Often derided as the "boob tube" or the "idiot box," television has nevertheless brought entertainment and information to living rooms everywhere, expanding viewers’ horizons and bringing the world closer together. Arranged in top-ten lists, TV’s Most Wanted™ runs the gamut from the sublime to the ridiculous. After examining the best and worst shows, actors, and moments in the history of television, it will make couch potatoes everywhere reach for their remotes.
When it comes to longevity, the television newsmagazine 60 Minutes holds the record for the most network broadcasts in prime time, while South of Sunset, starring rock legend Glenn Frey as a down-on-his-luck detective, was canceled after just one episode in 1993. Not quite an overnight sensation, George Clooney had already costarred in seven different series, including Roseanne and The Facts of Life, before he hit the big time with ER in the 1990s. The backgrounds of TV actors can be surprising. Bob Denver, the bumbling Gilligan of the 1960s series Gilligan's Island, has a degree in political science and was a teacher before breaking into show business. Meanwhile, in the late 60's, the colorful villains in episodes of the kitschy hit show Batman often had impressive acting pedigrees. Many, such as Shelly Winters and Cliff Robertson, were Oscar winners or Oscar nominees. Casting choices often create unbelievable might-have-beens or disastrous personality clashes. Gene Hackman as the father of the Brady Bunch? It might’ve happened. The show’s creator said Hackman was his first choice for the role. And William Frawley and Vivian Vance, so cute together as Fred and Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy in the 1950s, absolutely detested each other when off camera. Whether it’s revisiting famous moments or revealing esoteric facts, TV's Most Wanted™ has something for everyone.
When it comes to longevity, the television newsmagazine 60 Minutes holds the record for the most network broadcasts in prime time, while South of Sunset, starring rock legend Glenn Frey as a down-on-his-luck detective, was canceled after just one episode in 1993. Not quite an overnight sensation, George Clooney had already costarred in seven different series, including Roseanne and The Facts of Life, before he hit the big time with ER in the 1990s. The backgrounds of TV actors can be surprising. Bob Denver, the bumbling Gilligan of the 1960s series Gilligan's Island, has a degree in political science and was a teacher before breaking into show business. Meanwhile, in the late 60's, the colorful villains in episodes of the kitschy hit show Batman often had impressive acting pedigrees. Many, such as Shelly Winters and Cliff Robertson, were Oscar winners or Oscar nominees. Casting choices often create unbelievable might-have-beens or disastrous personality clashes. Gene Hackman as the father of the Brady Bunch? It might’ve happened. The show’s creator said Hackman was his first choice for the role. And William Frawley and Vivian Vance, so cute together as Fred and Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy in the 1950s, absolutely detested each other when off camera. Whether it’s revisiting famous moments or revealing esoteric facts, TV's Most Wanted™ has something for everyone.
