36. DIAHANN CARROLL
Headlined by Carroll, Julia (1968-71) was the first sitcom to feature a black actress playing a professional single mom. (There had been other black women on TV, like Ethel Waters and Louise Beavers, but usually as domestics or in supporting roles.) Carroll, who made her initial impact as a pop-jazz vocalist, starred as Julia Baker, a nurse whose husband had died in Vietnam. She worked with Lloyd Nolan's Dr. Chegley, cared for her adorable son (Marc Copage), and had a love life. It might seem tame today, but this milestone series deserves to be preserved — and rediscovered.

We're Dyin' For... Julia on DVD