The History Channel is one of the few cable networks that's actually worth producing(have you seen what's on MTV, E!, and Bravo?) This show is wonderful at presenting inventions of the past. This program dates back to the early 90s.

Unless a great chef, one can learn a lot from Alton Brown's Food Network show, 'Good Eats', which explains the science behind cooking. Also, he includes little history lessons.

One of the few contemporary shows that is genuinely both smart and funny. This is a Comedy Central cable show, though, and really isn't suitable for kids-and is known for its reverse racism. However, I appreciate how Dave Chapelle uses his brilliant wit and outlandish humor as his catharsis. Simply hilarious.

An animated show can get by with lots more than a live-action one, partly due to executing action while remaining within a reasonable budget. But animation has rarely been more brilliant. Debuting Christmas 1989, this one's still cranking 'em out.

Dino had been half of the Martin-Lewis comedy duo for years, not to mention a member of the Rat Pack, when he launched his own TV variety show in 1965. It went into the early 70s, eventually blending into the Dean Martin Roasts. As a kid, I loved his unique entrances.

One of the few contemporary shows on this list. The reason that more don't make this list is simple-they're not smart and/or funny. Since 'Seinfeld', this is the network show to see.

This really needs to be released correctly, by its seasons, like any normal company would release its TV shows. This was nearly as funny as Ball's earlier 'I Love Lucy', and one of the best of the 1960s, broadcast 1962-68.

Who doesn't love easygoing Sheriff Andy Taylor and the Mayberry folks. Many have said that they wished there really was a place like Mayberry. The sitcom genre really took off with this show, which ran most of the 1960s, from 1960-68.

As above, this one can be an intelligent animated show, probably the best post-90s one, often simply hilarious. However, the potty jokes tend to get old. Still, its machine-gun dialogue and brilliant satirical edge really make it.

Chuck Connors was perfect as the title character, a gunman but a great father, and had said he felt this was good, wholesome family viewing. On top of this, the show, which ran from 1958-63, seems a bit darker than some of its western competitors of the time, giving it a more realistic edge. I catch this anytime I can.

This show debuted in 1974, when a lot of my favorites had been cancelled('Here's Lucy','Dean Martin Show','Flip Wilson Show'). This one became a favorite, offering good stories with a moral @ the end.

"What a revoltin' development this is!" 'The Life of Riley'(1953-58) was one of those bumbling dad 1950s sitcoms but it worked due to its lead, William Bendix, long a character actor of Hollywood and the original radio show. I saw this in reruns as a kid & adored it. Too bad there's very little available. On this DVD there're only a couple episodes, but they're not bad.

This is Hanna-Barbera at their finest. When they first got together, @ MGM, this is what they created-knocking out the Disney and Warner Bros. shorts of the day. A resilient part of Saturday mornings &, later, Sunday mornings(1965-72, & again in the mid 70s) and, like the Warner Bros. cartoons, years of syndication. It's the original cinema shorts that are the best here.

This is simply animated TV at its finest. Like Bugs Bunny, The Flintstones, and Bullwinkle, this was one of the original primetime cartoon shows in 1961, before it went to Saturday mornings for another decade. The characters were imitated from Phil Silver's show.

Classic TV was great because it was artistic and intelligent. The live dramas and comedy shows brought the theater into your living room. This supernatural live drama was one of those.

In the 70s, I grew up on reruns of this show(1964-72). Although it's not as fun to me as it was then, I think it's comfort TV for my generation, from a simpler time. Don't get the COLORIZED 1st or 2nd seasons, though! HELLO!!!

This was one of the few bits of proof, after the early 70s, that TV could still produce something worthwhile-it's just too bad that very little has come along since.