Favorite TV Shows

Of all the series listed here, this is one of those I have the fondest memories of growing up. Many of the non-animated shows here I came to later in life, the earlier ones being my mid- to late-teens. Not so with Who's the Boss? I grew up with this, watched it every week, and loved it. Yes, so Tony Danza isn't a great actor. But it was a show my father and I always looked forward to watching each week, and I enjoyed the longevity of the characters. It's quite fascinating to watch the changes in technology and culture as the show progresses, at least, today it is. I doubt I appreciated those aspects back then.

I haven't seen all of the episodes of this one, and in fact came to the show much later, in my early twenties, in the form of reruns. But I've seen quite a few, enough to appreciate the paradigm shift between Shelley Long and Christie Alley. I always preferred Shelley Long on the show, but Christie had her moments as well. And of course, this show gave rise to a spin-off that is also immensely popular, Frasier. A classic series well worth tracking down.

I came to this show much, much later. In fact, it wasn't until my late 20s that I watched any of the episodes. And I found myself surprisingly amused by the show. It works. It's hilarious, and for some odd reason, I would often find myself watching it late at night, when reruns would air.

I'm not sure there's much I need to say about this show for those who haven't seen it. And for those who have, do I really need to say anything? It's slap-stick comedy at its best. I've seen the new movie, and it does its best, I suppose, but it no where nears capturing this one. There were five different stooges, by only three at any one time. The three changes were, of course: Curly, Shemp, and Curly Joe. Of these, the only one I cannot stand is Curly Joe. Of course, as with many people, Curly is my all-time favorite. I'm still working on purchasing this one on dvd.

Amazing. Just simply one of the most hilarious shows I've ever watched. Perhaps alot of it has to do with Tim Conway. If you don't know who he is, you should. If you do, I need say no more. In fact, you often see Harvey Korman and the other actors/actresses on set unable to keep a straight face in scenes with Conway. A genius for delivery. Definitely one of my favorite comedy shows of all time.

I am not certain how many people have seen this old show. I rarely run into people who know it, it seems. But it was a very solid horror series back in the late eighties. And for its time, the special effects and transformation scenes were great. The show took a bit of a dive after Chuck Connors left the show, but I'd still highly recommend it to any lover of the horror genre.

This one I did grow up with, and even though I don't tend to gravitate to the horror genre (I'm more of a science fiction/fantasy fan), this one is worth a gander if you can find it. I have the first two seasons, but the third and final season eludes me. The basic premise is a niece and nephew inherit their uncle's shop of cursed antiques and must work to retrieve them from the people their uncle sold them to. It has some great episodes, but also some rather dull or poor ones, like most shows.

In a similar vein as The Twilight Zone, this show doesn't measure up to its predecessor, but does have a number of fascinating and enjoyable episodes. Much like TZ, this series ranges the full spectrum of themes and topics, from sci-fi stories to classic horror and demonic tales. I would recommend checking this one out, but perhaps not purchasing it right away.

One of my all-time favorites from the old days, this series is a classic, and one well worth your investment dollars. I own the entire collection on DVD, and have never regretted the decision. So many classics here that I could speak to, but perhaps my all-time favorite is with Burgess Meredith, an episode called Time Enough at Last. Perhaps it's because I'm a librarian, or a book lover, but I never tire of seeing this one. Most people probably have, as it's one of the most famous episodes of the series, but that doesn't make it any worse for being popular.

Obviously I'm a huge sci-fi fan, at least as far as tv shows go. I tend to lean more towards fantasy in novels and reading. I haven't yet seen a great epic fantasy tv series, though some good movies have been made. This one hinges on Dr. Sam Beckett caught in a time travel experiment, always seeking a way to finally return back home to his own life and time period. As he "leaps through time," he is tasked with "putting right what once went wrong." It's a very quirky show with some profound moments, right along side humorous and light-hearted ones. It was also the first show I came to appreciate Scott Bakula on.