Where have all the classic TV sitcoms gone?

It’s getting harder and harder to find classic TV on TV.  Back in the day (OK, 1996) Nick at Nite’s newly christened TV Land boasted a lineup of classic television shows that included “The Honeymooners,” “Green Acres” and “Petticoat Junction.”  The network added more recent sitcoms to its lineup in the 2000s (think “Scrubs” and “Just Shoot Me!”), and in 2010, original programming like “Hot in Cleveland,” “Happily Divorced,” and (gasp!) reality shows dominated the schedule. That pretty much marked the end of the network’s “classic TV” reign.

In 2011,  irate retro TV fans demanded that the network “bring back the classics,” but Jaci Cohen, Executive Vice President of TV Land’s programming, told  Entertainment Weekly, “As time progresses and a network matures, there are still only 24 hours in a day. We’re never able to give everybody what they want, and that’s why shows come and go on our schedule.” Cohen also added that the network’s newfangled branding and direction is “an evolution,” and she revealed: “We are committed to scripted sitcoms and continuing down this path.”

Some of TV Land’s current lineup does give a shout-out to the past, with classic sitcom alums Kirstie Alley, Rhea Pearlman and Betty White headlining the network’s new, original shows.

TV Land president Larry Jones told  USA Today, "When (viewers) see Kirstie Alley, Betty White, Jane Leeves or Kristen Johnston, it reminds you of that other show they did. There's a calming and comforting feeling about seeing that familiar person that takes you back to when your life was simpler.”

True that, but why not continue to show “that other show they did?” Jones says the modern day shows make viewers feel as though they’re “also consuming something that is relevant today and speaks to [them] in this life stage and is funny."

What isn't so funny is the schedule for last year’s TV Land Merrython. The highly anticipated holiday-themed programming block has been a network staple since 1999, and rarely seen Christmas episodes of classics like “The Donna Reed Show," "Hazel," "Dennis the Menace," and "Father Knows Best” used to turn up on the lineup.  But in more recent years, the schedule has been dominated by more modern day  sitcoms like “The King of Queens” and “That ‘70s Show.” Unfortunately, a lot of these episodes are already shown during the series’ normal syndication cycle, so they’re not exactly hard-to-find holiday gems.

One bright spot last holiday season: CBS aired the rarely-seen Christmas episode of “I Love Lucy,”  a retrospective that was taken out of syndication decades ago.  But some classic TV purists were put off by the 60-year-old Christmas clip show because the episode was colorized.  And in addition to Lucille Ball’s amazing, blazing red hair, viewers got to see a whole lot of purple when the classic grape-stomping episode, “Lucy’s Italian Movie,” aired immediately following the Christmas show.

“I Love Lucy” is an exception— it debuted in 1951 and has never been off the air.  Ditto for “The Brady Bunch,” which has aired non-stop since 1969. But those are rare classic commodities.

“Brady Bunch” star Florence Henderson recently told Times Free Press, “I don’t think anyone at the time could have imagined the show would still be around today, that it would be so popular and to have never been off TV here in America. The show references part of our cultures, and almost every day someone tells me that."

Of course, if you have enough tiers in your cable package, you may be able to scare up networks like Antennae TV and Me-TV, which still air classic TV. Antennae’s current lineup includes black and white comedies like “Mr. Ed,” “Hazel,” and “McHale’s Navy,” while Me-TV boasts “My Three Sons” and “Perry Mason.”

 But for how long? Let’s face it, as time moves on the definition of “classic TV” will inevitably change, and the golden age of television will become even more precious -- and rare.