The Most Popular TV Show From Your Birth Year (1951-1990)

5. 1978-1979: Laverne & Shirley

Audiences could not get enough of the quick-witted Laverne and Shirley in the late 1970s. The duo held their own in a man’s world (as bottle cappers at a brewery), and creator Garry Marshall (Penny’s brother) kept the storylines varied enough to keep America tuning in.

The show would soon come to an end after Cindy Williams left the show in 1982, reportedly over a pregnancy-related dispute. Other cast departures signaled the show was not long for air, though it had a remarkable run as one of America’s most beloved sitcoms.