Friday, March 20, 2009

My Favorite TV Show of All-Time

Believe it or not, Maverick was my favorite TV show when I was about 4 years old (watching it in daytime re-runs while waiting for my older sister Sally to come home from kindergarten for lunch), and it is probably still my all-time favorite show. Periodically over the years, it would pop up in syndication and I'd be able to reacquaint myself with Bret and Bart and Beau (and yes, even Brent), and unlike most older shows that one re-encounters, this one holds up very very well. Obviously the charm of stars James Garner and Jack Kelly was a big part of this, as was the sense of humor that infected many episodes, offering up direct and not-so-direct parodies of the western genre and competing programs from its initial run from 1957-1962. You know it was a great concept because it kept being revived, first in Young Maverick from the 1970s, then Bret Maverick (with Garner back in the title role) in the 80s, and finally with the Mel Gibson movie version of a few years ago. It's a shame that with so many other old shows getting deluxe releases on DVD, that this true classic somehow is ignored. Anyway, here's a video I found of the theme and title song over the end credits of an episode from 1958 or 1959. Can anyone else sing all the words?



As long as we're on the topic of favorite TV shows, why not let me know your favorite(s) in the comments section.

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