As the estimable Norman Augustine once stated, if there can be a popular TV show called L.A. Law, why not an equally engaging prime-time drama called L.A. Engineering?

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He was also caught reading while driving on a city expressway, once called the police when a comedian tried to film part of a popular TV show outside his home, and skipped council meetings to coach high-school football.

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"I was even invited to go on Dragon's Den (a popular British TV show where entrepreneurs pitch their products and ideas to prominent businesspeople) but there's no way I'm going on that, " he added.

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My childhood home is in a neighborhood called Greenacres, named after the popular 1966 TV show starring Eva Gabor as a New York uptown girl who goes country, and talks a lot like Arianna Huffington.

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Another ad refers to the hugely popular British TV show Top Gear, whose presenter praised a highway in Romania.

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Although CSI: Crime Scene Investigation has supplanted Friends as US TV's most popular show, the past couple of years have seen a revival for Friends, which has benefited from strong ratings and good reviews.

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After he left office, Koch -- whose ebullient personality made him popular nationwide -- practiced law, hosted a radio show, was a newspaper columnist and made countless appearances on TV series as himself.

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