BEST: Dallas (1978-1991 and 2012)
Dallas was such a buzz-generating TV behemoth in the late '70s and early '80s that it's easy to overlook just how important — and influential — the soapy oil-baron series was for TV history. The ''Who Shot J.R.?'' twist set a standard for zeitgeist-capturing thrills long before the finale-as-cliffhanger became an expectation for most TV shows. And Larry Hagman's lovable villain J.R. predicted the whole modern vogue for anti-heroes. The new Dallas might never live up to its progenitor's pop culture relevance, but give the remake some credit: It recaptures the original's decadent, sexy appeal, and it's bringing Hagman back on your television.