Today is a good day. After just over two years of being unemployed I was offered a job. It's along the same lines of my previous job so I don't think it's going to take a lot to learn the ropes. Shortly after getting the news I was reminded of The Dance of Joy performed by Balki Bartokomous to celebrate exceptionally good things in life. Many of you reading this may not be familiar with Balki. He was one of the main characters of the show Perfect Strangers that ran in the late 80's and early 90's. This caused me to reflect on the television shows of my childhood. So, just for fun, I'm compiling a top ten list of my favorite shows from when I was still a kid. These are in no particular order as I love each of these shows for vastly different reasons and it wouldn't do them justice to rank them.
Perfect Strangers-As already mentioned, this show featured the characters Balki, and his cousin Larry Appleton. Balki is a naive, good hearted shepherd from the island of Mypos. Larry is a somewhat cynical, materialistic guy that moved to Chicago from Madison, WI. Balki is by far one of the most unique and entertaining characters I remember from my younger days.
The A-Team-In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem...if no one else can help...and if you can find them...maybe you can hire...the A-Team. Seriously, what guy worthy of his testosterone didn't like John "Hannibal" Smith, Templeton "Faceman" Peck, Bosco "B.A." Baracus, and Captain H.M. "Howlin' Mad" Murdoch? Never before or since, have the men existed that could turn a Ford LTD into an armored personnel carrier with nothing more than corrugated sheet metal, wire mesh, and acetylene torches.
MacGyver-Angus MacGyver was, and still is, the epitome of awesome. A single man dared face the hordes of evil henchmen swarming America in the late 80's with nothing more than a Swiss Army Knife. And I don't care what Mythbusters says, all of his ingenious contraptions were practical and efficient.
ALF-Come, on. It's ALF. What more do I need to say. Seriously, when wouldn't a sitcom about a wisecracking alien with a penchant for eating cat be one of the funniest things ever?
Night Court-Nostrodamus "Bull" Shannon is another iconic television character. Along with Harry T. Stone, Max, Roz, Dan Fielding, and Christine Sullivan, this show had me laughing out loud every week. But my favorite character was Harry's dad, Buddy, played by John Astin. That man was crazy. But he's feeling much better now.
Quantum Leap-Dr. Sam Beckett gets stuck in time in an experiment gone awry. Now he must "leap" from event to even, temporarily replacing other people, to set right what once went wrong. His only help is his friend Al that appears only to him as a hologram along with his artificial intelligence device "Ziggy". Every week Sam would find himself in a dangerous, funny, or embarrassing situation, "hoping that each leap would be his last."
The X-Files-While the show started to bog down in conspiracy after several seasons, and pretty much fell apart towards the end, the first few years of this show were beyond amazing. The creepiness factor on the show was through the roof. Definitely set the mark for future sci-fi series.
Adventures of Brisco County Jr.-While this was a rather short running series, it was definitely one of the more unique. After re-watching it recently, it seems the makers of Wild Wild West with Will Smith took a lot of inspiration from this series. Unfortunately, they left out all the humor, plot, and intelligent dialogue.
Home Improvement-Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor was the personification of my dad. The corollary between the two was eerie. It probably helped me to relate to the show that there were three brothers, just like our family. It was great to see the stoic Al Boreland as the straight man to Tim's antics. And who wouldn't want a fount of wisdom like Wilson on the other side of their fence? Also, Heidi was hot.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air-A street smart kid from of Philly moving into the high class home of a judge in Bel Air. The comedic possibilities are nearly limitless. And who hasn't tried to do the "Carlton" at one point are another. I know I have.
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