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

8. 1971: Marcus Welby, M.D.

The precursor to medical dramas like ER and House, Marcus Welby, M.D., earned one year as the top-rated show in the United States. Something about complicated medical ailments draws Americans’ attention, particularly when the leading man is able to pull cures out of the most unlikely places.

Dr. Marcus Welby (played by the patriarchal Robert Young) navigated a complex American medical system for seven seasons. James Brolin portrayed his probing understudy, Dr. Steven Kiley, and the show won multiple Emmys throughout its commendable run.