The DVD is a marvelous thing: opalescent, round, and covered with data — data which rarely serves the dark soul of the average pre-adolescent. You know the age: Disney movies are pabulum, Harry Potter gives them the trots, and they’d love Sartre if only they’d give him a chance. Let us turn to the golden age of television which offers myriad possibilities for diversion. They reward longer attention spans, provide conversation starters with grandparents, and quench the thirst for something with a little more oomph.

Have Gun, Will Travel (1957-1963): Richard Boone starred as Paladin, a gunfighter-for-hire working from a ritzy hotel in old west San Francisco. He knew everything, fought the good fight, and hosted a parade of future movie stars.

Danger Man (a.k.a. Secret Agent Man) (1961-1968): Patrick McGoohan is John Drake, NATO secret agent. Later in the series, he officially works for Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The early episodes are shorter, more realistic, and well-plotted.

Star Trek (1966-1969): For fans, your offspring saw this when they were in diapers. For everyone else, the series can actually inspire intelligent conversation between generations.

The Muppet Show (1976-1981): Start with the first episode and before you know it, you’re invested in the travails of the entire company as they struggle to put on shows.

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1981): Unlike the recent film, all the humor and plot of the radio series and books is included. It’s the story of the sole remaining earthling after the Earth is destroyed to make way for an interstellar bypass. It’s philosophy the way it should be introduced to kids: with a wink and a smile.

Danger Mouse (1981-1992): Absolutely ridiculous adventures of the greatest secret agent mouse ever. It was a cartoon, but it’s the twisted humor in the narration that maintains the interest.

January, 2007