The TV Page

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Our HALL of FAME for Television

Great Television Shows


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Amos 'n' Andy (1951-53)

Arguably one of the best TV comedies of all time, Amos 'n' Andy was the story of good friends, Amos Jones and Andrew H. Brown, who move from Georgia to New York City and eventually hook up with the conniving but lovable con man, George "Kingfish" Stevens. The stories focus more on the activities of the Kingfish, an officer in their lodge "The Mystic Knights of the Sea". The series made the transition from radio to TV with much success and lasted two seasons under much protest from Afro-American groups. It went into syndication where it was extremely popular. The show portrayed a favorable image of middle class Black Americans with the possible exception of the dialect. Also portrayed were Black professional types in peripheral roles. Only a few of the main characters were slightly "off the wall". The cast was impeccable and starred: Harry R. "Tim" Moore as George "Kingfish" Stevens, Alvin Childress as Amos Jones, Spencer Williams as Andy Brown, Ernestine Wade as Sapphire Stevens (Kingfish's wife), Amanda Randolph as Mama (Sapphire's mother), Johnny Lee as lawyer Algonquin J. Calhoun, Nick Stewart (aka Nick O'Demus) as Lightnin' (the lodge hall janitor), Jester Hairston as Cousin Leroy (Sapphire's cousin). The show was sponsored by Blatz Beer. Its theme song was "The Perfect Song". Pictured above are: l. to r. Alvin Childress; Harry R. "Tim" Moore; Spencer Williams.

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Howdy Doody (1947-1960)

The first popular children's show on television was Howdy Doody. It was created by Bob Smith modeled after a radio show he hosted called "Triple B Ranch". A character on that show used the catch phrase "howdy doody" and Smith used that name for the marionette that would become his "star". The show centered in the circus town of "Doodyville" involved the showing of old-time (silent) films and stories revolving around its cast of human and puppet characters while visiting kids watched from bleachers called the "Peanut Gallery". Among the human characters were: Buffalo Bob (Smith) who hosted the show; Clarabelle the Clown who could not speak a word but used a honking horn to answer questions (played by Bob Keeshan, Bobby Nicholson and Lew Anderson); Chief Thunderthud of the Ooragnak tribe who was the originator of the phrase "Kowabunga!" & Oil Well Willie a prospector (Played by Bill LeCornec); Princess Summerfall Winterspring an Indian girl (played by Judy Tyler) and Lanky Lou the Sheriff of Doodyville (played by Dayton Allen). Among the puppets were: Dilly Dally a dimwitted carpenter; Phineas T. Bluster the Mayor of Doodyville and a sinister character; Flub-a-dub who was a creature made up of parts of other animals including a duck, giraffe and seal; Heidi Doody who was Howdy's sister and Double Doody, Howdy's twin brother. The show's theme song was "It's Howdy Doody Time" played to the theme of Tara-ra-boom-dee-ay. Among the sponsors were Wonder Bread and Colgate Toothpaste. Pictured above are: L. to r. Buffalo Bob Smith; Howdy Doody.

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Combat (1962-1967)

Extremely well written and well produced, Combat was the story of the exploits of a small platoon in World War II from D-day through VE-day. It appeared on ABC's schedule and was the longest running of a series of WWII TV shows (The Gallant Men; The Lieutenant; Twelve O'Clock High and Rat Patrol) lasting 5 seasons. It starred: Vic Morrow as Sgt. "Chip" Saunders; Rick Jason as Lt. Gil Hanley; Pierre Jalbert as Paul "Caje" LeMay; Jack Hogan as William J. "Wildman" Kirby; Dick Peabody as Littlejohn and both Steven Rogers and Conlan Carter as Doc (the Medics). Other regulars were: Tom Lowell as Billy Nelson and Shecky Greene as Pvt. Braddock. The pilot film was written by Robert Pirosh who scripted the excellent film "Battleground". Among its directors were Robert Altman; James Komack; Laslo Benedek; Bernard McEveety and Richard Donner. Some of the best episodes were written by the husband and wife team of Bob and Esther Mitchell. Among its guest stars were: Robert Duvall; James Coburn; Lee Marvin; Charles Bronson and John Cassavetes. Pictured above are: l. to r. Rick Jason; Vic Morrow.

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The Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978)

Of all the shows comedian Bob Newhart was associated with, none better fit his low-key persona than "The Bob Newhart Show". It was created by MTM's David Davis & Lorenzo Music and written by comedy writers Tom Patchett & Jay Tarses. It sustained its acerbic wit and hip charm throughout its 6 year run and, like all quality shows, went out "on top"!
The series centered around Psychiatrist Bob Hartley and the eccentric characters that surrounded him at home and work. His wife Emily was devoted to him and her job as an Elementary school teacher. The best moments often occurred during Hartley's group therapy sessions. The brilliant ensemble cast included: Bob Newhart as Dr. Bob Hartley; Suzanne Pleshette as Emily Hartley; Bill Daily as neighbor, Howard Borden; Peter Bonerz as children's dentist Dr. Jerry Robinson; Marcia Wallace as Bob's secretary, Carol Kester Bondurant; Will MacKenzie as Carol's fiancé and husband, Larry Bondurant; Pat Finley as Bob's sister, Ellen Hartley; Barnard Hughes & Martha Scott as Bob's parents Herb & Martha Hartley and John Randolph & Ann Rutherford as Emily's parents "Jr." & Aggie Harrison. Regulars in the Group Sessions were: Jack Riley as the acid-tongued, paranoid Elliott Carlin; John Fiedler as the meek Mr. Peterson; Oliver Clark as the very timid Mr. Herd; Florida Friebus as the kindly Mrs. Bakerman; Lucien Scott as the sourpuss Mr. Vickers; Noam Pitlik as the obnoxious Mr. Gianelli and Renee Lippin as the shy wallflower, Michelle Nardo. The show's theme song was "Home for Emily" by Lorenzo & Henrietta Music. Pictured above clockwise from bottom left: Bob Newhart; Bill Daily; Marcia Wallace; Peter Bonerz; Suzanne Pleshette.

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Lassie (1954-1974)

This story of a courageous and intelligent collie named Lassie began in books and appeared on film and radio before becoming an enduring TV series. On TV the series began in 1954 as the story of a boy and his dog. It centered on the Miller family; Jeff, the young boy, his widowed mother and his grandfather who all lived on a farm. In 1957 a runaway orphan boy named Timmy, joined the family. That same year Gramps died and the Millers could no longer run the farm so they sold it to the Martin family and moved to the city. Timmy became attached to the Martins and he and Lassie eventually stayed on with them at the farm. In 1964 the Martins moved to Australia and left Lassie in the care of an elderly friend named Cully Wilson. When Cully later died, Lassie befriended forest ranger Corey Stuart. At this point Lassie traveled the entire country with Corey and the stories were open to all kinds of situations.
In 1968 Corey was seriously hurt and Lassie fell under the care of two other rangers, Scott Turner & Bob Erickson. In syndication Lassie became a "wanderer" and each week encountered new people. Later she hooked on with the Holden family at a ranch in Solvang, California. Lassie always remained the focal point of the series. The cast included: Tommy Rettig as Jeff Miller; Jan Clayton as Jeff's mother Ellen Miller; George Cleveland as Gramps; Donald Keeler as Jeff's friend "Porky" Brockway; Paul Maxey as Porky's dad, Matt Brockway; Jon Provost as Timmy; Cloris Leachman & June Lockhart as Ruth Martin; Jon Shepodd & Hugh Reilly as Paul Martin; George Chandler as Uncle Petrie Martin; Andy Clyde as Cully Wilson; Robert Bray as ranger Corey Stuart; Jed Allan as ranger Scott Turner; Jack De Mave as ranger Bob Erickson; Ron Hayes as Garth Holden; Skip Burton as his son Ron Holden; Joshua Albee as Garth's son Mike Holden; Larry Wilcox as rancher Dale Mitchell; Pamelyn Ferdin as Lucy Baker and Sherry Boucher as Sue Lambert. Rudd Weatherwax was Lassie's trainer. The show ran in syndication as Jeff's Collie. Pictured above l. to r.: Tommy Rettig and Lassie.

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Topper (1953-1955)

This wonderfully hilarious comedy made the transition from film to television easily. It was beautifully cast with veteran character actor Leo G. Carroll in the title role and a fine ensemble to back him. The story concerned banker, Cosmo Topper, who purchased a home complete with the ghosts of its past owners, George & Marion Kerby and their inebriated St. Bernard dog "Neil", who were recently killed in an avalanche while on a ski trip. The episodes revolved around the trouble in which the Kerby's would involve Topper. Only Topper could visualize the Kerby's and Neil and so often they would get him into extremely embarrassing predicaments. The show was produced at Hal Roach Studios, a staple for comedy productions for many years. The original Topper films starring Roland Young, Cary Grant and Constance Bennett were produced there. The cast included: Leo G. Carroll as Cosmo Topper; Lee Patrick as his wife, Henrietta; Thurston Hall as his boss, Mr. Schuyler; Anne Jeffreys as Marion Kerby and Robert Sterling as George Kerby; Edna Skinner as the Topper's maid Maggie and Kathleen Freeman as their maid Katy. Neil the St. Bernard was played by Buck. The show was one of the first to involve trick photography and the interplay between humans and beings from other worlds or dimensions. Pictured above l. to r.: Leo G. Carroll; Robert Sterling; Anne Jeffries.

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The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968)

One of the most popular, folksy shows ever on television was The Andy Griffith Show. It took place in the fictional charming, endearing town of Mayberry, North Carolina and centered around Sheriff Andy Taylor, his family and friends. Mayberry was so realistically portrayed that many people believe it actually exists. What made the show so successful were its characters. The show went through a series of reincarnations with the loss of certain characters but always remained a popular show. The cast included: Andy Griffith as Sheriff Andy Taylor; Ronnie Howard as his young son Opie Taylor; Frances Bavier as beloved Aunt Bee Taylor; Hope Summers as Bee's friend Clara Edwards; Don Knotts as overly zealous Deputy Bernard P. "Barney" Fife; Elinor Donahue as Andy's girlfriend Miss Ellie Walker; Aneta Corsaut as Andy's girlfriend, teacher Helen Crump; Betty Lynn as Barney's girlfriend Thelma Lou; Howard McNear as befuddled barber Floyd Lawson; Hal Smith as the town inebriate Otis Campbell; Jim Nabors as naive gas station attendant Gomer Pyle; George Lindsey as Gomer's oddball cousin Goober Pyle; Jack Dodson as town clerk Howard Sprague; Howard Morris as hillbilly troublemaker Ernest T. Bass; Denver Pyle as hillbilly Briscoe Darling; Jack Burns as Deputy Warren Ferguson and many others. The show exuded folksiness and charm. When Andy Taylor and family left town the show was renamed Mayberry R.F.D. The theme by Earle Hagen was called "The Fishin' Hole." Pictured above l. to r.: Andy Griffith; Ronnie Howard; Don Knotts.

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The Lone Ranger (1949-1957)

Seldom has a piece of music been so recognizable with a film or story as Rossini's "William Tell Overture" and The Lone Ranger. From its opening scenes of the Lone Ranger astride his white stallion, Silver, and the strains of the Overture to its ending of each episode with the Ranger shouting, "Hi-Yo, Silver!" this program is indelibly etched in the memory of every kid who watched it regularly. The first episode told the story of a posse of six Texas Rangers searching for a gang of desperadoes who are suddenly ambushed and all six left for dead. One, John Reid, survives and crawls to safety where he is rescued and nursed back to health by a friendly Indian named Tonto. He vows to fight crime and injustice for the rest of his life donning a mask to hide his true identity. Tonto, who he had aided previously, vows to join him. The Ranger's only means of support is a silver mine which he and his brother, a victim of the same massacre, had discovered. He made his own silver bullets which became his trademark. Each episode revolved around the Lone Ranger and Tonto fighting crime and helping others. Early westerns were basically stories of good vs. evil until the Adult westerns of the late 1950s and early 1960s came along. Cast included: Clayton Moore as The Lone Ranger; Jay Silverheels as his faithful Indian companion Tonto. John Hart played the part of The Lone Ranger briefly from 1952-1954. Theme music Rossini's "William Tell Overture." Pictured above l. to r.: Clayton Moore; Jay Silverheels with Silver & Scout.

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Gunsmoke (1955-1975)

One of the longest running and most popular TV series ever, Gunsmoke, which ran for 20 years, often topped the Nielsen ratings as the No. 1 show. It was the first of the "Adult Westerns" and its popularity launched a series of similar Western series. The stories centered around Dodge City, Kansas where Marshal Matt Dillon maintained justice and law & order. Dillon was infatuated by Miss Kitty Russell owner and operator of the Long Branch Saloon. Episodes often concerned various citizens of Dodge City and the surrounding area as well as assorted gunslingers, drifters and immigrants. The cast included: James Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon; Amanda Blake as Saloonkeeper Kitty Russell; Dennis Weaver as Deputy Chester Goode; and later, Ken Curtis as scraggily hillbilly Deputy Festus Haggen; Roger Ewing as Deputy Thad Greenwood; Milburn Stone as crusty old Doc (Galen) Adams; Burt Reynolds as half-breed Blacksmith Quint Asper; Glenn Strange as Sam the Bartender, James Nusser as melancholy town drunk Louie Pheeters; Sarah Selby as Boarding House operator Ma Smalley; Buck Taylor as gunsmith Newly O'Brien; Charles Seel as telegraph agent Barney; Howard Culver as Hotel Clerk Howie; John Harper as town Undertaker Percy Crump; Hank Patterson as stableman Hank; Roy Roberts as Mr. Bodkin the banker; Ted Jordan as Nathan Burke the freight agent; Woody Chamblis as Mr. Lathrop a storekeeper and Dabbs Greer as Mr. Jones another storekeeper. Pat Hingle replaced Milburn Stone temporarily as Dr. Chapman when Stone suffered a heart attack. In 1974 Amanda Blake left the series due to ill health and was replaced by Fran Ryan as Miss Hannah, new Operator of the Long Branch Saloon. The show's theme song was "Gunsmoke" (also known as "Old Trails") written by Glenn Spencer and Rex Koury. Pictured above l. to r. Top row: Milburn Stone; James Arness; Amanda Blake; Ken Curtis. Bottom row: Buck Taylor; Glenn Strange.

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The Honeymooners (1952-1971)


Although it started as a skit segment on "The Jackie Gleason Show", The Honeymooners evolved into one of the most beloved sitcoms of all times due to its ever increasing popularity. It was so basic, so simple that it struck a chord with the viewing public. Stories centered on Ralph & Alice Kramden, a struggling, middle class couple, who lived in a starkly furnished Brooklyn apartment. Ralph was a New York City bus driver who constantly strove to improve his lot in life through moneymaking schemes which were always doomed to failure. Although the Kramdens were often bickering and arguing with each other over Ralph's "failures", their love for each other always came out in the end. Their neighbors and best friends were Ed & Trixie Norton who lived upstairs in the same apartment building. Ed was a NYC sewer worker who loved his job and was very loyal to his friend Ralph although he often got him into deep trouble. The Honeymooners had one of the smallest casts in the history of sitcoms. The Cast was: Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden; Audrey Meadows as his wife Alice; Art Carney as Ed Norton and Joyce Randolph as Trixie Norton, Ed's wife. Pert Kelton (1952) and Sheila MacRae (1966-1971) also played Alice Kramden. Jane Kean (1966-71) also played Trixie Norton. The show's theme song was: "You're My Greatest Love." Pictured above are: l. to r. Jackie Gleason; Art Carney; Audrey Meadows and Joyce Randolph.

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The Steve Allen Show (1962-1964)

Actually we salute all incarnations of The Steve Allen Show from his Sunday evening prime time hour on NBC (1956-1960), his stint as first host the Tonight Show (1954-1957) to the various syndicated talk shows he hosted. Steve Allen is one of the most versatile performers in all of television. He is an author, musician, composer, comedian, actor, producer and jack-of-all-trades. Although he may not have created the talk show, he refined it into an entertaining format with all forms of talent involved. He surrounded himself with a plethora of creative persons from all areas of the entertainment community. Among his crew of regulars on most of his shows were: Louis Nye, Don Knotts, Tom Poston, Dayton Allen, Bill Dana, Gabe Dell, Pat Harrington Jr. and others. His wife Jayne Meadows was also a frequent guest. The syndicated show mentioned above was among his most creative. Allen was very much at home interviewing audience members or average people on the street. He also introduced silly stunts like dressing as a giant marshmallow and diving into a vat of hot chocolate or being shot out of a cannon. His props were also quite creative: a bowl of fruit, a goo-goo doll with bulging eyes, various bells and whistles he'd ring and blow if things seemed to get out of hand. Some of his guests were spokespersons for various products: Miss Pickle, Miss Potato Chips or something similar. Allen was also an excellent interviewer who "listened" to his guests. The skits done on the shows were often hilarious and very rarely failed. His influence on current talk show hosts, especially David Letterman, is quite obvious. He worked on virtually every network. His theme song was: "This Could Be the Start of Something Big" which he also composed. Pictured above: Steve Allen.

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Meeting of Minds (1977-1981)

Who would ever have thought that intellectual conversation could be entertaining as well as stimulating? The multi-talented Steve Allen did and he created the ultimate talk show. Meeting of Minds was a most unlikely project for television. The premise was that prominent figures and icons of history, from different eras in most cases, would get together around a living room table and discuss everything from history, philosophy and theology to the state of the world in our current time. The stunning revelation was that it worked beautifully with moments of high drama, poignancy, levity as well as actually creating a hunger for knowledge and an appreciation of history. All dialogue was researched by experts and based on the writings and teachings of the "historical guests." The "guests" were always surprisingly well played by mostly unknown, but extremely talented, actors who magnificently "became" the characters they were portraying. The casting was usually superb. The one drawback was that most female characters were played by Jayne Meadows, Allen's wife, and she became almost too familiar. In her defense I would say that she is a wonderful actress and every portrayal she did was "right on the money!" Among the guests were: Genghis Khan; Mahatma Gandhi; Florence Nightingale; Voltaire; Margaret Sanger and Leonardo da Vinci. Pictured above are: l. to r. Susan B. Anthony; Emiliano Zapata; Steve Allen; Socrates and Sir Francis Bacon. The series ran on PBS.

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Captain Midnight (1954-1956)

One of the best children's shows of the 1950s, Captain Midnight, actually premiered on radio in 1939 and ran, off and on, until 1949. The on air introduction explained the show's premise in a nutshell: "On a mountaintop high above a large city stands the headquarters of a man devoted to the cause of freedom and justice, a war hero who has never stopped fighting against his country's enemies, a private citizen who is dedicating his life to the struggle against evil men everywhere...Captain Midnight!" Captain Midnight's real name was Jim Albright and, with his assistants "Ikky" Mudd and scientist-inventor "Tut" Jones, he headed an anti crime organization called "The Secret Squadron." This crime-fighting network had members, of all ages and walks of life, in every city in the world. Each had his or her own Secret Squadron number. SQ-1 was the Captain, Ikky was SQ-2 and Tut was SQ-3. The Secret Squadron was mostly involved in fighting espionage, smugglers and common criminals. Captain Midnight, an ace pilot, flew his own jet, the Silver Dart. Tut was adept at creating unique inventions used to aid the Secret Squadron in fighting crime. Every kid in America wanted to be called on to help the Secret Squadron. The show's sponsor was Ovaltine. By sending in a seal from the jar one could get a Secret Squadron decoder badge which was used to decode messages at the end of each show. Richard Webb starred as Captain Midnight; Sid Melton played Ichabod "Ikky" Mudd and Olan Soule was Aristotle "Tut" Jones. The show went into syndication and Ovaltine would not allow the use of the name or title Captain Midnight so it was changed to "Jet Jackson." The name was crudely dubbed into each episode and one could not help but chuckle when hearing Jet Jackson spoken so speedily. Pictured above l. to r.: Sid Melton; Richard Webb.

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Barney Miller (1975-1982)

Barney Miller, a sitcom about an average New York City Police Precinct and its captain was extremely popular with policemen all over the U.S. Why? Because it was more typical of an actual police precinct than any series portrayal, drama or comedy, before it. The series, created by Danny Arnold and Theodore Flicker, centered around Captain Barney Miller, the levelheaded, diplomatic leader of a group of police officers and detectives of New York's 12th Precinct station. Initially, the series focused on Barney, both at work and at home, but later mostly at the 12th Precinct. The series emphasized character and drama over action with its multi-ethnic corps of officers and the zany characters they dealt with daily. One was more likely to see transients, petty thieves, scam artists, domestic disputes and drunks than murderers and rapists in the halls of the 12th Precinct. Barney, much like Sheriff Andy Taylor, was able to solve many of these problems using logic and a cool head! The topnotch cast included: Hal Linden as Capt. Barney Miller; Barbara Barrie as his wife Elizabeth Miller; Abe Vigoda as curmudgeonly veteran cop Phil Fish; Max Gail as the kindly but naive Polish cop Sgt. Stan Wojohowicz; Gregory Sierra as the fiery Hispanic cop Det. Chano Amenguale; Jack Soo as the laid back Japanese cop Det. Nick Yemana; Ron Glass as the dapper, ambitious black officer Det. Ron Harris; Ron Carey as the weasely Detective wannabe Officer Carl Levitt; James Gregory as the precinct's supervisor, slow talking Inspector Frank Luger; Linda Lavin (1975-76) as female Det. Janice Wentworth; June Gable as her partner Det. Baptista; George Murdock as the cunningly sinister Lt. Hanlon of Internal Affairs; Steve Landesberg as know-it-all Det. Arthur Dietrich. Pictured above clockwise from bottom center: Ron Glass; Ron Carey; Max Gail; James Gregory; Steve Landesberg; Hal Linden.

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My Little Margie (1952-1955)

My Little Margie had a style of humor all its own; almost comic bookish in a way. It was produced at one of the best comedy studios in the history of entertainment...Hal Roach Studios (Laurel & Hardy; Our Gang; Topper; Amos 'n' Andy). The series centered on bachelorette, Margie Albright who lived in a New York apartment with her widowed father, Vern. Margie was adept at getting herself, her father and friends into deep trouble because of her meddlesome ways. Vern Albright worked as an executive for the investment firm of Honeywell & Todd under his boss, George Honeywell. What made the show work was its excellent cast and good writing. Although the show was not perfect, it had one of the first ensemble casts to really 'click'. The series began as a summer replacement for I Love Lucy but created an audience of its own landing it a spot on CBS's regular schedule.. Its marvelous cast included: Gale Storm as Margie Albright; Charles Farrell as Vern Albright; Don Hayden as Margie's scatter-brained boyfriend Freddie Wilson; Gertrude Hoffman as 'young-at-heart' senior citizen Mrs. Odets, the Albright's neighbor; Clarence Kolb as Mr. Honeywell, Vern's demanding boss; Hillary Brooke as Roberta Townsend, Vern's girlfriend and Willie Best as Charlie the Elevator operator in the Albright's apartment building. Pictured above l. to r.: Charles Farrell; Gale Storm.

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Star Trek (1966-1969)

In the tradition of Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, Star Trek was a new, innovative adult science fiction series that daringly debuted at a time when sci-fi was considered "poison." Although it created a loyal audience, the numbers were not sufficient for network success and it was canceled before it really caught on. It has had more success in syndication than it enjoyed in prime time. The series involved the exploits of a Starship crew of the Enterprise, of the United Federation of Planets, in explorations of new worlds and galaxies. It introduced us to a world of aliens never seen before: Vulcans, Klingons, Romulans and Tribbles. Its creator, Gene Roddenberry, was the key to its success as he insisted on quality writing of stories of humanity and morality conflicts. The Enterprise's crew consisted not only of all Earthly ethnic types, but of aliens from the UFP. The cast included: William Shatner as the dashing and daring Capt. James Tiberias Kirk; Leonard Nimoy as the very logical half-human, half-Vulcan Science Officer Mr. Spock; DeForest Kelley as the sarcastic Medical Officer Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy; James Doohan as the tenacious Scottish Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott; Nichelle Nichols as Afro-American Communications Officer Lt. Uhura; George Takei as the Japanese Navigation Officer Mr. Sulu; Walter Koenig as the Russian Navigation Officer Ensign Chekhov and Majel Barrett as Nurse Christine Chapel. Pictured above l. to r.: Leonard Nimoy; DeForest Kelley; a guest star; William Shatner.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

I remember seeing the introduction to the new cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation on a 1987 episode of Entertainment Tonight and saying, "Yeah right...gimme a break!"; thinking, no way is that going to make it. Well, the laugh was on me as ST:NG, as it's sometimes called, took Star Trek to new, exciting and fascinating levels. The key, again, was Gene Roddenberry. He saw to the level of quality for the series. The cast, too, was perfection and new generations of Trek fans were created. The show continued its "to boldly go..." format adding new jargon to the language such as: prime directive, replicator, ten forward and the like. Its cast included: Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean Luc Picard; Jonathan Frakes as Commander William Riker aka No. 1; Levar Burton as the blind Lt. Geordi La Forge; Denise Crosby as Lt. Tasha Yar who later perished on a Federation mission; Michael Dorn as the Klingon Security Officer Lt. Worf; Gates McFadden as Medical Officer Dr. Beverly Crusher who was replaced briefly by Diana Muldaur as Dr. Kate Pulaski; Wil Wheaton as the youngest crew member and son of Dr. Crusher, Wesley Crusher; Colm Meaney as Transporter Chief Miles O'Brien; Brent Spiner as the android Lt. Data and Whoopi Goldberg as counselor/bartender Guinan. The show also introduced new and fascinating aliens like the Ferengi, the Q and the Borg. Computer generated effects added extra flair to the series. Pictured above l. to r. Top row: Michael Dorn; Wil Wheaton; Brent Spiner. Bottom row: Jonathan Frakes; LeVar Burton; Patrick Stewart; Gates McFadden; Marina Sirtis.

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The Adventures of Superman (1951-1957)

I remember so well the first day I watched "The Adventures of Superman" at age 7 and seeing his parents (Jor-El & Lara) put him (Kal-El) in a rocket ship as their planet, Krypton, was about to blow up! My eyes were bulging out of my head and I was absolutely fascinated. It was the first thing I ever became "obsessed" with. The show debuted with that captivating episode showing the orphaned infant landing on earth in Smallville where Eben and Sarah Kent (in the comic books they were called Jonathan and Martha Kent) took him in and raised him, naming him Clark, learning of his super powers along the way. As he developed his super powers (X-ray vision, super-strength and ability to fly) kids everywhere were "hooked" on this great show. As the story develops Clark Kent becomes a reporter for the Daily Planet newspaper and meets his boss, Perry White, cub reporter Jimmy Olsen and reporter and girlfriend Lois Lane. The stories revolved around the perils these reporters became involved in and Superman's rescues of them. For its time and minimal budget, the special effects were quite good. A menagerie of bad guys, thugs and villains was composed of some great old-time character actors. The cast consisted of: George Reeves as Superman; Phyllis Coates (1953-54) and later Noel Neill (1954-57) as Lois Lane; Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen; John Hamilton as Editor Perry White; Robert Shayne as Inspector Henderson; Robert Rockwell as Jor-El Superman's father; Aline Towne as Lara Superman's mother; Tom Fadden as Eben Kent and Dina Nolan as Sarah Kent. I remember so well the sponsor Kellogg's Frosted Flakes and the debut of Tony the Tiger. The show spawned a few movies including "Superman and the Mole Men" (1951) and other series "Superboy" and "Lois and Clark." Pictured above l. to r.: Jack Larson; John Hamilton; Noel Neill and George Reeves.

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Mission: Impossible (1966-1973 & 1988-1990)

One of the most involving TV series ever, this fabulous show involved the exploits of the I.M.F. (Impossible Missions Force) in tackling tasks of incredible difficulty for the Government who would disavow any knowledge of these missions. From its opening "teaser", which enticed the viewer with its brief clips of the mission and its intricate strategies, to the closing credits as the mission is accomplished, this show "wowed" viewers. Each episode started with the Mission Chief receiving instructions and data from a tape recorder and then the warnings of disavowment of knowledge of the mission and finally the destruction of the recorder and its evidence. Then the I.M.F. Chief would select those agents best suited for the mission at hand. Fulfillment of the mission involved disguise, state-of-the-art technology and other vital skills. The cast was superb and included: Steven Hill as I.M.F. Chief Dan Briggs (1966-67); Peter Graves as I.M.F. Chief Jim Phelps (1967-73); Barbara Bain as Cinnamon Carter (1966-69); Martin Landau as Rollin Hand (1966-69); Greg Morris as Barney Collier; Peter Lupus as Willie Armitage; Leonard Nimoy as Paris (1969-71); Sam Elliott as Doug (1970-71); Lesley Ann Warren as Dana Lambert (1970-71); Lynda Day George as Lisa Casey (1971-73); Barbara Anderson as Mimi Davis (1972-73) and Bob Johnson as "the Voice on the Tape." The show was revived in 1988 and ran for two years. Its new cast consisted of: Peter Graves as Jim Phelps; Thaao Penghis as Nicholas Black; Antony Hamilton as Max Harte; Phil Morris (Greg’s son) as Grant Collier; Terry Markwell as Casey Randall; Jane Badler as Shannon Reed and Bob Johnson as the voice on the disk. The new version included such advanced technology as CDs; lasers; desktop computers and more. The show’s theme by Lalo Schifrin was quite popular and sold many copies. Pictured: l. to r. Peter Graves; Lesley Ann Warren and Johnny Bench (guest star).

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Hawaii 5-0 (1968-1980)

One of TV's longest running crime series, Hawaii 5-0 had all the elements of a topnotch production: excellent cinematography; a terrific music score and one of the best theme songs in the history of television; tight directing, well-written scripts and fine acting. It revolved around Five-0, a fictional state run crime investigative agency that answered to the Governor of Hawaii. Stories involved everything from espionage and murder investigations and crime syndicates to scam artist and petty crimes. Heading Hawaii 5-0 was Steve McGarrett, a no-nonsense crime fighter extraordinaire and his staff of investigators and crime fighters led by his head assistant Danny "Dan-O" Williams and Chin Ho Kelly, Kono, Che Fong the lab expert, Duke Lakela, Ben Kokua and Frank Kemana all native Hawaiians. There was also a supply of regular villains and nemesis' including the sly and cunning Wo Fat and disguise expert Lewis Avery Fuller. In a daring move they killed off a popular regular in one episode where Chin Ho Kelly is murdered. Each episode ended with the now classic line from McGarrett, "Book 'em Dan-O!" The cast included: Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett; Richard Denning as The Governor; James MacArthur as Danny "Dan-O" Williams; Kam Fong as Chin Ho Kelly; Zulu as Kono (1968-72); Maggi Parker as McGarrett's Secretary May (1968-69); Peggy Ryan as Steve McGarrett's Secretary Jenny Sherman (1969-76); Al Eben as Pathologist Doc Bergman; Harry Endo as Che Fong; Al Harrington as Ben Kokua (1972-77); Herman Wedemeyer as Duke Lakela (1972-80); Douglas Mossman as Frank Kemana (1974-75); Morgan White as Atty Gen. Walter Stewart (1968-69) Glenn Cannon as Atty Gen. John Manicote (1976-78); Laura Sode as Luana (1978-80); Bill Smith as James "Kimo" Carew (1979-80); Moe Keale as Tom "Truck" Keloha (1979-80); Sharon Farrell as Lori Wilson (1979-80) and Khigh Dheigh as Wo Fat. The show was created by Leonard Freeman who produced it until his death in 1973. It was filmed entirely in Hawaii and utilized the famed Iolani Palace as the fictitious headquarters for 5-0. Morton Stevens composed its popular theme. Pictured above l. to r.: Simon Oakland; Jack Lord and Teru Shimada.

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