On another site I like to frequent someone (actually a few people) posted notes about the death of actress Jane Wyatt.  At the time, and in the news blurbs that were referenced, she was referenced as "perhaps best remembered for her role as the matriarch in the venerable Father Knows Best TV series" (or words to that effect).  Within a short while, a few other individuals piped up to say that their best memories (and perhaps only memories) of Ms. Wyatt were as Spock's mother in Star Trek.

I've lived long enough to remember Ms. Wyatt in Father Knows Best (which repeated almost endlessly when I was a child, back in the times of 3 major networks and a few independent stations in the major markets, when TV was black and white only unless you were uber rich), and I also remember her in Star Trek.

I remember I Love Lucy in near endless re-runs.  The Dick Van Dyke show repeating over and over again.   Later on brought Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie.  We had Truth or Consequences which made a star of Bob Barker long before "The Price is Wrong B!tch!" (from a very funny Adam Sandler movie).

Over the years that I've aged and matured, I've seen many actors and actresses from the prior generations come and go.  Each year we lose a few more of what used to be Hollywoods finest.  But at the same time, we also find Hollywood bringing in new stars, and creating new classics along the way.

We've had M*A*S*H, and later Cheers, and even later still Seinfeld and Friends.  And time continues to march on and give us great new entertainment like Heroes and Studio 60, along with Prison Break, 24 and more.  We've had the Wayan's Brothers bring us some diversity thanks to In Living Color.  We've had UPN and the WB program towards ethnic audiences trying to cater to urban crowds and viewers that were left behind by other networks.

Tonite, as I write this article, and as I think more on an article I wrote a little earlier today (Hollywood needs to do better at historical accuracy) and watch the TV enjoying Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (one of my current favorites) I see Aaron Sorkin's brilliant work pointing out issues of diversity and the differences between Whites and the African American/Black community and jobs in Hollywood, and pointing out issues with blacklisting in Hollywood thanks to McCarthyism and scares over communism.

The times have changed and for the most part for the better.  Our society has marched along and we've left behind a lot of problems along the way and created new ones too.

We definitely live in fascinating times, and great times for fans of the small screen.  TV is dead, long live TV.