1. Alfred Hitchcock Presents
This was appointment viewing, no question. And not just for the master’s droll introductions, though those were half the fun. Each week, a perfect little play, often dark, always with a twist that left you thinking. And in black and white, mind you, which only heightened the mood. It proved television could be truly suspenseful, a tight half-hour tale, beautifully crafted. You can see its DNA in nearly every anthology since.
2. The Defenders
Now here was a show with some bite. It wasn't afraid to tackle things, real social issues, in a courtroom setting. E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed, father and son, debating the tough stuff. No easy answers, just good, solid drama. And it ran an hour, which felt like a proper commitment back then. It made you think, rather than just watch. Proper grown-up television, that.
3. Car 54, Where Are You?
Oh, this one was a hoot! Fred Gwynne and Joe E. Ross as those two bumbling cops in the Bronx. Pure, unadulterated physical comedy, played for laughs every single time. It had that live-theater feel, almost like a stage play shot with multiple cameras. A simple premise, sure, but the characters and their antics were just delightful. And it looked like a million bucks, even in black and white.
4. The Outer Limits
Forget your monsters-of-the-week, this was something else. "There is nothing wrong with your television set." That opening still gives me shivers. They built such a mood, a real sense of dread and wonder, often with philosophical questions tucked inside the creature features. And the visual effects, for the time, were just astonishing. A true pioneer in sci-fi, dark and atmospheric.
5. The Fugitive
David Janssen, on the run, week after week. How many times did you sit there, just hoping he'd finally clear his name? This was long-form storytelling before anyone really knew what that meant. A man wrongly accused, always just a step ahead of the law. It was pure, classic melodrama, but with real heart and tension. An absolute masterclass in keeping an audience hooked.
6. The Prisoner
And then came this. What even was it? Patrick McGoohan, trapped in that bizarre village. Every episode a new puzzle, a new attempt to break him. It challenged everything you thought television could be. Not just a spy show, but something deeply intellectual, even surreal. You couldn't stop watching, even if you weren't quite sure what was happening. Truly experimental, truly unforgettable.
7. Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Darren McGavin, as the reporter who always stumbled onto the supernatural. This show had such a distinct mood. Gritty, a bit spooky, with a fantastic leading man who never got the credit he deserved. It was the monster-of-the-week format, yes, but with a unique, cynical charm. And it managed to be genuinely scary without being too explicit. A real gem.
8. Danger Man
Before The Prisoner, McGoohan was John Drake. A cool, collected spy, not quite James Bond, but more grounded, more cerebral. These were tight, half-hour thrillers, sharp as a tack. Often in black and white, it had that crisp, no-nonsense appeal. It showed you could do espionage without all the flashy gadgets, just good old-fashioned intrigue. A lean, mean spy machine.
9. Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
Oh, this one was a shocker! A soap opera parody, but played so straight, it became its own strange, brilliant thing. Louises Lasser's performance was iconic, capturing the sheer absurdity of suburban life. Norman Lear pushed the boundaries, making us laugh uncomfortably. It was serialized, sure, but unlike anything else on the air. Utterly unique, wonderfully weird.
10. I, Claudius
Now, this was an event. Watching it felt like reading a sprawling, ancient novel, but brought to vivid life. The BBC knew how to do historical drama, and this was arguably their best. Dense, intelligent, with performances that were simply breathtaking. It proved that television could handle complex narratives and make history utterly compelling. A true masterpiece of long-form storytelling.
11. Wiseguy
This show really raised the bar for crime drama. It wasn't just a case-of-the-week; Vinnie Terranova went deep undercover for entire arcs, sometimes for months. You got invested in the villains, too. It had a gritty, cinematic feel, pushing the boundaries of what network television could do with continuity and character development. Smart, dark, and utterly compelling.
