I’ve always liked Television. I think my generation pretty much grew up on it. We had little black & white sets when we lived in England, and then when we came back to the states, my parents started getting the console TVs, then the Sony Trinitrons, etc.
The first couple shows I remember was Branded, with Chuck Conner, and Combat. Branded was about a court-martialed Calvary officer trying to prove his innocence. Combat was about a squad of infantry during WWII. 12 O’clock High was terrific - all about a B-17 bomber group stationed in England.
The Wonderful World of Disney was always on Sunday nights.
In high school it was the Partrige Family, Six Million Dollar Man, and Sunday Night Mystery Movies, with McCloud, Columbo, and McMillan & Wife. This is where I got hooked on Saturday Night Live. Been an avid, if not always happy, watcher ever since.
In the 80s, Call to Glory, which reminded me of my life growing up in the family of a fighter pilot, usually in the desert. St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues, Twin Peaks, Quantum Leap. When I met Laura, she introduced me to CBS Sunday Morning, with Charles Kuralt. It remains one of our strongest rituals.
In the 90s- 2000s: Homefront, Hill Street Blues, and Sports Night. The West Wing. Aaron Sorkin is a master of the walk & talk, and recreating the White House we all want. Friday Night Lights - great storytelling and camera work.
Since streaming came into being, we can revisit all the shows we missed, or didn’t think were that great at the time. I like a lot of the British police shows. They are quirky and more cereberal than just shoot ‘em up. Endeavor, Inspector Morse, Midsomer Murders, Hamish MacBeth. Downton Abbey caught me by surprise.
Lately we’ve started watching Ted Lasso, Hart of Dixie, and Gilmore Girls… Light, witty and well written.
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