What sitcoms survived the mid-1960s transition to color broadcasting without losing that “special something”?

Gilligan's Island
Bewitched
Gomer Pyle USMC

I Dream of Jeannie

Least loss (at first):

Bewitched
I Dream of Jeannie
Gilligan's Island
The Beverly Hillbillies
Petticoat Junction
Gomer Pyle USMC
Hogan's Heroes

Biggest loss:

My Three Sons
The Andy Griffith Show
The Lucy Show

Toss up:

My Favorite Martian
F Troop

Jeannie transitioned the best. It became quicker-paced and more off-the-wall starting with its first color season.

Bewitched and Petticoat both had successful first color seasons that matched the tone of their respective black-and-white seasons. Then they both headed south.

F-Troop transitioned well. It’s only a two-season series, so it really didn’t have time to decline.

Hazel also made the move successfully.

How about The Joey Bishop Show, which, strangely went from B&W to color and then back to B&W?

I thought the first two color seasons of “My Three Sons” were fine. It’s when they moved to California and started marrying everyone off that it went downhill.

Gilligan's Island is probably the sitcom that transitioned best from B & W to color, with the tropical island setting that series should really have been in color from the beginning but the network declined to go with color filming for the 1st season.

I Dream Of Jeannie's 1st season in B & W is more of a fantasy/romantic comedy type of sitcom. In season 2 when the change to color was made, the style of comedy in the series also changed, gradually becoming more frantic and zany, and by the 3rd and 4th seasons the episodes played out like a live action cartoon.

THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES, BEWITCHED, GOMER PYLE

don't forget the Honeymooners

don't forget the Honeymooners

also HOGANS HEROES and GET SMART

Hogan's Heroes and Get Smart only had the pilot episode in black and white.

As for Hogan, I'm not sure if MeTV shows the black and white episode; I'm pretty sure TV Land did.

F-Troop transitioned well. It’s only a two-season series, so it really didn’t have time to decline.

Hazel also made the move successfully.

How about The Joey Bishop Show, which, strangely went from B&W to color and then back to B&W?

I agree that F Troop and Hazel also transitioned well from B & W to color.

The Joey Bishop Show is unique because it's bookended with two B & W seasons and sandwiched in the middle with two color seasons, although season one does have five episodes in color.

Hogan's Heroes and Get Smart only had the pilot episode in black and white.

As for Hogan, I'm not sure if MeTV shows the black and white episode; I'm pretty sure TV Land did.
yes; ME TV has shown the black-and-white pilot episode of HH.

don't forget the Honeymooners
Those color episodes of the Honeymooners are horrible. It’s probably the example of the worst decline when a show went to color. But also, let’s face it: the color episodes are a completely different show, produced years later, with a different cast and format, and with a different production method.

Those color episodes of the Honeymooners are horrible. It’s probably the example of the worst decline when a show went to color. But also, let’s face it: the color episodes are a completely different show, produced years later, with a different cast and format, and with a different production method.

Are these the sketches from The Jackie Gleason Show from Miami, the ones with Sheila MacRae as Alice, and Jane Kean as Trixie?

It's a tough standard. Most shows that have a special something find it within the first season or two, then lose it within a few years. I'd say the Hillbillies, Gilligan, and F Troop probably lost the least in color.

Why would anyone think a show would lose anything because of the transfer from C&W to color?

That's silly.

Did McHales Navy go to color - or am I just thinking of the movie spin-offs?

No, McHale's Navy had four seasons in black and white.

Did McHales Navy go to color - or am I just thinking of the movie spin-offs?

McHALES NAVY was always in black-and-white.

Why would anyone think a show would lose anything because of the transfer from C&W to color?

That's silly.

Some people have complained that “The Andy Griffith Show” declined in quality when it began to be broadcast in color.

Some people have complained that “The Andy Griffith Show” declined in quality when it began to be broadcast in color.

I avoid the color episodes of Andy Griffith/Mayberry RFD, but obviously color film as a medium was not to blame... the change roughly coincides with the loss of Barney, Floyd, and Gomer and the rise of Helen. Sadly, except for Goober, the new characters like Emmett and Howard are rather dull in comparison to those departing - also Andy seems grouchy and Opie is less cute.

I avoid the color episodes of Andy Griffith/Mayberry RFD, but obviously color film as a medium was not to blame... the change roughly coincides with the loss of Barney, Floyd, and Gomer and the rise of Helen. Sadly, except for Goober, the new characters like Emmett and Howard are rather dull in comparison to those departing - also Andy seems grouchy and Opie is less cute.

Maybe the writers were to blame.