Inside the Actors Studio: Season 1 (1994)

Performers and directors discuss their lives, inspirations and craft as they weather a shower of compliments from host James Lipton before an audience of students from New York's Actors Studio. Along with ample film clips and his stack of blue index cards, Lipton's borderline obsequiousness became the show's trademark (and fodder for 'SNL' parody), and a hit with viewers, who turned the series into a consistent ratings grabber for Bravo.