Classic TV on Amazon Prime

Ray Walston as our Favorite Martian.

Without any fanfare, Amazon Prime has been quietly increasing the number of classic (pre-1980) TV series offered on its streaming service. Amazon Prime has always featured a handful of classic favorites, such as the original Star Trek and selected episodes of I Love Lucy.

But recently, it began to augment those staples with shows such as Petticoat Junction, My Favorite Martian, and The Rifleman. Many of these series can still be viewed on cable television. However, there are advantages to watching them on Amazon Prime: the episodes are uncut and commercial-free, plus you can watch them anytime you want.

There are also some surprise offerings, such as Buddy Hackett's sitcom Stanley (1956-57), which co-starred a young Carol Burnett and Paul Lynde, who voiced a character who is never seen. It's also surprising to find episodes of The Merv Griffin Show that feature guests such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Richard Pryor, William Wyler, Bette Davis, Orson Welles, and Dick Cavett.

In the listing below, I've listed the number of seasons in parentheses after each show's title. If you've found other classic TV series on Amazon Prime, please share them in the comments and I will add them to the list.

Sitcoms
The Andy Griffith Show (8)
The Beverly Hillbillies (1)
The Danny Thomas Show (2)
The Doris Day Show (5)
The Donna Reed Show (2)
Dusty's Trail (1)
Family Affair (5)
Father Knows Best (1)
Here's Lucy (1)
The Honeymooners "Lost Episodes"
The Mothers-in-Law (2)
My Favorite Martian (3)
My Living Doll (1)
"Best of" I Love Lucy
Petticoat Junction (1)
Stanley (1)
That Girl (5)

Dramas
The Adventures of Robin Hood (4)
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1)
The Buccaneers (1)
Colonel March of Scotland Yard (1)
Dangerous Assignment (1)
Dark Shadows (6)
Decoy (1)
H.G. Wells' Invisible Man (2)
Mission: Impossible (7)
Movin' On (2)
Mr. Lucky (1)
Mr. & Mrs. North (1)
Peter Gunn (3)
Route 66 (1)
"Best of" Sergeant Preston of the Yukon (2)
Star Trek (3)
Twilight Zone (5)

Westerns
Bonanza (3 episodes)
The Cisco Kid (6)
Hopalong Cassidy (2)
The Rifleman (5)
Yancy Derringer (1)

Quiz Shows
I've Got a Secret (1)
Match Game '75 (1)
Password Plus 1979
Tattletales '74
What's My Line? (1)

Miscellaneous
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts (1)
The Gumby Show (1)
The Merv Griffin Show (1)