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8 interesting things revealed by your survey quiz answers
Here are your favorite shows, characters and even discontinued sweets you want to bring back!
Along with behind-the-scenes stories, lists of facts you may not know and quizzes all about classic TV, we here at MeTV occasionally put out fun polls that let you express your own opinions — whether it be about your favorite characters or your favorite foods.
Unlike our normal quizzes, these surveys have no wrong answers and instead display the percentage of people who choose each answer. It’s an enjoyable way to see how aligned your pop culture opinions are with other classic TV fans.
Sometimes the results are exactly what you'd expect and sometimes they're not! Here are eight interesting observations made using the results of polls we've done.
Don't forget: You can still take each survey for yourself and see if you agree with the most popular answers.
1. Gunsmoke roped the most people in
We asked a simple question: What’s your favorite TV Western? Out of 18 titles (yes, even Sugarfoot and Cimarron Strip are on there), the current most popular choice is Gunsmoke with 25%. Another long-running favorite, Bonanza, is second with 16%. Classics like The Rifleman (10%), The Wild Wild West (8%) and The Big Valley (8%) round out the top five. Clint Eastwood’s Rawhide beat Steve McQueen’s Wanted Dead or Alive 3% to 2%.
2. Bring back the Marathon candy bar!
We asked which discontinued candy bar you would bring back and Mars’ caramel and chocolate confection, Marathon, just barely beats out Nestle’s Alpine White candy bar – 23% to 21%. The fudgy, caramel, peanut goodness powered the PowerHouse bar to third with 16%. One of the least popular picks? The Chicken Dinner bar (2%).
3. And bring back Quake cereal while you’re at it!
We asked which breakfast cereal you would most want to bring back and the Quaker Oats sugary crisps, Quake, is in the lead with 20%. S’mores Crunch, a 1980s favorite, is in second with 13% while character cereals like Mr. T, C3PO’s and E.T. Cereal all have 7% or less.
4. A few favorite character surprises
We asked simply which character you like the most for a variety of different shows. While the main character was usually the most popular for each show (Gilligan from Gilligan’s Island, Mary from The Mary Tyler Moore Show), there were a few results that surprised us. Calling Spock the most-liked character on Star Trek would be hard to argue with but Captain Kirk certainly has his fair share of fans. In this poll, Spock has been chosen almost twice as much as James Tiberius, 46% to 26%! Another character that has gotten the vast majority of votes is Alice from The Brady Bunch. We asked who you prefer out of the adults (Alice Nelson or Mike and Carol Brady), and Alice has 64% compared to 25% for Mrs. B and only 11% for Mr. B.
5. The most popular theme song doesn’t have lyrics
We asked which TV tune you like the most and the answers were fairly split. However, there is one clear winner: Hawaii Five-O. The rockin’ instrumental currently has 17% with the laid-back whistling of The Andy Griffith Show coming in second with 11%. Many other classic themes, like those from The Beverly Hillbillies, Batman and The Monkees, have between 5% and 7%.
6. Ron Howard will forever be Opie Taylor
We asked which role you associate famous TV actors with. The results are exactly what you might expect. Andy Griffith is seen more as Andy Taylor than Ben Matlock, Dick Van Dyke is Rob Petrie and not Dr. Mark Sloan and so on. While most favor one answer by at least 70%, Ron Howard is currently 66% associated with Opie Taylor and 34% with Richie Cunningham (his character in Happy Days). He may have been older when he played Richie, but according to these results, in many people’s minds he’ll always be Opie.
7. The best sitcom cast would have a mix of many different shows
We asked you to build your ideal workplace sitcom and the results varied depending on the part. Andy Griffith is the favorite leading man, followed by Alan Alda and Dick Van Dyke. No surprises there. Mary Tyler Moore is the most popular leading lady though Dawn Wells is not far behind. Hilarious actors like Bob Denver, Jim Nabors, Jamie Farr and Art Carney all sit at 10% or less because there’s one goofball who was chosen three times as often – Don Knotts. Ed Asner and Harry Morgan take first and second place, respectively, for the most liked sitcom boss. And the most popular person to play a sitcom neighbor? Another Mary Tyler Moore Show actor, Valerie Harper.
8. The ideal Western would be a combination of a few popular favorites
We asked which Western you would most want to be on by having you choose your favorite parts of each one. In most cases, whenever there was something from Gunsmoke, like picking Matt Dillon as the best lawman, you chose that option. However, the Ponderosa Ranch from Bonanza currently holds the title as the favorite place to live over Dodge City or The Rifleman’s North Fork, New Mexico. Speaking of The Rifleman, Lucas McCain is the most popular choice to be the man to help if you’re in trouble. And as for picking the right partner and confidant, more people have chosen Hoss Cartwright over friendly characters like Kitty Russell and Duke Shannon.
14 Comments
1. Not a big TV western fan, but if I had to choose, I'd say the Rifleman.
2. Reggie bar.
3. No great interest. Maybe Fruit Brute because of the Quentin Tarantino connection.
4. Basically chose with the majority. Differences were BJ Hunnicut and Louie DePalma.
5. Barney Miller. That mad bass guitar.
6. Agreed with the majority except for Tim O'Hara, Murray Slaughter and Richie Cunningham.
7. Agreed with the majority except for Dick Van Dyke for leading man and Michael Richards for neighbor. Kramer as your next door neighbor. Come on.
8. Agreed with the majority.
1 Favorite TV Western - Wild, Wild West
2. Favorite discontinued candy bar - Marathon (great theater candy)
3. Return which cereal? - The one that tasted like Graham Crackers
4. Most favorite characters - MFU for all time, but not among the choices given
5. Most popular Theme Song (with no lyrics) - Rockford Files
6. Which role do you associate a famous actor - Spock/Leonard Nimoy
7. Best sitcom with combined cast from other series - Cheers, Frasier, MTM, DVD & Seinfeld
8. The ideal (most interesting) Western - Have Gun Will Travel's Paladin meets the Wild, Wild West!
2. Can't pick.
3. One that wasn't on the list Pink Panther Flakes.
4. Depends on show.
5. Theme from The Odd Couple
6. Ron Howard to me will always be one of the greatest child actors and actors of all time.
7. Andy Griffith, Lucille Ball, Bob Denver, Ed Asner, and Bill Daily.
8. Bonanza.
I love this article, it's so cool! Please do some more like this! Thank you. PEACE!