The classic police drama is updated for the 1960s. No-nonsense Sgt. Joe Friday and his partner, Officer Bill Gannon, tackle traditional police cases and face new challenges such as LSD, race riots, and public service TV shows. Written by Eric Sorensen

Saturday, April 9: A known bookie named Miller Starkie has been cut in half by a sawed-off, double-barrel shotgun. Working out of Intelligence Division, Sgt. Joe Friday and Off. Frank Smith piece together what little evidence they have, interview acquaintances, intimidate witnesses, interrogate suspects to the point of harassment, utilize a Minifon and a wiretap, and testify before the Grand Jury in a tireless effort to catch and convict Starkie's killers. Written by Michael J. Hayde

Pete Malloy is a seven year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department working out of the Rampart Division. Unfortunately, after his young partner is killed while investigating a warehouse robbery, Malloy is ready to hand in his resignation. However, on what was supposed to be his last night on the force, he is given the task of breaking in a young rookie officer named Jim Reed. After their first night on patrol, Malloy sees potential in the young rookie and decides to not resign after all, and the two begin a seven year partnership in which the two officers handled cases from the serious (murder, robbery, rape, and drug abuse) to the humorous (children getting caught in awkward situations and the odd husband getting kicked out of the house by his wife. The officers also worked various details from S.W.A.T., and even flew on helicopter patrol. Also, during the next seven years, Reed went from probationary to full fledged officer, and Malloy got promoted to the rank of officer three plus one, just one rank below Sergeant. Other officers that were seen working with Reed and Malloy were Seargent Mac MacDonald, cynical, by the book Officer Ed Wells, good-natured officer Jerry Woods and Lew Walters. Written by Brian Washington

Only fiction series written and shot all over North America. Two young adventurers in a Corvette explore early 60's social problems and changing mores, looking for the right place to settle down while seeking themselves. Debuting 3 years after On the Road transformed modern literature, while such newly available fast cars dominated the new teenage culture, Tod, an Ivy Leaguer, and Buz, an orphan from Hell's Kitchen, cruise the U.S.A. coping with shifting relationships and lifestyles. The FCC's Newton Minow characterized U.S. TV as a vast wasteland, in 1961, but Route 66 found important, compelling stories all over. Stirling Silliphant who won an Oscar for writing In the Heat of the Night, traveled around the U.S. and Canada scouting locales, while writing ¾ of the very dark, literate show's episodes - a feat only Rod Serling matched with The Twilight Zone. Soon, a crew of 50 arrived at the location. Shows were filmed in 40 States. Tod, from a once-wealthy family, inherited only a Corvette when his father died, so he and Buz (suddenly jobless because he worked for Tod's father's company) strike out across North America, especially along the iconic Route 66 from Chicago to L.A. which the Okies traveled. Tod and Buz take local jobs (such as shrimping, shipbuilding, oil rigging) to support their wanderings. The 2 socially conscious knights of the road, encourage, champion, and learn from oppressed and troubled people they encounter. 1962 guest star Ethel Waters was the first African-American woman nominated for an Emmy Award. The CBS show doubled Corvette sales its first season. Tod and Buz's beige Corvette's 2 seats meant sans souci and constant movement, so shows were shot in 6 days, in a new city almost every week. The two drifters reject the post-war American Dream of the suburbs, while exploring a disappearing North America with very diverse local culture, not yet dominated by international franchises and cookie-cutter suburbs. The shows' vibrate with the new dreams for a Great Society and the fears of the Cold War. The volatile Buz Murdock was cast quickly, while Martin Milner beat out Robert Redford for the Tod Stiles role. Due to hepatitis, Maharis did not appear in the series' last 1 ½ seasons. The show grew from a pilot on creator Silliphant and Route 66 producer Herbert B. Leonard's Naked City, also shot on location. Naked City and Route 66 bridged the widely varied anthologies and live plays of the 1950's Golden Age of Television, to the much cheaper, 1 hour dramatic, set-character based series, which continue to rule prime-time. Nelson Riddle's atmospheric Theme from Route 66, and his episode scores factored heavily in the show's allure. The breezy song Route 66, written by Bobby Troup (of the 1970's TV series Emergency !), a 1946 Nat King Cole hit, wasn't used for the series. A sequel to Route 66 appeared in 1993, but lasted only 4 episodes. Written by David Stevens

Ironside uses a wheelchair after an attempted assassination left him paralyzed. With his former assistants Brown and Whitfield (later Belding) and former delinquent (and later lawyer) Mark, he combats crime for the San Francisco police from his mobile office (a van) while leaving a pot of chili cooking back at headquarters. Written by Ed Stephan

Jack Benny was a regular on his own radio program since 1932. He brought the program, with his underplayed humor, to television along with his radio regulars. Jack, who remained thirty-nine-years-old, kept his money in his basement and drove his old Maxwell car just as he had done on the radio. Written by J.E. McKillop

Bret and Bart Maverick (and in later seasons, their English cousin, Beauregarde) are well-dressed gamblers who migrate from town to town always looking for a good game. Poker (five-card draw) is their favorite but they've been known to play such odd card games as Three-toed Sloth on occasion. The show would occasionally feature both or all three Mavericks, but usually would rotate the central character from week to week. Written by John Vogel

Stories of the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves post-Civil War Missouri on its way to California through the plains, deserts, and Rocky Mountains. The first treks were led by gruff, but good-at-heart Major Seth Adams, backed up by his competent frontier scout, Flint McCullough. After Adams and McCullough, the wagon train was led by the avuncular Christopher Hale, along with new scouts Duke Shannon and Cooper Smith. Many stories featured the trustworthy Assistant Wagonmaster Bill Hawks, grizzled old cook Charlie Wooster, and a young orphan, Barnaby West. Written by Doug Sederberg

A comedy-themed variety show, hosted by the popular comedian Red Skelton. It run with no interruption from 1951 to 1971. From 1956 to 1962, the shows head writer was Sherwood Schwartz, who had previous experience as a comedy writer for Bob Hopes radio show. During the 1960s, the show had its own regular cast of singers and dancers. Guests of the show included then-popular bands, such as the Beach Boys (in their network television debut), The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and The Supremes. By the early 1970s, the program was thought to appeal primarily to older audiences and to residents of rural regions. It was canceled, as the network wanted something that would attract an urban audience. Written by Dimos I

Chicago, 1930, the time of Prohibition. And it is the great time for organized crime, the so-called Mafia. One of the big bosses is Al Capone. He is the best known but is only one in a dirty game of sex, crime and corruption. People are willing to pay any price to drink alcohol, and sometimes it is their life they have to pay with. Special agent Eliot Ness and his team are trying to defeat the alcohol Mafia, but in this job, you dont have any friends. Written by Florian Baumann

Stu Bailey and Jeff Spencer are the wisecracking, womanizing private-detective heroes of this Warner Brothers drama. They work out of an office located at 77 Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, California, right next door to a snazzy restaurant where Kookie works as a valet. The finger-snapping, slang-talking Kookie occasionally helps Stu and Jeff with their cases, and eventually becomes a full-fledged member of the detective agency. Rex Randolph and J.R. Hale also join the firm, and Suzanne is their leggy secretary. Written by Marty McKee