That Girl (Syndicated, TV Land)

A groundbreaker when it debuted in 1966, THAT GIRL was the first TV series to star a young, single, independent woman trying to succeed in a male-dominated world. The show centers on twentysomething Ann Marie (Marlo Thomas), who gets the acting bug and -- against her parents' better judgment -- leaves her family's comfortable home in Brewster, New York, for the lure of the Big Apple. Once she gets there, despite her movie-star looks and bubbly personality, she's forced to hold down an assortment of temp jobs while she longingly awaits her big break. Luckily Ann has plenty of encouragement from her boyfriend, Don Hollinger (Ted Bessell), whose support of her ambitions is almost enough to counterbalance her overbearing father Lou's (Lew Parker) stern (to say the least) disapproval of her new lifestyle. Other short-lived characters likewise reflect the different sides of the feminist struggle, including Judy (Bonnie Scott), Ann's neighbor in early episodes, whose identity was defined by her marriage to a doctor; and an elegant, self-confident friend who comes to town to perform on Broadway.

In typical '60s TV style, That Girl draws most of its laughs from comedic catastrophes -- in this case, the many odd jobs Ann unsuccessfully takes on in between auditions. While this makes for worry-free family viewing with older kids, it's unlikely that the show -- which is a bit cheesy by today's standards -- will appeal to tweens. Nostalgic adult fans of rosy, good-natured comedies will probably have to enjoy this one alone.