own hand at sketch comedy with The Idiot Box and the prototype version of The Ben Stiller Show . But the network didn't strike true gold -- and a series that went more than one season -- until a bunch of mid-'90s NYU scamps came along and made every shoe-gazer in flannel shirts and ripped jeans howl with laughter. The vast talent pool in The State caused a ripple effect that can still be seen today in movies and shows like Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models, Reno 911! and Childrens Hospital. After 15 years, most of this crew still works together and creates some of the best comedy around.But not only was The State totes hilar, they managed to carve out their own slice of zeitgeist whenthey decided to honor/skewer SNL's overuse of recurring characters by creating "Louie" -- a dimwit who carried two golf balls so that he could walk into situations (house parties, last suppers with Jesus, etc.) and repeat his catchphrase ("I wanna dip my balls in it!") over and over again.

Writer James L. Brooks and his unique brand of situational comedy found further success with Taxi, which ran from 1978 to 1982 on ABC, and then from 1982 to 1983 on NBC. The show, centered around the lives of those working for the fictional Sunshine Cab Company in NYC, delicately juggled farcical comedy and dramatic plots in a way the then-TV landscape hadn't seen before. The show also gave us then-breakout star Christopher Lloyd in the terrific role of eccentric