"The Drew Carey Show" was a quirky sitcom set in Drew's hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. It ran for nine seasons, from 1995 to 2004. The show was the first television show to air an episode on the Internet simultaneously. Drew's job title in the first seven seasons was Assistant Director of Personnel.
In the last two seasons the company changed hands and Drew was hired as Internal Expediting Analyst. The running gag in the show was that he never knew exactly what his job entailed.
2. Happy Days
Answer: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The pilot for "Happy Days" originally aired as an episode of "Love, American Style" and was entitled "Love and The Television Set". When "Love American Style" went into syndication the title was changed to "Love and The Happy Days". No less than three shows spun off the original: "Laverne and Shirley", "Mork and Mindy" and "Joanie Loves Chachi".
The lead character was Richie Cunningham, played by Ron Howard who would go on to be one of the top movie directors in Hollywood with several hit movies to his credit. For the first season and part of the second season the theme song for the show was the rock and roll classic "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and The Comets. That would be replaced by an original song "Happy Days", performed by singing duo Pratt and McLain.
3. Gunsmoke
Answer: Dodge City, Kansas
Originally a popular radio show, "Gunsmoke" translated successfully to television with James Arness portraying the lead character Marshall Matt Dillon. William Conrad was the radio voice of Marshall Dillon. The TV show premiered on September 10, 1955.
It was rumored that Conrad wanted the role on television but he was not considered by the network, prompting speculation that it was his weight that kept him from getting the role. Rumors also abound that John Wayne was offered the role but since he was still a major movie star that is considered highly unlikely.
4. Bonanza
Answer: Virginia City, Nevada
The adventures, and misadventures, of the Cartwright family topped Sunday night ratings for years. Some churches, including the one I was attending at the time, scheduled earlier Sunday night services so people could get home in time to watch. I had the pleasure of touring the house that served as the Ponderosa while in Nevada in 1997.
The term "bonanza" is a mining term that refers to the discovery of a large deposit of ore such as gold or silver. It has since fallen into use as a term for any type of windfall.
5. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Answer: Las Vegas, Nevada
The basic premise of all of the CSI series (Las Vegas, Miami, New York and CSI: Cyber) involves investigators solving crimes by analyzing physical evidence. The original CSI was set in Las Vegas and ran for 15 seasons on the CBS network. The series finale was a two hour feature entitled "Immortality".
It ranked 11th in the Nielsen ratings in its first season, 2nd in its second season and first for the next three consecutive seasons. Reruns of the original series have been aired in at least 14 countries.
6. Homicide: Life On The Street
Answer: Baltimore, Maryland
"Homicide: Life On The Street" ran for seven seasons, from 1993 to 1999. It was based on a book by David Simon entitled "Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets". The show won three Peabody Awards--the first drama series ever to do so. The show premiered right after the Super Bowl on 1993, normally a prime slot. But the premier failed to capture high ratings.
7. Murphy Brown
Answer: Washington, DC
"Murphy Brown" aired for ten seasons on CBS, from November of 1988 to May, 1998. The lead character, a television reporter and co-anchor of a TV news magazine, was played by Candice Bergen. Instead of a regular theme song the show opened with a different Motown classic every week. Veteran comedic actress Lily Tomlin joined the cast for the last two seasons, playing the executive producer of the news magazine they were a part of.
8. Alice
Answer: Phoenix, Arizona
Based on the movie "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore", "Alice", portrayed by Linda Lavin, was the story of a single mom relocating to a new city and working in a diner. Alice, along with her son Tommy, was on her way to Los Angeles to pursue a singing career after her husband died.
But her car broke down in Phoenix and with no other means of support took a job at Mel's Diner and remained in Phoenix, taking an occasional singing job on the side. The part of Mel, the owner, was played by Vic Tayback. Several celebrities made guest appearances on the show including Martha Raye, George Burns, Jerry Reed, Desi Arnaz and Robert Goulet. Fellow waitress "Flo", played by Polly Holliday, became such a popular character she was given her own spinoff show.
9. Cheers
Answer: Boston, Massachusetts
"Cheers" ran from 1982 to 1993 on NBC. In 1997 "TV Guide" ranked two episodes of the show among their list of the "Top 100 Episodes of All Time" and in 2002 the show itself ranked #18 in their list of the "Top 50 Shows of All Time". Set in a Boston bar located beneath an upscale restaurant called "Melville's" the show focused on the antics of bartender Sam Malone, a former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. Malone was played by Ted Danson. Danson was supported by a great ensemble cast including Shelley Long, who played Sam's love interest in the early seasons.
10. Married...With Children
Answer: Chicago, Illinois
"Married...With Children" portrayed the misadventures of the Bundy family. In addition to its popularity in the U.S. "Married...With Children" spawned several remakes internationally. Eight different countries produced their own version of the show. The show ran for 11 seasons on the FOX Network. 259 episodes were produced and aired.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ladymacb29 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
