It might seem over dramatic and bit corny by todays standards, but it gives a true snapshot of the times. It reflects values of a by gone era - the men are tough but fair and honest - in a mindful way. They get involved in others lives in a way that would seem risky today they actually seem to care about others. Sadly, the HULU video quality is pretty poor - I don't know why but if you can look beyond that you will find some great well written and moving stories. The first season has 30 episodes - wow they we hard workers back then. Now a long season is like 12 episodes! Give it a try...

Sterling Silliphant created two television series that should live forever, or at least until we have a nuclear war or a meteor hits us. The first was The Naked City, the first truly great Noir Police Procedural,which fashioned the template for almost every great Cop show that followed. The other had few imitators ( Mving On, Banyon, even , God save us, BJ and the Bear.). It was ,of course, Route 66. I had heard of this show for years, and finally caught many of the episodes from the first season on our local RetroTV affiliate. I know realize that it deserves its Iconic status. All I had known about it was that it had an unforgettable theme( NOT to be confused with the classic song by Bobby ( Emergency) Troup.)and a snazzy Red Corvette. I also knew that Martin Milner had starred in before he starred in Adam-12. After watching an episode, in which Lew Ayres played a Nazi-Hunter who meets our heroes on an oil derrick in Louisiana, I was hooked. The local Retro affiliate ran the show every day at Seven O'clock in the morning, right after The Cisco Kid. Forsaking Don Imus and Joe Scarboough, I watched almost every episode for about five weeks. With one or two exceptions, almost every episode was good, and at least seven were superb. I was especially impressed by "Ministering Angels", "Fly Away Home', "Two Drops of Water", "Play it Glissando", and an episode were Darren McGavin played a prize fighter. Perhaps it helped that I had just read On the Road for the first time. The show was well acted, and often poetic. Then, one morning, I learned that the Local station that ran it and other classic TV shows was switching to , God help us, a "life-style " format. Well, maybe, I 'll move to some city which still has its Rero station. Of course, by the time that happens, I'll be too old to enjoy it. We really need more networks like Retro, that rerun the great shows of all time.

I've just seen several episodes of Route 66, which I remember from reruns in the late 60's. The location shots are absolutely wonderful - how Martin Milner and George Maharis survived all the travel to shoot on location is amazing in itself.The story lines deal with people and their personal lives in a very intimate way. Wonderful "guest stars" too - from Robert Redford and Robert Duvall to Walter Matthau and Jack Lord.I grew to appreciate Milner and Maharis from earlier parts they played -Milner as the stoic, sincere jazz guitarist in "Sweet Smell of Success," in 1957 and Maharis in the first hour-long episode of Naked City in 1960. My kind of actors.All in all, Route 66 is a great show.

Marty Milner and his sidekick George Maharis get into intrigue and adventure on the highways and byways. Mostly across the good old USA, but one stop each in Canada and Mexico.Ahhh, what a great concept for a TV series in this post-war period. Two virile young dudes getting into a gorgeous Corvette and driving aimlessly until the gas money ran out. This was one of the more well written and plotted series of the day, too! Some have called the dialogue intellectual and poetic. It is one of those shows that was impossible to stop watching once you were in the first five minutes. Gorgeous scenery and the perpetual sense that adventure was always just around the turnpike.Stan Lee and Marvel Comics wouldn't admit this, but it would appear they may have unintentionally ripped off the Buzz Murdock character in creating one of their stable characters, Daredevil. According to all the trivial facts about Route 66, Buzz Murdock hails from Hell's Kitchen! Daredevil's secret identity, MATT Murdock, hails from Hell's Kitchen! It seems to me in one episode, Buzz was even blinded! Matt Murdock is blind!Nah, I don't really care either, but thought somebody out there might find it interesting.