A memory of intelligent television

The release of the first season of "The Paper Chase" this spring was really a nice surprise.

The series, based on the 1973 movie of the same name, wasn't a hit. It played for one season on CBS and an additional 35 episodes over three years on Public Broadcasting and never got great ratings. But it was an incredible example of just how good television could be.

Imagine a series based on law school, one that had its funny moments but wasn't goofy or wacky. In fact, the plot line in many of the episodes involved legal principles. Nearly every episode was set at least in part in a classroom, with professor and students using the Socratic Method.

Of course this was 1978, and for all the talk of the goofiness of the '70s, television in general was of much higher quality.

Check it out, and then hope for those next three seasons that PBS owns to be released soon.