10. Tales from the Crypt (1989-1996) – A highly-rated HBO mainstay that recruited the top Hollywood talent at the time (big-name thespians such as Michael J. Fox, Tom Hanks, Demi Moore, Kirk Douglas; A-list directors such as Richard Donner, Robert Zemekis, Walter Hill) to reenact the legendary nineteen-sixties comic’s gory, campy scripts. Though it admittedly peaked around season four, it was never less than a rip-roaring hoot of grisly ghastliness sprinkled with just a pinch of black humor.

9. The Wild, Wild West (1965-1969) – As much a Sci-Fi/Fantasy as western/adventure series, this was indeed a James Bond of the sagebrush saga that was eventually cancelled not from low ratings, but what the network execs at the time deemed an overabundance of violence (how times have changed). Robert Conrad’s suave, tough-as-nails James T. West and Ross Martin’s chameleon-like Artemis Gordon made up one of the great crime-fighting partnerships in TV history.

8. Star Trek (The Next Generation) (1987-1994) – In retrospect, one of the more underrated series (not to mention casts) in drama-series history, featuring consistently intelligent scripts, impressive effects and a gallery of colorful villains. I personally rate Patrick Stewart’s Picard as the second greatest star-fleet captain of all time.

7. Kolchak, the Night Stalker (1974-1975) – Though its run lasted a mere twenty episodes (plus two feature-length prequels), this Dan Curtis-produced thriller has the distinction of being named the precursor to Chris Carter’s own genre masterpiece ‘The X-Files’ (see below). Darren McGavin was pitch-perfect casting as the consistently bemused, perpetually cynical, constantly frazzled newspaper reporter Carl Kolchak. Playing his editor/foil, veteran character-actor Simon Oakland showcases the ultimate in show burn perfection.

6. Quantum Leap (1989-1994) – As with Next Generation, this wasn’t truly appreciated until years after its initial run. Tight, intelligent, thought-provoking, and very well-acted.

5. The Outer Limits (original and Showtime series) (1963-1966) (1995-2002) – The original speaks for itself for its genre ground-breaking accomplishments. The remake updated several of the original episodes with modern effects while maintaining the same quality of story. Its consistency was its strength, as there was rarely an episode that didn’t work on some level.

4. Star Trek (Original series) 1966-1969) – Yeah, the effects were shoe-string cheap at times. True, Shatner did (still does actually) have the tendency to shamelessly hambone it up. And yes, that unidentified crew member accompanying the landing party (usually Kirk, Spock, Bones…sometimes Sulu and Chekov…rarely Scotty or Uhura) was surely dead meat every damn time, but to give credit where credit is certainly due, Gene Rodenberry’s space opera initiated a Sci-Fi dynasty unmatched by all that have come and gone since.

3. The Walking Dead (2010- ) – An admitted zombie-junkie since Romero’s original ‘Night of the Living Dead’, my review of this insanely popular cable program could be construe d as a tad prejudice. That said, I dare anyone, horror fan or no, to watch without at least a small twinge of addiction setting in. Gory, grim and relentless, its true strength lies not with the shambling dead, but the revolving door of survivors serving as their prey…the true ‘Walking Dead’ of the title.

2. The X-Files (1993-2002) – Fox, Mulder, government conspiracy, alien abduction, legendary monsters. Personally, I always preferred the stand-alone tales over the frequent conspiracy threads. Though creator Chris Carter went on to produce the criminally overlooked ‘Millennium’ with the great Lance Henriksen, there was simply nowhere to go but down in this show’s considerable shadow.

1. The Twilight Zone (original series) (1959-1964) – Rod Serling’s classic anthology series never seems to age, despite the fifty-four plus years since its premiere. At its best (particularly ‘Time Enough at Last’, ‘The Howling Man’, ‘Will the Real Martian please stand up?’, ‘The Grave’ and countless others) there is a timeless quality that I could literally view daily without reservation. At its worst, it was still damned good television that often creased virgin story-telling soil. Alas, remade and rehashed not once but twice as a weekly series (1985 and 2002, respectively), the magic of the original could never be recaptured.

Honorable mention: Firefly, The Six-Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, The Invaders, V, The Incredible Hulk, Millennium, Land of the Giants, Amazing Stories, Space 1999, Battlestar Gallactica (original and remake), Alfred Hitchcock Presents, American Gothic, Dark Shadows, Tales From The Darkside, Masters of Horror.