The next time you find yourself typing “hulu.com” into your Web browser, don’t immediately click on the latest episode of “30 Rock” or “The Office.” Hulu has a plethora of vintage television choices. Here are a couple you should try:
Old-school “Saturday Night Live”
Do you really need to watch Taylor Swift’s monologue again? No, you don’t. Go to the “SNL” page and look for clips from the 1970s. Some suggestions? Richard Pryor’s brilliant “Word Association” and the female cast members learning about the birds and the bees on “Slumber Party.” Gilda Radner was a hero.
Dick Van Dyke was one of the greatest performers of all time — and too cute for words — but it’s the supporting cast that really makes this show. Mary Tyler Moore was fashion forward with her capri pants, vaudevillian Rose Marie added sass and Morey Amsterdam was just plain funny. For a fun game, count how many times Laura says “Oh, Rob” in an episode.
There’s just something about this show. It’s kitschy, but who doesn’t love the tale of a suburban couple in which the wife just happens to be a witch. Heads up, though: The guy who plays the husband, Darrin, changes midway through the series. Both of the actors are named Dick, so it can be confusing.
It’s so quaint and dated, but in a way some of the characters are true to life. Everyone knows an Eddie Haskell.
Star Trek: The Original Series
Not as campy as you might think “Star Trek” actually took on Cold War themes similar to those addressed in its predecessor, “The Twilight Zone.” Plus, William Shatner is great. For a bonus, go watch John Belushi and crew spoof the show on SNL.