I don’t watch much television nowadays. With school, shows, family stuff and my Boston U. classes, it’s too crazy. I’m lucky if I get to look at a movie once in awhile or sit down on a weekend to watch the Indians lose.

So, most of these shows–actually, all but one– are no longer with us, which is a shame for sure. I’ve linked all the titles so you can read more about them if you like.

Top Ten TV Shows, According to Me

10. Quantum Leap. Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) time-travels from place to place in history, trying to set right the things that go wrong. However, as he is trapped in an endless journey, he always hopes that the next “leap” he makes is the leap home.

9. Dark Shadows. I liked both the original series from the sixties as well as the revival show in the early nineties. I remember being in 3rd grade, and my sister and I would make sure to be inside at 3:30 every day to watch Barnabas Collins (which I thought was cool because Collins was my name, too) bite people and scare us to death.

8. F Troop. Absolute silliness, but I loved it as a kid. I wanted to be funny like Larry Storch.

7. Hogan’s Heroes. My dad loved this series, too. The gruesome murder of Bob Crane, who played Colonel Hogan, is one of Hollywood’s unsolved mysteries. [He was bludgeoned to death inside an apartment in Arizona in 1978. Ugh.]

6. St. Elsewhere. Great doctor “dramedy” about the craziness inside a fictitious Boston hospital. It had a serious side too, but hey, when Howie Mandel is on staff (he played Dr. Wayne Fiscus), what can you expect? I never missed an episode, although I — along with a nation of other shocked viewers — stared in disbelief at the series finale ending. Whoa.

5. Dallas. The unquestionable drama series king of the 80s. [I always knew Kristin did it.]

4. Knots Landing. A Dallas spin-off that typified the 1980s. Full of excess and selfish pleasure, throwing caution (and silly things like honesty, obeying the law, and fidelity) to the wind. It was a guilty indulgence for housewives, and I lapped it up.

3. Heroes. Premiere of Season Three is 15 September. Can’t wait.

2. Rod Serling’s Night Gallery. I absolutely refused to watch this show alone, or in the dark. The theme song, played behind a montage of truly creepy, violent-looking paintings, was enough to get the freakout started. There were very few special effects outside of make-up; all the torture happened in your own mind. It was simultaneously hideous and thrilling. I rarely missed an episode.

1. The 4400. I was truly depressed when this show was canceled, because it was successful and had good stories (ok, and Joel Gretsch is dreamy). A large effort to get the show back on the air is underway, but who knows….stupid USA Network anyhow.

Top Ten Week was fun. I think I’ll do it again sometime.

Pax,

RF