'Dragnet' (the 1951 original, transferred nearly intact from radio) served as a veritable template for all cop shows to come. Tom Shales copdragnetintact Change image and share on social
Why, on my mother's birthday, am I thinking about 'Father Knows Best?' At our house, mother knew best at least as often as father did, but then the title of the old sitcom, a homogenized portrait of American family life, was meant to be slightly sardonic. Tom Shales americanbirthdayfamily share on social
I always thought I'd buy my mother a house if I ever became successful - a big, beautiful house on the nicest street in town. It didn't exactly work out that way. I was still borrowing money from her in my 40s. Tom Shales 40sbeautifulbig share on social
Perhaps Western civilization is in a post-decline phase, or maybe the decline is just taking a really long time, like the Roman Empire's did. The Romans had gladiators and Christian-hungry lions and that sort of thing. We have MTV. Tom Shales christiancivilizationdecline share on social
Revisiting 'Leave It to Beaver,' and seeing it in the pristine visual clarity of digital restoration, are mood-altering if not quite mind-altering experiences, very much for the better. Tom Shales alterbeaverclarity Change image and share on social
'I Love Lucy,' the first classic, really belonged more to the Wacky Woman genre than the domestic sitcom; 'My Little Margie' and 'I Married Joan' were among the shrill, coarse imitations. Tom Shales belongclassiccoarse Change image and share on social
For those who don't like Dave Letterman, there's Jay Leno; and for those who like neither, there's Craig Ferguson; and if you're still feeling undertained, there's George Lopez and Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel and - let's see, did we leave out a Jimmy? Tom Shales craigdavefallon share on social
The perils of credit and debt, especially perilous in the computer age, have long been acknowledged in pop culture, but very infrequently by TV. Tom Shales acknowledgeagecomputer Change image and share on social
Larry King's show got to be an increasingly lonely outpost of humane civility in a mephitic menagerie of hotheads, saber rattlers, cretins and crackpots. Tom Shales civilitycrackpotcretin Change image and share on social
Maybe it's the hair. Maybe it's the teeth. Maybe it's the intellect. No, it's the hair. Tom Shales hairintellecttooth Change image and share on social
