television when I was a child. Television sets were black-and-white models, and we much preferred to play outside. But when we did watch, there were some really great shows on the tube! I miss the days of innocence and silly humor, unlike what is on television now.

Here are some of my favorite silly shows from the past. I hope you take the time to walk down memory lane to see how much you remember.

Jed Clampett, a poor hillbilly from somewhere in Tennessee, is out hunting one day when a stray bullet from his rifle hits the ground. He strikes oil! He moves his family to a mansion in California, where they live next door to his banker. The family is made up of Granny: his gun-toting, moonshine-making mother-in-law; Jethro, who wants to become a spy; and Ellie Mae, who is always bringing home wild animals.

Kate is a widow with 3 beautiful daughters. They run a small rural hotel, and the storyline is about events in their town. Petticoat Junction is a spinoff from The Beverly Hillbillies, so on occasion, you'll see characters or hear references for both shows.

Oliver and Lisa are a couple who met during World War II. Oliver is an attorney who wants to live in the country and be a farmer. Lisa is a socialite who prefers the hustle and bustle of New York City. They move to a broken down shack in the country, and have to learn how to live without the luxuries to which they are accustomed.

Green Acres is a spinoff of Petticoat Junction, so some of the townspeople cross over between the shows.

Leave it to Beaver is about a typical middle class family of the late 1950s to early 1960s. The father, Ward Cleaver, is an accountant, and his wife, June, is a typical housewife. The shows follows the story of the two sons - Beaver and Wally - growing up, and the problems they encounter along the way. There was always a moral to each episode's story.

Batman and Robin were crime fighters who drove a black car known as the Batmobile, which was located in a cave underneath Batman's house. They'd arrive at the Commissioner's office, where they'd learn about the latest crime. A villain was always involved, and Batman & Robin would always get involved in a fight. ("POW!", "BAM!", "ZONK!"). The villain would escape, and the Dynamic Duo would be left to follow unlikely clues. There would be a cliffhanger ending in the last few seconds of the show, which was usually resolved in the first few minutes of the next episode. Villains were seldom killed; instead, they were arrested, so they could come back & cause problems another day.

Who is your favorite caped crusader?

The Addams Family was made of up Gomez, Morticia, Puglsey, Wednesday, Grandmama, Fester, Lurch and Thing. They lived in a gloomy mansion adjacent to a cemetery and a swamp. Although they were on the eccentric side, they weren't really evil.

The Munsters were a family of monsters who lived in a house infested with cobwebs. They were a typical, working class family, with Herman as the wage-earner, and Lily as the housewife. Herman looked a lot like the Frankenstein monster, while his wife, Lily, was a vampire. Their son, Edward, was a werewolf. Grandpa was a mad scientist, whose inventions always backfired. Marilyn, their niece, was the black sheep of the family because she was "normal". Her goal was to find a husband who wasn't scared off by herself or the family.

Addams Family or The Munsters?

Darrin & Samantha Stevens live in Westport, Connecticut. Samantha is a witch, and Darrin spends most of his time hiding this fact from everyone outside of the family. Samantha's mother doesn't like Darrin, so she is always casting spells on him. Samantha has a lot of relatives who are witches, and they keep popping up at inopportune moments. They eventually have two children, one with powers and one who is mortal.

McHale's Navy is set in World War II at the Pacific island base Taratupa. The Japanese had bombed the island, almost destroying the base. Because the Japanese patrols patrolled the island, McHale and his men had to go into hiding. They hook up with the native Islanders, and begin making plans to destroy the Japanese boats, and escape.

F Troop takes place at a fictional Army outpost in Kansas, just after the end of the Civil War. It is slap-stick comedy at it's best, with a Commanding Officer who is clumsy and accident-prone, and non-commissioned officers who are always scheming with the native Indians

Gilligan's Island was a story about a boat with a 2-man crew that takes out 5 tourists, ends up in a storm, and gets stranded somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The island is close to Hawaii, as they are able to pick up Hawaiian AM transmission on their receiver. The storyline revolves around the castaways wish to leave the island, and the mishaps that keep them from doing so.

The Andy Griffith Show was one of the top rated shows of the 1960s. Andy Taylor was the sheriff in the small town where he raised his small son, with the help of his Aunt Bea. Andy was a widower, and when he wasn't taking care of his son, he was trying to keep the peace in his crime-free town. Most of the problems were caused by his Deputy and the townsfolk.

Gomer Pyle was a naïve, but good-natured mechanic and gas station attendant from The Andy Griffith Show. He enlists in the Marine Corps, where he becomes a private. The show focused on the relationship between Gomer and his Sergeant. In the beginning, the Sergeant was frustrated by Gomer Pyle's naivety. However, over the course of the show, Gomer Pyle earned the Sergeant's respect, and ultimately his friendship.

I Dream of Jeannie was about a girl who was born in Baghdad in 64, BC. The most powerful genie of all time wanted to marry her, and when she denied him, he turned her into a genie. He put her in a bottle, and left it on a deserted island. Centuries go by, and in 1965, an astronaut crashes on the island and finds the bottle. He opens it, and Jeannie appears. He becomes her Master, and she falls in love with him. The story is based around Jeannie, her powers, and her Master trying to hide her from the rest of the world.

Larry Hagman passed away on November 23, 2012. He leaves a great legacy, starring in both I Dream of Jeannie and the hit show "Dallas". Here is a great interview of Jeannie & Captain Nelson from 2007.

I hope you enjoyed these questions! I know I had a good time remembering these shows, and hope you did too! Thanks for stopping by!