Vintage Lunch Boxes: TV Shows

TV shows and lunch boxes have gone hand-and-hand since day one. The very first pop culture lunch box featured Hopalong Cassidy. A very popular TV program featuring the famous cowboy. For decades the Thermos and Aladdin companies fought over the rights to produce boxes featuring popular TV shows.

Below are some of my favorite TV Show lunch boxes from my collection. So let’s go back in time where nun’s could fly, cars could talk and we dreamed about the advanced space travel we would do in the year “1999.”

Hopalong Cassidy (1952)

The very first pop culture box as we know it. Can in both red and blue.

Tom Corbett Space Cadet (1956)

Came right after Hopalong. Was one of the first boxes to utilize lithography. Earlier versions were stickers.

Space 1999 (1974)

Short-lived sci-fi series.

A-Team (1985)

TV show staring Mr T. I pity the fool who didn’t get this box.

Adam 12 (1972)

This box came in both a flat and an embossed version.

Battlestar Gallactica (1978)

Box for the original series featuring Lorne Green from Bonanza.

Th Bionic Woman (1977)

Box for the spin-off from the Six Million Dollar Man.

Buck Roger in the 25th Century

The box outlasted the TV series.

Charlie's Angels (1978)

Featuring the “post Farrah” line-up.

Dukes of Hazzard (1980)

This TV show and box would probably not happen today.

Emergency (1973)

Loved this show when I was a kid

The Fall Guy (1981)

After he was the “Six Million Dollar Man” Lee Majors was “The Fall Guy.”

Flipper (1967)

Who could forget that sound he made.

Get Smart (1966)

Featuring Don Adams who was also the voice of “Tennessee Tuxedo.”

Happy Days (1977)

Thermos would do another version a year later that would take everyone off but “The Fonz.”

Hee Haw (1970)

One of the longest running TV shows ever.

Beverly Hillbillies (1963)

One of many 1960’s comedies with an insane premise.

Knight Rider (1981)

We all wish we had wish we had a car with the voice of that old guy on “St. Elsewhere".”

Kung Fu (1974)

David Carridine’s hit series.

The Magic of Lassie (1978)

Always trying to find her way home.

Laugh-In (1969)

Satirical comedy that launched a million catch phrases

Julia (1969)

Featuring the first African American woman on a lunch box.

Mr. Merlin (1981)

The lunch box was more exciting than the show.

Mork and Mindy (1980)

One of three spin-offs from Happy Days.

The Flying Nun (1968)

Before Sally Field was a movie star she was “The Flying Nun.”

Partridge Family (1971)

Teen heart-throb David Cassidy hit the stag every Friday night.

Planet of the Apes (1974)

TV series loosely based on the popular movies.

Gomer Pyle USMC (1966)

Jim Nabors starred in the “Andy Griffith Show” pin-off.

Rat Patrol (1967)

I was only on for a couple of years but it’s run in syndication made it a hit with boys in the 60’s”

Six Million Dollar Man (1974)

Part Man - Part Machine! Six million went a long way in the 1970’s.

The Waltons (1973)

Just having a hard time imagining some kid begging his parents to buy him a “Waltons” lunch box.