1. Naked City
Naked City, that '58 version, really captured the grit of New York. You saw the real streets, not just a backlot, and that was something. And the way they'd tell a complete story with a different cast each week, save for the police detectives, it was almost like a weekly feature film. It had a certain starkness, a raw feeling that stuck with you, especially on those old black-and-white sets. Not a lot of fluff there, just the story unfolding.
2. Route 66
Route 66, now that was an idea. Two fellows, Buzz and Tod, just driving that Corvette across the country, bumping into a new drama every week. It was like a travelogue mixed with an anthology, letting you see America through their eyes. And the way they'd wrap up a whole little play in an hour, then move on, it kept you coming back. You wondered what corner of the country, and what new trouble, they'd find next. Good stuff.
3. Thriller
And then there was Thriller, with old Boris Karloff himself. Every week, he'd set the stage for some spooky tale, and sometimes they were genuinely unsettling, especially in black and white. It wasn't just monsters, mind you; often it was psychological dread or a clever twist. The melodrama was thick, sure, but that was part of its charm. It knew how to build a mood, keeping you on the edge of your armchair, wondering what fright was coming next.
4. Car 54, Where Are You?
Car 54, now that was a silly one, but a good silly. It was a proper sitcom, you see, with those two patrolmen, Toody and Muldoon, getting into all sorts of scrapes in the Bronx. Shot mostly indoors, with those obvious sets, but the writing was sharp. And the characters, they were broad, sure, but you liked them. It knew what it was: a half-hour of laughs, with a clear setup and punchline. Just a nice, clean bit of television.
5. Get Smart
Get Smart, that was something else entirely. A spy show, but played for laughs, and not just subtle ones. Max Smart, Agent 86, bumbling his way through saving the world, always with that shoe phone. It was clever, and it was fast, with gags coming at you left and right. And the way they'd build a scene around a single, ridiculous premise, well, that was an art. It really took the spy craze and turned it on its head, quite brilliantly.
6. The Prisoner
The Prisoner, now that was a head-scratcher. Patrick McGoohan, after Danger Man, just drops into this Village, and nobody knows why. And you were hooked, trying to figure out who Number One was, what it all meant. It wasn't your usual episodic show; there was this thread, this mystery weaving through every installment. It was bold, really, pushing the boundaries of what you could do on the tube, and it left a lasting impression, even if you never quite understood it all.
