Other generations may not understand the connection Boomers have with classic television from the 1950s and '60s, but that's their loss! There was nothing like plopping in front of the small, black-and-white TV set knowing your favorite show was about to start. Whether laughing out loud or riding along with heroes of the Old West, you knew you were in for a good time!

It turns out classic TV fans come from all walks of life, even famous names who are on TV themselves! Sportscaster Bob Costas, known for his long tenure as the host of NBC’s Olympic programming, recently reminisced about the many shows he loved growing up — especially The Rifleman.

Costas stopped by Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast and eventually the topic of great TV theme songs came up. Costas showed off his musical talent singing themes to Car 54, Where Are You?, Bronco and Sugarfoot. Gottfried mentioned the opening song from Branded which prompted Costas to perform a full word-for-word rendition of the tune from the second Chuck Connors TV Western.

But you can't bring up Chuck Connors without talking about The Rifleman, and Costas did just that! He admitted to Gottfried, “The Rifleman is my favorite Western of all time.” The two, along with Gottfried's co-host Frank Santopadre, remembered the great guest stars (like Lon Chaney, Jr. and Dennis Hopper) who appeared on the show. Costas loved the relationship between Lucas McCain and his son, Mark, played by Johnny Crawford. The veteran sportscaster even suggested that Crawford "might have been the best child actor in the history of American television."

Costas also told Gottfried that he had the opportunity to get to know Chuck Connors. "I just loved the guy." Connors, who played both professional baseball and basketball, "had that kind of ballplayer's sense of humor," Costas noted.

The best part of the interview, though we may be biased, is when Costas disclosed where fans can currently watch classics on TV. "A lot of them are still playing regularly on MeTV," he said. Thanks for the shout out, Bob!

Watch The Rifleman on MeTV!

Weekdays at 2 PM & 2:30 PM
Saturdays at 4 PM & 4:30 PM

*available in most MeTV markets

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