Just reminiscing...

[bakedjake]

Seems like the TV shows of 2-3 years ago were better than today's... a lot of today's are just recycled ideas.

What were some of your favorites from the turn of the century?

[duckhunter]

Can we go back 10-20-30 years, or even more?

Night Court

[grandpa]

Seems like the TV isn't worth the bother anymore. I grew up with The Rifleman, Lucy, Captain Kangaroo and Kitirik (local hotty in a cat suit, complete with long tail, whose guest visitors were usually firemen and policemen).

By time the 70's rolled around I was into other things, and except for a short daytime soap stint TV has been more of a background noise device than anything.

My favorite "recent" shows include Beavis & Butthead, Southpark and King of the Hill. I think that says something about me.... that, and I couldn't tell you the name of one prime time show currently running.

I Miss Lucy

[martinibuster]

Television has generally been not that good but it has certainly been going downhill...

Ancient History:

• Lost in Space
• Star Trek
• I Love Lucy

Less Ancient History:

• The Laugh In
• Smothers Brothers Show
• Sonny and Cher Show
• Carol Burnett Show (the best!)
• Love American Style
• The Odd Couple
• Barretta
• Kojak

Then there was the second wave:

• Three's a Company
• MTV...

There was a third wave

• In Living Color
• Married With Children
• Jerry Seinfeld

And the latest wave:

• Arrested Development
• South Park
• Malcolm in the Middle (losing it's steam)
• Bernie Mac (lost it's steam...not that funny any more)

Notable mediocrities?

• Bill Cosby Show
• Friends
• Fraser

Very subjective list.

[Chndru]

martinibuster.... you just took all my fav. shows and clubbed as "mediocrities"... I need a re-count ;(... lol

[Syzygy]

Such is the sad state of TV that I'm looking to do away with my telly. However, it would be useful to keep to watch dvd's/videos occasionally.

For those in the UK: is it possible to keep my telly for said purposes yet not have to pay the mandatory TV license?

I read somewhere recently (although this was not an official source), that if you disconnect your telly from the aerial/cable/dish and ensure that it is not tuned in to any channels, you are not obliged to pay the license fee.

Anyone know if this is fact, or if there are other conditions to be met?

Syzygy

[hannamyluv]

Hmm... I don't really watch TV, but it seems that mostly everyone here is hitting on broadcast TV (ABC, NBC, CBS) What about HBO, Showtime and the other cable network TV? I think that the concept for Six Feet Under is pretty unique (though I've only seen in 3 times) Sex in the City had to be popular for some reason.

[TheVisitor]

I've had no TV for over 5 years now - I have books, music, the web and a paper and pen.

Why would anyone want more than that?

[vkaryl]

We have one. My husband watches sports. I listen to the games while I'm doing fun stuff.

Last serial tv I watched was the original Star Trek. I was in high school. I haven't missed it.

[digitalghost]

I don't watch much TV. History Channel, History International, Discover, TLC and Animal Planet. But with satellite, I get to watch reruns of old cartoons and I get the Western channel.

When I was a kid, I remember never wanting to miss an episode of Mutual Of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, and Daktari. C'mon, how can you not love a cross-eyed lion? I enjoyed The Rifleman and Wanted: Dead or Alive, and I recall Steve McQueen's improbable Mare's Leg rifle, but those shows were considered old when I started watching them.

Kids were watching something the other day, people eating disgusting stuff in hopes of winning some cash. Not my idea of entertainment.

Other than the few shows I mentioned, I don't care much for TV, but I do remember tuning into One Day At A Time to see Valerie Bertinelli...

[Reflect]

Family Guy always gets me laughing. Post that The Munsters and Adams Family were good ones. Going farther back The Dick Van Dyke show was always a hoot.

Take care,

Brian

[lawman]

For some reason, the 80's exercise show "Twenty Minute Workout" springs to mind. I watched it regularly. ;)

lawman

[tombola]

Bonanza!

[mivox]

...it would be useful to keep to watch dvd's/videos occasionally.

That's all my TV gets used for. Every so often, I'll hear about some PBS show I'm interested in watching, but I'm never interested enough to remember to turn the TV on. ;)

Wild Kingdom

Ha! I used to watch that religiously! Haven't thought of it in years. :) When I was young, my mother used to let me stay up late to watch Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery...

Others I remember watching regularly:
Taxi
WKRP
Moonlighting
Cheers
This Old House
Twin Peaks
Northern Exposure

[graywolf]

When I was a kid, I remember never wanting to miss an episode of Mutual Of Omaha's Wild Kingdom

WOW man what a flashback, I remeber watching that at my grandparanets house on sunday night after dinner.

[mfishy]

TV on HBO is better than ever with shows like Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm to name a few. Network Tv is awful with very few exceptions.

[gopi]

TV? ...I watch mainly Comedy Central , cinemax , History/Discovery/Tech TV/CNBC and the Seinfield reruns on TBS ...

Network TV? , who cares except for the local news!

[mfishy]

<Comedy Central>

A few really good shows on there too!

[photon]

Since we're getting into "recent history" (pardon the oxymoron), the best show on TV last year was The Office.

[AWildman]

Golden Girls
Night Court
MASH
X-Files
Facts of Life
Law & Order

If cartoons count, Spiderman and his Amazing Friends, Smurfs, and My Little Pony

[gopi]

>> A few really good shows on there too

Yup ,i love the daily Show with Jon Stewart and the standup comedy's!

[AAnnAArchy]

Current Favorites (but I *like* tv):

Arrested Development
Dead Like Me
The Amazing Race
The Graham Norton Effect

Shows I like, but haven't been watching recently:

The Family Guy
South Park
The Daily Show

Old Shows I liked:

Sports Night
Soap
The Six Million Dollar Man (loved that show as a kid)

Shows that were cancelled that I miss:

Buffy
Angel
Miss Match
Wonderfalls

[rcjordan]

Pre-History
- Boston Blackie

Assorted:
- Twilight Zone
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Combat
- I Spy
- Secret Agent Man
- Man From UNCLE

TV went to hell in a handbasket the day the last episode of The Fugitive aired.

[Shane]

Have you seen a rerun of - Combat? Seem so good as a kid and yet now the action is soooooo slowwww. Hard to believe.

Yup, memories .....
- I Spy
- Man From UNCLE

Also, MASH, but not as old. And, Taxi, Hill Street Blues, Rockford Files, .....

..... Shane

[SEOMike]

My favorite TV Shows are:

South Park
Northern Exposure
Cheers
Upland Days (on the outdoor life network)
The Amazing Race (the only palatabile reality show I can find)
Monk
Law and Order SVU, (even though they are REALLY reaching for show topics now)
Trucks
and the Screen Savers

I use my DVR during the week and then watch shows from the above list based on if their title intrests me or not.

[Lilliabeth]

I like to catch America's Most Wanted.

I also like West Wing, The Practice (now going to be called Boston something), ER, and Everybody Loves Raymond.

Cold Case is kinda good, but I wish that woman would brush her hair.

Is Monk on somewhere?

[Bio4ce]

What? No Dave Chappelle? :) Or did I miss it somewhere?

[pendanticist]

Kookla, Fran and Ollie.

Tom Terrific and Manfred the Mighty Wonder Dog.

Sky King.

Howdy Doody.

Everything Western.

All Celebrity Roasts and most Variety Shows.

Beenie and Cecil.

Highway Patrol.

Combat and Rat Patrol.

Any cartoon whose voice-over was done by the late, Mel Blanc.

[EBear]

Watch With Mother

TV never got any better afterwards ;)

[trillianjedi]

Starsky and Hutch
The Professionals (UK only I think)
Tenko (the best UK soap opera - set in a Japanese POW camp)

Loads of others I can think of but the list would go on forever.

I'm not sure whether they were better, or it's just nostalgia...

TJ