Friends

The Horton and Brady broods endure the romantic trials of life in Salem, a Midwestern hamlet filled with evil geniuses, star-crossed lovers and a rich family history. After a slow start, the soap earned a loyal following in spite of (or maybe because of) way-out-there plots, including satanic possession and mind control.

Viewers flipped for the megasmart dolphin that routinely helped his two young owners, Sandy and Bud, the sons of a widower living on the Florida shore (episodes were filmed in the Florida Keys and the Bahamas). Producer Ivan Tors, whose earlier credits included 'Sea Hunt,' adapted the series from a 1963 film he worked on that made a splash, and later produced 'Gentle Ben.' Flipper, by the way, was a male role filled by a female dolphin.

This second 'Law & Order' spin-off focuses on New York detectives known as the Major Case Squad, which handles high-profile and unusually difficult investigations. Its storytelling differs from the original series in that it presents the criminal's perspective as well as the deductive methods used by the cops.

In the heyday of TV Westerns, the hero here was an unusually fashionable man who wore a derby hat and carried a gold-tipped cane, but if necessary (and it often was) could use his fists and a gun.

Old West adventures of a railroad detective who employed 'modern' methods. Based on a 1948 Alan Ladd movie (which in turn was based on a 1906 novel that had been filmed five times previously, beginning in 1916), 'Whispering' was criticized by a Senate committee for its violence. Guest actors included Robert Redford and Richard Chamberlain.

Toby's personal life heats up as his relationship grows with Tia Tremblay.