Antenna TV

So for obvious reasons, I have had a hard time putting together my list. There has been so many TV shows that I have loved so much and became a big part of my life. So without further ado.. my list.

1. Bewitched. I think that Samantha was just too cool and a witch, too! It was close with Jeanie, but I am just going to have to go with Samantha's crazy family
2. All in the Family. I was a kid when this show came out, but I think it made me understand the changes going on in America and between the generations from watching it. You laughed, you were shocked, you cried.
3. Star Trek. I'm a sci-fi head, and I would have to say that this show was had a big effect on that. It was also some of the nicest time I had with my dad.
4. I Love Lucy and who doesn't? The big problem for me was deciding between this and The Honeymooners. I went with Lucy because it had more shows and therefore was a bigger part of my childhood.
5. The Prisoner. The coolest show ever about spies. No one is as cool at Pat McGoohan was. Toss in the mod and the sci-fi aspects and it was a show of it's time.
6. Mad About You. Matt and I met about the same time that Paul and Jamie did. Our livesparalleledtheirs, with the exception that we had twins 2 years before them. I just felt like they were friends of mine.
7. Homicide:Life on the Streets. Wow, this show was one of the best if not the best TV cop show ever, without par. Maybe it was because it was based on the true stories of a Baltimore journalist as he followed the Homicide department in Baltimore, or because it was directed by Baltimore's sons Barry Levinson, or it had the best cast ever put together.. this show will last the test of time.
8. ER. Another best as TV medical shows go. Grey's is just a pale shadow of the people and events that took place in this show, and I like Grey's. I never cried so much, as when Mark Green died of cancer. These were notcharacters, they were people you knew.
9. The Vicar of Dibley. This was a toughie for me. I have so many favorite Brit coms; Monty Python, Ab Fab, As time Goes by, to name a few... but I am going with the Vicar, since I think this is as funny as it gets for everyone.
10. Fraiser. One of the best comedies of recent times. When it started, I thought that how much more funny could this show be than Cheers, but I couldn't have been more wrong. A Classic.

OK now let's see what you guys come up with.

I'm going to have to think about this one . I have more years of TV watching under
my belt so I can pull from eras you are not familiar with . I need some kind of
universal standard to make decisions . Should these shows be able to entertain
today or are they merely forgotten relics that are best left on the shelf ? That is the type of decision making that I am faced with . [Trimming my list to 10 is far more difficult for me.]

The ones that touched your heart and mind, that you connected with on a very personal level. Does that help?

I could have added about another 20 shows to that list easily. It was really hard to do. But these are the ones that I can watch over and over and never get bored.

In no particular order...

Star Trek The Next Generation.....Picard....nuff said.

I Dream of Jeannie....She was the quintessential dumb blonde, but Barbara Eden was funny in that show.

Frasier...Humor I can understand.

Tales from the Crypt...while the happenings in any horror based viewing are far fetched and over the top (except for the next one I'll mention) how can you hate any show held together by a character that looks like a deader version of the creepy old lady on the corner?

The Walking Dead...Norman Reedus is hot....no seriously, it takes an apocalyptic view of the world and makes it plausible. Not to mention it actually makes me teary eyed at times, and VERY few things I watch can make me do that.

Human Target...another show that takes the "over the top" and makes it believable.

Dark Shadows...it took the cozy "father knows best" television mentality and twisted it.

No Reservations...Bourdain is a total dick, but he does it with style. I'd have a beer or twelve with him.

Simon and Simon....Don't know. Just remember enjoying it a ton.

All in the Family....Archie Bunker said the things that no one else would.

I think that's ten....or is it....honestly don't watch much TV, but what I do watch has to hook me.

Hey Shelly,

We agree on 2.5. I love all the Star Treks, but without the first....

Also DS9 was my favorite spin off. I did like Picard...

It was so hard with the Jeannie/Bewitched thing. I really had to mull it over.

All in the Family... Archie was the best no PC TV ever.

"these are the ones that I can watch over and over and never get bored."

OK , that is a standard which is hard to live up to . Although that makes decisions
easier it means I have to gauge my childhood reactions in today's state of being .
This would require enormous amounts of time to research those shows I enjoyed as a
kid . For example , I think I can reject the Milton Berle Show because it wouldn't
work today . But I'm not sure of the timeless nature of some other comedy shows .
George Gobel comes to mind . So does Burns & Allen . Then there's Jack Benny .
Let's not forget Sid Ceaser [Ceasar ?] . And that is just the early comedies ....

I'll be back; this requires some thought!

:~)

For sure though...The Dick Van Dyke Show and Cheers.

You're making a case for the loony bin Randy. Still, wonderful to be watching "Hazel", yes?

Yeah, Larry, this is a tough one. It took me not long to write the article and forever to write the post.

But Randy,

Where is your list???

Well...

1. Married...with Children

2. All in The Family

3. Doctor Who

4. The Munsters

5. Columbo

6. Ducktales

7. Batman

8. The Jetsons

9. The Flintstones

10. The Simpsons

Which version of Batman?

Larry,

We're still waiting!

Good question Shelly!

Hey, all in the family is showing up on everyone's list! I think we have a winner!

Joseph,

I love Batman and the Jetsons. I guess I didn't think of cartoons! Well, we are not sure of which version of Batman you meant.

Randy,

An excellent point! I have noticed that this article has a lot of views, but very few likes. Another thing is that people are forgetting to put in tags. These tags help those on google find your articles. I check our stats daily, and those who put in tags will get a lot more hits from google than those who don't.

Thanks for reminding me about the Jackie Gleason show Randy . That should be
on all the "old folks" lists ...

Then I must be an old folk since I watch it every week on channel 11.

I know that you would love it!

LOL Feronia,

I totally forgot about Simon & Simon! Wow, that is way back there. That was one cool auto though. I would like one to get up my hill that I live on. Overkill? Maybe... but fun!

How fun. By the time I got to the end ofmy list, it was obvious that I am an 80s child with a love for sitcom cheesiness! Here goes

1. Empty Nest The old NBC Saturday lineup was a staple in my childhood. Empty Nest has never really gotten its due, which was why I took up the torch for it in the late 90s and have since operated what is still the only website devoted to the show .

2. The Golden Girls For the same reasons as my first choice, TGG is a close second (and admittedly a better show overall than EN). So glad to see Americas love affair with Betty White is still going strong.

3. The Facts of Life I know I'm in the minority here, but I actually prefer the Cloris Leachman years!

4. Wings I was first introduced to this show way back when USA Network aired the reruns nonstop. Harmless fun.

5. Roseanne After about the fifth year things got progressively worse with each passing season, but at its peak this show was spot on. If we could only banish the memory of that abysmal last season!

6. The Muppet Show Ive always loved Kermit and the gang and the original show remains their best collective effort. The new movie recaptures a bit of that old glory thank goodness. (Once Disney bought out the franchise, the poor Muppets really seemed to lose their edge.)

7. Arrested Development Does it get any better than this show, really?

8. Soap This makes three Susan Harris-created shows on my list. Loved the zany antics of the cast (especially Katherine Helmond and Richard Mulligan). Very inventive way of presenting a comedy program.

9. Freaks & Geeks Gone far too soon! Nice to see this cast having lucrative careers into adulthood.

10. Seinfeld I dont think I need to explain this one very much. It is what it is.

Welcome Matt! Glad to see a new face! Feel free tocontributeany of these kinds of articles. We all love them!

You are mostdefiantlya child of the 80's. Personally I am not sure why I gravitate to my childhood shows.

Well, I have to agree, that you have some great ones here, that I forgot about. Wings I just loved! Same with the Golden Girls. Arrested Development and Seinfeld go together, and I love both, maybe Seinfeld a bit more.

I'm going to go over to your website and check out your devotion to Empty Nest. Now that is a niche crowd!

Hey Matt,

Just came back from your website and it's amazing how much stuff you have collected on Empty Nest and all the positive feedback you have gotten. That is pretty amazing!

Well, I have to say that your polite! Fresh, but polite!

"You're a riot Alice ! " Priceless !

You have an old soul P ...

Hi Matt & welcome to NewsTalkers .

I used to love that show ! I had forgotten all the details such as the title and the names of the actors . I have a feeling that Perrie would appreciate it . But I'm shocked , shocked I tell ya' to find out that Dinah Manoff was not a real redhead . What can I believe in anymore ?? I am a broken man . Gasp ! [last breath]

Nice list Mike! Almost all classics!

All in the Family seems to be the complete winner here. I think it made every list.

I thought about MASH. I really loved that show. My dad is a Korean War Vet (and Nam) and we used to watch it together.

And I forgot about Taxi, which I also loved.

Baa baa Black Sheep? I don't even know if I ever saw it.

How could I forget that???

Where was I when this show was on? My dad would loved it. Anything with planes and war, LOL!

I think that was the point, Feronia. But I can see how he could get on your nerves *your being the royal your.

I liked how Edith evolved. She wasn't a doormat when she had to be.

I hated Married with Children.

I did love Moonlighting. Also a good companion show Remmington Steel. I love Pierce Brosnan.

As I look through these lists, I remember shows that I forgot. OooooQuantumLeap! They Flying Nun. Now there is a concept. Nanny and the Professor. The Courtship of Eddies Father. I loved Bill Bixby.

There are a few more...

Shelly, I like to leave it open to include any version, really. I know some people love the Adam West show and lots of people love the 90's cartoon - some people like the Superfriends/Scooby Doo Batman, or the Filmation Batman. I just leave it open.

Perrie, I thought of including cartoons because I know there are some lists that include The Flintstones, so I thought about throwing in some cartoons from my generation. And not all of Doctor Who is great - I like the late 70's "Thin Man"-esque Who, with Tom Baker and the robot dog, and the recent stuff with David Tennant.

Joseph,

So you just love Batman. How do you feel about the movie versions?

Well that took long enough!

I love Rocky and Bullwinkle!

But maybe we should do a list of our favorite cartoons!

You don't watch NCSI. My dad would have thrown you out of the house!

I loved the beginning or Quincy. I tookforensicsin college and when the did the autopsy I was last man standing. I reminded me of that opening scene.

I really liked Hill Street, but still my favorite was Homicide; Life on the Street.

Cool that you worked with NIS and be nice there. My dad was career Navy.

Wow, how could I ever remember them all. Okay ... kind of in order by how old I was or by category, but in no particular order really.One memory seems to spark another memory.

Lassie .... I Dream of Jeannie .... Danny Thomas Show (Marlo Thomas was such a sweetie) .... Dobie Gillis .... Leave It To The Beave (lol) .... My Three Sons .... Donna Reed Show .... Bewitched ..... Lost In Space (I loved that show) .... Lucille Ball .... Tarzan movies .... Shirley Temple movies .... Gilligan's Island .... Dick Van Dyke .... Gidget .... Flying Nun (a very young Sally Field) .... Ben Casey .... Dr. Kildare .... The Real McCoys .... Bonanza .... Gunsmoke(who can forget MattDillion and pretty Kitty).... The Virginian .... Daniel Boone .... Wagon Train .... Rawhide (loved, loved westerns) .... Petticoat Junction .... The Wild Wild West (Robert Wagner was such a hottie) ... American Bandstand!.... Green Acres .... Car 54 Where Are You? .... Route 66 .... The Red Skelton Show .... Ed Sullivan Show .... Beverly Hillbillies .... My Favorite Martian .... Flipper .... Get Smart .... Dragnet .... Julia (very short lived, but sweet.First black sitcom) .... Mayberry ..... Marcus Welby, MD .... Art Linkletter ....

Comedy Shows: Smothers Brothers (they were great) .... Hee Haw (Goldie Hawn got her start here) ....

Game Shows: Newlywed Game .... Dating Game .... I've Got A Secret .... Whose Line ....

Dad watched war-related showsso we did too: Combat .... Gomer Pyle, USMC (lol) .... Hogan's Heroes .... Rat Patrol .... Baa-Baa Black Sheep (but I was no longer at home by then) ....

A little later: Perry Mason ... I Spy ... Man From Uncle ... Mission Impossible ... Mod Squad ... Mash ... Hawaii Five-O ... Bill Cosby Show ...

Ok, I'm exhausted. Not a complete list butfairly thorough.

I'll look for Antenna TV andcheck Netflixto see which of my favoritesare available. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane, Perrie.I enjoy revisitingthe past on occasion but don't like a steady,heavy dose of it.Nothing beats the present. Be Here Now (who remembers that? lol!)

Great list Kori . I liked many of those . Talking about Robert Wagner brings to
mind "to catch a thief" . Remember that one ?
I was crazy about "Route 66" . Everything about it was terrific , even the theme song .

That is an amazing list Kori!

It's like you got it all! I can't believe how much you remembered!

Very Cool!

Being here and now is great, but I like looking at old photos, too!

Perrie,

The Batman films are a mixed bag. I like the 1st Tim Burton film because of its simple charm - it's what people who didn't read Batman comics think a serious Batman is like. The Nolan films are more like Batman comics from the late 90's - maybe not something you'd check out on an average Sunday afternoon - very heavy. Joel Schumacher - oh, boy, he just remade the Adam West show with a bigger budget - The one with George Clooney is a guilty pleasure that I don't admit to often. I've never seen the 40's serials.

Joseph,

The Flintstones were an unusual cartoon, since really it was the cartoon version of "The Honeymooners". It could be included on any list IMHO.

There are other mulit level cartoons, like Bugs Bunny, and Rocky and Bullwinkle that could also be included.

I never got into Dr. Who, even though I did spend half my life in England. Odd, right? Even odder is that I love sci-fi.

I kind of like them both.

The Burton films sets were great. The characters much lighter. The Nolan films are darker in mood, not set, and definitely, the characters are dark.

I loved comic books and many of the movies and TV shows come from them, tend to stray from the comics themselves.

That is true - I remember how all the Spider-Man fans were upset that they took away the gadgets and made his webs part of his Spiderpowers. The Catwoman film had nothing to do with the comics at all. The Fantastic Four movies didn't catch why people would want to follow their adventures. The Iron Man film actually got lucky - their take is not based on any particular comic, yet it's more popular than the book/character ever was.

I rememeber Tina Fey saying she didn't watch the Flintstones because her dad thought it was a rip-off of The Honeymooners. Jackie Gleason thought about suing, then decided not to because it was popular with kids. Woody Allen wrote an episode, but it was rejected because theamount of verbal jokes didn't play well visually for a half-hour cartoon.

I've heard some people say that Doctor Who's more popular NOW, but now I think that popularity is fading a bit after Tennant left. That "regeneration" gimmick is handy when an actor wants a payraise.

Doctor Who is more a mish-mash of Fantasy and Sci-fi cliches, mixed with bizarre british quirks. An American version is always rumored to be in the works, but it wouldn't work - it would be Bill and Ted's Excellant Adventure.

Hi Joseph!

Jackie Gleason thought about suing, then decided not to because it was popular with kids.

I never knew that, but I am not surprised. He was very nasty in real life.

Woody Allen wrote an episode, but it was rejected because theamount of verbal jokes didn't play well visually for a half-hour cartoon.

That would be like Soupy Sales writing and episode, LOL!

An American version is always rumored to be in the works, but it wouldn't work - it would be Bill and Ted's Excellant Adventure.

A lot ofBritishshows don't translate well. Really, even "The Office" is a bad translation of theoriginal. One time I heard that they were going to do an American version of Ab Fab, and I knew that was going to be a stinker. I guess they got over the idea, since it never happened.

Another show that wouldn't translate is "The IT Crowd" ... the Brit version is irresistable [:~ P

RS) ^ " Great list Kori . I liked many of those . Talking about Robert Wagner brings to
mind "to catch a thief" . Remember that one ?
I was crazy about "Route 66" . Everything about it was terrific , even the theme song ."
=======

Rich, yes, I remember "To Catch A Thief"! Good show!The Route 66 theme song;well done. As an adult I appreciate the arrangement a lot more now than back then. I really like some of the nostalgia prints on the youtube video too.

As I was reading your comment last night, I happened to think of Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon. Loved those Calif beach movies.

Annette Funicello: "In the early 1960s, Annette starred in a series of beach party movies with Frankie Avalon, including Beach Party (1963), Muscle Beach Party (1964), Bikini Beach (1964), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), and How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965) .

During this time, she recorded a series of hit top-40 pop singles, including "Tall Paul," "First Name Initial," "How Will I Know My Love," and "Pineapple Princess."

I don't remember the songs but perhaps if I heard them, I'd remember.

PH) ^ Being here and now is great, but I like looking at old photos, too!

=======

Perrie, so do I. I'm weird. I enjoy looking at photos even when I don't know anyone in the photos. People sometimes apologize for boring me but it's not boring to me -people are interesting and everyone is proud to sharetheir family and friends and the good times they've shared.

Have a bunch of old photos that were my dad's and unfortunately, there's nothing written on the back! Ugh! That's annoying.

Kori,

I am sure that those pictures tell the story of your family. You should give yourself a Christmas gift and join ancestry.com. I did that, and it really helped to figure out who all these dead relatives were!

I remember the Jetsons had a parody of Soupy Sales. All that survived in the transition to animation were the pies in the face.

Yes, I remember the American Ab Fab - Roseanne Barr supposedly produced a pilot with Sandra Bernard and Barbera Carrera. Personally, I think Ab Fab gets away with a lot because it's written off as "Those quirky British".

In fact, the last four seasons of Roseanne look like her attempt at turning the show into Absolutely Fabulous.

Joseph,

You are so right about the last 4 years of Roseanne. You really can't do Ab Fab here in the US, since it is way over the top for the networks. In that sense, I think that the England has that over American TV.

But I didn't remember that the Jetson's did Soupy Sales. Boy, you really do remember your TV!

You know, I have got to agree with you on that Mike. I would have liked to see how the transition would have gone, too, especially since it would have shown the change in party, too.

It also had a kick ass cast.