Chatting with family yesterday about how shoddy modern day TV programming is. Geared for morons I feel - just look at any ad if you need proof.

Anyway, I would love to know what programmes of the past 40 years you enjoyed and still enjoy to this day. I'll start the ball rolling.

Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett - sublime accting and wonderful sets. I feel I am there with them as it is so convincing.

Top Of The Pops - my weekly fix of chart music with some great performances (especially the 70's and 80's).

You rang M'lord - 50 minutes running time makes it unfashionable, but each episode is made by a gang who work superbly together and it shows.

Columbo - yes it is American, but it rates alongside Holmes in my opinion.

Dad's Army - has remained popular for good reason - a landmark series.

The Professionals - fast action, funky music and solid plots.

I could list more, but these stand out to me as some of the best. What do you like?

RT

The Avengers was the first britisch TV series I watched (and is still one of the best). A perfect mix of mystery and humour.

40 years is such a long time. I'll try recall some of my favourites.

Minder. Simply one of the best dramas ever made.

Starsky and Hutch. I love the humorous banter between the characters. I have them all on DVD.

Roseanne. Wonderfully dry American comedy.

Poirot. Isn't David Suchet wonderful !!

Lou Grant. US newspaper drama with very good characters and storylines.

Doc Martin. Martin Clunes' best part to date.

Frasier. Rather high brow humour, although I think it went downhill once they changed the writers in the later episoides.

Simpsons. Funny, intelligent, and rather cheeky at times.

Doctor Who. I liked the earlier stories much more than the new 'revamped' version. I'm pleased to hear they might be bringing Paul McGann back.

The Liver Birds. I was only young when I saw these but still have fond memories of Sandra and Beryl (and Carol).

All Creatures Great and Small. Awesome!

There are lots of others but I can't list them all.

The Old Grey Whistle Test. God i miss that show. Is there anything that comes close today? Nope!

Apart from films, I have to say Saturday Kitchen and then Morse.

Every other prog I tend to walk in and out of and treat them the same as a radio show.

Thanks for the input. Part of my reason for asking is that often some of the best programmes are less popular (and less well known), and I am always interested in seeing good TV. I totally missed 'Doc Martin' so that is one lead for me.

Some favourites - all American.

Golden Girls - beautifully written and acted by the four lead actresses - very sharp and witty.

Hill Street Blues - the ground-breaking multi-stranded police drama, with, again, fabulous scripts and actors.

NYPD Blue - the later police drama from Steven Bochco, one of the best long-running series with the sublime Dennis Franz as Andy Sipowicsz.

Sergeant Bilko/Phil Silvers - incredible, still makes one laugh all these years later.

I have to second on Hill St Blues and Phil Silvers.

Also, Eerie Indiana - a weird and imaginative short lived fantasy series.

Casey Jones, Hogans Heroes, F Troop, Banana Splits, Tomorrow People, Partridge Family, Jamie, Boy Dominic, Flaxton Boys, Dr Who and H R Pufnstuff were all favourites from my childhood.

Z Cars, Sweeney and Dixon of Dock Green were my top British TV cop shows.

I watch far less TV today, but I do like Heartbeat, Poirot, Foyle's War, Midsomer Murders, House and Numbers. I also quite like Super Nanny USA, the way she trains the parents in the same way Barbara Woodhouse used to train dog owners. Fortunately not all of these are shown during the same weeks or I would be glued.

Surprisingly there are not many music shows worth watching today. I tend to dip into Jools occasionally, just for the live performances.