If you’re in the mood for the wholesome antics of a guileless but well-intentioned youngster and his quirky friends, “Leave It to Beaver” may be the perfect throwback for you. This show, which lasted for six years, made its cast work extraordinarily hard with massive 39-week seasons, resulting in more than 230 episodes for your bingeing pleasure.

“Leave It to Beaver,” one of the most beloved sitcoms of the latter 1950s and early ‘60s, can be streamed for free (with ads) through peacock, NBC’s new streaming service. Every episode is also available on YouTube, where you can watch them with limited commercial interruption. 



Perry Mason (Available on CBS)

People who want to watch the original morally ambiguous TV lawyer should look no further than “Perry Mason.” The first ‘50s run of the series can be watched on CBS All Access if you have an account or have access to it through your current cable subscription.



HBO has recently rebooted “Perry Mason” for today’s audiences. Be forewarned, this HBO version contains nudity, swearing and grizzly murder investigations. TV makers today don’t have to adhere to the stricter guidelines required 60 years ago. That being said, the reviews for HBO’s reboot have been, on the whole, quite positive.

Bonanza

“Bonanza,” an American Western from the ‘60s, is still a historic show on account of its popularity and legendary longevity. Its 431 hour-long episodes aired between 1959 and 1973. If you’re looking for a show that will keep you busy for a long, long time, “Bonanza” is here for you.

Some seasons of “Bonanza” are available on demand to DIRECTV customers, while others can be purchased through Amazon. You can also find a ton of free full episodes of “Bonanza” on YouTube. 

The Rifleman (Available on IMDbTV)

If “Bonanza’s” more than 400 hours of Western entertainment isn’t enough for you, or you ran out of free episodes to binge, consider switching over to “The Rifleman.” You can find free (with ads) episodes of “The Rifleman” streaming through IMDbTV, but you will have to login through another provider to gain access to the content. If you have an Amazon account, you should be able to watch episodes through that platform. 

Gunsmoke (Available on CBS)

One thing the ‘50s and ‘60s didn’t lack was Western TV. “Gunsmoke” started out as a radio drama before jumping to the TV screen. “Bonanza’s” impressive run pales in comparison to “Gunsmoke”, which aired from 1955 through 1975, totaling 635 episodes. The only reason “Bonanza” has technically produced more content was “Gunsmoke’s” 30-minute format.

Two seasons of “Gunsmoke” are available for streaming on CBS All Access, and 17 seasons are available on-demand through DIRECTV. You can also find many full episodes of the original radio show on YouTube. 

What’s My Line? (Available on Amazon)

“What’s My Line?” first aired in 1950 and continued airing for an impressive 25 years. The show featured a panel of celebrities that would ask non-celebrity contestant’s questions in an effort to figure out their occupations. It’s still considered one of the greatest game shows in TV history. If you’re an Amazon Prime member you can stream two seasons of the show for free, but they’re also available for purchase through the platform if you’re not a Prime member. You can find another 150 full episodes available for free on YouTube. 

Dragnet

Sergeant Joe Friday of the LAPD may be the most influential TV detectives in history. Friday was an unpretentious tough guy who pioneered gritty realism in small-screen police dramas. The show truly helped pave the way for the dozens of modern police dramas that portrayed law enforcement as real, flawed but heroic people who are dedicated to keeping the nation’s cities safe. It’s safe to say today’s police procedurals wouldn’t exist without “Dragnet” blazing the path.



You can find a lot of full episodes of 1950s-era “Dragnet” as well as the late-‘60s run of “Dragnet” on YouTube for free. 

Your Safety and Comfort Is Important to Our Community

Things are hard for everyone right now, but the staff at Timberhill Villa is determined to make these months as bearable as possible for residents of our active retirement community. There’s nothing more important to us than the health and safety of the people living here, which is why we take all the necessary precautions to ensure COVID-19 doesn’t gain a foothold in our facility.

We also know how quickly boredom can reduce a person’s quality of life, which is why our staff is happy to help our residents set up streaming services, find great TV to watch, books to read and other forms of entertainment to stay busy.



If you’d like to learn more about Timberhill Villa, please feel free to call us at (210) 684-3480.