So few shows capture the spirit or joy of life in a smart and memorable way. But I have compiled this list of shows that inspired the trends and the trademark lingo that inspired generations. And, though I may be too young at 24 years old to have had the pleasure of watching some of these shows when they were first run, I can understand what they have done to inspire the work of today. In no particular order, take this trip down the memory lane of television for 10 shows that I consider some of the best there has been to offer thus far.
1. I Love Lucy
A crazy redhead, a Cuban husband and a cheap landlord. What could possibly be funnier than that? Lucille Ball was Lucy Ricardo, a housewife married to performer Ricky Ricardo, played by her then real-life husband Desi Arnaz. To help Lucy get in and out of trouble were her best friends, Fred (William Frawley) and Ethel (Vivian Vance) Murtz. Watching Lucy try to break into show business and Ricky's constant scolding and Spanish outbursts are worth the knowledge that sitcoms are no longer the valued programming they once were. Probably the funniest episode of the series' run finds Lucy doing a commercial for Vitameatavegamin, a product that is part vitamin, part mineral and part alcohol. As she downs more and more in an attempt to make the commercial just right, viewers are treated to a mixed-up version of the piece as she smiles and asks the audience, Do you pop out at parties? Are you unpoopular?
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The critically acclaimed series about one girl chosen in all the world to kill vampires broke all the barriers of drama, comedy and the supernatural to become a surprise hit. Based on the failed 1992 movie of the same name, creator Joss Whedon weaved together the drama of being a teenager and a young adult with the supernatural world of vampires and demons to create what fans have fondly dubbed the Buffyverse. The show, which had its own spinoff Angel based on the vampire with a soul of the same name (David Boreanaz) starred Sarah Michelle Gellar as the titular character and followed her journey through high school and college as she saved the world from evil. With such standout episodes as one without any dialogue (Hush) and another written as a musical (Once More With Feeling), Whedon stretched the boundaries of television each week for seven years, creating a show that found viewers crying at the deaths of their favorite characters, laughing at the silliness that ensued among the friends and desperately wanting more stories years after the show's final fight.
3. Friends
The comedy, which was the cornerstone of NBC's Must See Thursdays for 10 years, first found fame in the early '90s, with six friends trying to make a living in the Big Apple. Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Ross made their way into the hearts of millions with their quirkiness and humanity that made them fun to watch each week. From the will they or won't they of Ross and Rachel's relationship and Phoebe's identical twin sister, to Monica's fat suit and Chandler's cross-dressing father, the six friends kept viewers glued to their seats with their dating and familial antics, and hours spent in Central Perk, the fictional coffee house where they talked, laughed and met potential dates. How you doin'?
4. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Who could turn the world on with her smile? Who could take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile? Mary Richards, a broadcast journalist in a world of high-powered men, found a way to balance work and a social life, while doing all she could to help her friends whenever necessary. This was a groundbreaking series that explored the life of a single woman and the antics that ensued on a regular basis at a local newsroom. And with its inspirational theme song, Mary became a role model for women everywhere. You're gonna make it after all!
5. The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart
In discussing these two comedies, one could note the brilliant comedic talents of Bob Newhart and the way he could induce hysterical laughter with a single look. One could list the Emmy awards. But really, nothing can sum up these two series better than the final episode of Newhart, which was named the most unexpected moment in television history by TV Guide and TV Land. First, The Bob Newhart Show followed the adventures of psychologist Dr. Robert Hartley (Newhart) and his family, friends and patients. Newhart, which began four years after Newhart's first show ended, saw Dick Louden (Newhart) and his wife leaving New York City to buy a small inn in Vermont. In the very last episode of his second series, Louden gets hit in the head with a golf ball and collapses on the ground, unconscious. When he wakes up, he is in his bed with (cue shocking moment) his wife from The Bob Newhart Show. He is now Dr. Robert Hartley and reveals that he just dreamt he had owned an inn in Vermont, thus revealing the entire series is a dream. And thus intertwines and ends two great comedic masterpieces.
6. Law and Order
As they say in the TNT commercials, the original is the best. Here they refer to Dick Wolf's first of the never-ending Law and Order franchise, which takes a crime, usually ripped from the headlines, and follows it from criminal investigation to the courtroom. The show has moved through constant cast changes to become one of the most popular dramas on television today and a constant ratings-winner for NBC (which with its current ratings issues is a huge plus). Despite several spin-offs, Wolf's first concept retains its originality with a commitment to realistic plots and issues that allow the viewer a firsthand look at the criminal justice system. And if it's not the cases that draw people in, it could just be the infamous music that characterizes the change in the setting of the episode.
7. M*A*S*H
The show, a black comedy that took place in a U.S. Army field hospital in South Korea, welcomed such stars as Alan Alda, and became one of the most popular television series of all time. The final episode, which found all the characters returning home and ended with Goodbye written on the ground, was the most watched episode in television history. The show, based on the movie of the same name, brought in a mixture of comedy and drama to attract audiences each week. It allowed viewers to see that beyond the fact of war was a friendship among these doctors, nurses and soldiers that transcended the fear of fighting or anything else going on; they knew they had friends to count on and spend time with in the darkest of war-torn days.
8. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show, which continues to this day, had, in 1962, one of the greatest comedic hosts ever to grace television. For 30 years, the late Johnny Carson brought skits and talent to his set, entertaining audiences in his late-night time slot. With his cohort, Ed McMahon, Carson acted in skits each night, bringing laughter into the homes of millions of people, before inviting new comedic talent and other celebrities to share the stage with him for chats about their new projects. Carson was not afraid to dress up, embrace his guests or run in fear from a particularly scary animal on his show; he managed to start what we now fondly refer to as late-night TV. And forevermore will audiences remember the constant introduction of Heeere's Johnny!
9. Saturday Night Live
Live from New York, it's Saturday night! The familiar call that has ushered in more than thirty years of comedy on Saturday night remains important even today. The show has gone through cast changes, set alterations and hundreds of skits to become one of the most remembered (and imitated) sketch-comedy shows in history. Although it has taken many hits with viewers and critics who often accuse it of having lost its edge, all members of the cast have participated in skits that mock such important figures as George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld and Britney Spears. With its hilarious look at politics, celebrities and the world, plus memorable skits like the Coneheads and Weekend Update, the show will go down in history as having bred the comedic talents of our time while finding a way to poke fun at even the most serious of issues. It will also be remembered as the first show to laugh in the aftermath of 9/11, a turning point that helped draw the nation out of the misery it had endured.
10. All in the Family
The working-class man lives with his wife, daughter and son-in-law in a show that explored the world in the 1970s. Of course, it was also important to remember that the main character Archie Bunker, played expertly by Carroll O'Connor, was a bigot, against all those who were different from himself. He constantly fought with his wife, mocked his son-in-law and was a firm believer in the conservative views of the time. But despite his hatred and bigotry, viewers delighted in hearing his squabbles and watching him argue with everyone in attempts to prove he was right. Besides being the first television show to feature a flushing toilet, the show prided itself on using phrases usually absent from television. It was groundbreaking, different and honestly funny.