The Favorite Shows
Some people make a big deal of saying they rarely watch television. Not me. I’ll admit that I watch way too much TV. Always have (I grew up in front of the tube), still do (sad to say), and probably always will—current events, PBS, Jeopardy, Olympic Games, a good football game or basketball tournament here and there, plus the dramas and comedies that appeal to me. Of course, I read a lot, too, view more than my share of movies, and punch the time clock on the Web every day, but I’m as likely to trim my television time as I am to stay off my bicycle, curb my taste for pie, or stop making collage artwork. Now, I have to point out that I can’t stand to watch anything I don’t like, because I’ve never been that kind of viewer. Won’t use it to kill time. Rather, it’s my personal window on the evolving culture, but only on my terms. If a show meets my peculiar standards of enjoyment, I’m hooked. So, leaving out news and educational series, here are the shows I’ve especially liked over the years:
(in alphabetical order, according to era)
The Silver Age
Branded
Burke’s Law
Checkmate
Combat! •
Danger Man
Get Smart
Gunsmoke
Have Gun, Will Travel
I-Spy *
It Takes a Thief
Kung Fu •
Mission: Impossible •
Rawhide
Rocky and his Friends *
Sea Hunt
Space: 1999
Star Trek
Supercar
T.H.E. Cat
The Addams Family
The Adventures of Jonny Quest •
The Avengers
The Defenders
The Dick Van Dyke Show *
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. *
The New Breed *
The Outer Limits *
The Prisoner *
The Rifleman •
The Rogues
The Time Tunnel
The Twilight Zone *
The Wild Wild West *
Wanted: Dead or Alive
The Wasteland Years
Batman: The Animated Series
DC Follies
Iron Chef
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
Lonesome Dove *
Mad About You
Magnum, P.I.
Meeting of Minds
Mission: Impossible ’88 *
Police Squad
Quantum Leap
Saturday Night Live
Spenser: For Hire
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Ten-Speed and Brownshoe
The Rockford Files
The Simpsons
The Tracey Ullman Show
The Wonder Years
The Yellow Rose
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles *
thirtysomething *
A New Era
Alias
Alphas
Arrested Development *
Band of Brothers
Boss
Chicago Hope *
Chuck
Day Break
Eyes
Firefly •
Freaks and Geeks
Friday Night Lights •
Heroes
Homicide: Life on the Street *
Human Target
Intelligence
Journeyman
Law & Order
Life
Ned Blessing: The Story of My Life and Times
NYPD Blue
Parks and Recreation
Pushing Daisies
Seinfeld
Star Trek: Enterprise *
The Black Donnellys
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. •
The Byrds of Paradise
The Larry Sanders Show *
The Nine
The Office
Up All Night
What About Joan
Transformation!
American Crime
An Honourable Woman
Atypical
Better Call Saul *
Black Mirror *
Bloodline *
Breaking Bad *
Deadwood *
Downton Abbey
Enlightened
Flaked
Halt and Catch Fire
Homeland *
House of Cards (American)
In Treatment
Longmire
Luck *
Mad Men •
Marvel’s Daredevil
Mr. Robot
Ozark *
Peaky Blinders
Ray Donovan
Rectify
River
Seven Seconds
The Crown
The Fall
The O.A.
The Pacific
The Wire
The Night Manager
Travelers
True Detective *
Wolf Hall
Age of Streams
Chernobyl *
Counterpart
Dead to Me
Living With Yourself
Succession *
The Boyz
The First
The Man in the High Castle •
The Spy *
* Honor Roll
• TOP TEN!