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Blasts from the repast

Jay Dedrick, Rocky Mountain News

Published June 5, 2007 at midnight

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Screens went from fat, round and gray to thin, flat and vibrant. Language went from prim and proper to shouted and shocking. Tape delay morphed into live via satellite.

Yet one thing has remained constant throughout the evolution of television in our homes: We're still eating in front of The Box. From TV trays steadying TV dinners to jumbo bowls filled with microwave popcorn, munching in front of the tube has never gone out of style.

Why? Maybe it's because so many of the characters we're watching are devouring food themselves: Lucy and Ethel on the assembly line, stuffing their mouths with bonbons. Gilligan powering down one of Mary Ann's tropical coconut cream pies. Homer drooling over doughnuts, burgers and Duff beer - probably in the same sitting.

Once The Sopranos signs off after Sunday's finale (see related story), we'll miss the enigma of Tony, the camaraderie of the Jersey boys, the twists and turns of mob life and death. But in the show's absence, what we'll really crave are salty slices of gabagool and prosciutto, platters of baked ziti and simmering pots of Sunday gravy - tomato sauce to the rest of us.

After extensive channel surfing, we came up with this menu of the greatest food fare in television history. You might find fictional characters inspiring your own real- life TV dinners.

Signature dishes

Coconut cream pie: It must have broken poor Mary Ann's heart that so many of her desserts wound up being hurled at someone's face on Gilligan's Island.

Pork chops and applesauce: Gen Xers grew up longing for a live-in maid like Alice who would whip up this favorite. Peter Brady himself, Christopher Knight, accepted last year's TV Land Viewers' Choice Award for Favorite TV Food on behalf of this classic combination.

Spam, Sausage, Spam, Spam, Spam, Bacon, Spam, Tomato and Spam: On Monty Python's Flying Circus, the troupe sang the praises of lovely Spam, wonderful Spam.

Baked ziti: After building up an appetite by hanging out at Satriale's Pork Store, the boys could dig into a platter of the stuff at Vesuvio's or in the family kitchen. According to The Sopranos: The Book, the series' prop master would have as many as 20 identical trays of baked ziti on hand for Carmela to bring to the table in a single scene.

Krabby Patties: Leave it to a character named SpongeBob SquarePants to make crab cakes appealing to kids.

Good cooks

Felix Unger, The Odd Couple: He famously knew the difference between spaghetti and linguine.

Aunt Bee Taylor, The Andy Griffith Show: She happily delivered baskets of fried chicken to the jailhouse. She's even the inspiration for a new brand of baking mixes and canned meats and vegetables: Mayberry's Finest.

Jack Tripper, Three's Company: So good he wound up running a restaurant on the spinoff, Three's A Crowd.

Lousy cooks

Elly May Clampett, Beverly Hillbillies: Oncemade aspongecake from real sponges.

Lisa Douglas, Green Acres: Her hotcakes doubled as roofshingles.

Debra Barone, Everybody Loves Raymond: Poor PatriciaHeaton - her character's reputation meant she missedout while Doris Roberts, who played Ray's mom, got topublish a cookbook, Are You Hungry, Dear?

Comfort foods

Chili: hearty fare preferred by detectives Columbo and Ironside

Grape Nehi: the only bottle that Radar would hit on M*A*S*H

Lollipops: Who loved 'em, baby? Kojak.

Milk and Pepsi: Laverne DeFazio's curious cocktail on Laverne & Shirley

Breakfast cereal: On Seinfeld, Jerry insisted on keeping his boxes alphabetized in the cupboard.

Cool coffee shops

Central Perk, Friends: Chef Monica spent time outside the kitchenhere - with her friends, of course.

Cafe Nervosa, Frasier: Frasier Crane traded a Boston bar for thisSeattle hangout.

Talk show food

Jumbo salamis: Steve Allen handed them out as a running gag on The Tonight Show.

Canned hams: Allen disciple David Letterman hands them out as arunning gag on The Late Show.

Hot diners

Arnold's, Happy Days: Don't attempt Potsie's "ketchup freeze" at home.

Mel's, Alice: His chili was famous . . . or was it infamous?

Double R Diner, Twin Peaks: Where FBI Agent Dale Cooper enjoyed havinga slice of cherry pie and a "damn fine cup of coffee."

Monk's Cafe, Seinfeld: This is the gang's friendly hangout, not to be confused with the joint where customers were scolded with "No soup for you!" Al Yeganeh, the New York restaurateur who was spoofed as the"Soup Nazi," now franchises Original SoupMan stores. A Denver locationis scheduled to open at 500 16th St. late this month.

Magoo's, ER: Their coffee keeps the docs awake.

Shows that inspired cookbooks

I Love Lucy: The recipes don't betray the secret ingredients in Vitameatavegamin.

The Andy Griffith Show: Southern comfort foods in three different volumes

Gilligan's Island: home cooking from Dawn Wells (Mary Ann)

The Beverly Hillbillies: a mess o' vittles from down home

Sesame Street: The new C Is for Cooking aims to pleasechildren.

The Brady Bunch: suburban favorites compiled by formerDenverite Ann B. Davis (Alice)

The Muppet Show: In the Kitchen With Miss Piggy compilescelebrity recipes.

The Sopranos: Carmela and company lay out Italian spreadsin two books

Big appetites

Fred Flintstone: Bring on the Brontoburgers.

Frank Cannon: The rotund investigator took on cases to feed his gourmet food habit.

Cookie Monster: Last fall the furry blue Sesame Street resident began stressing to kids that cookies are best enjoyed in moderation and added fruits and vegetables to his diet.

Norm Peterson: When he wasn't enjoying a cold one at Cheers, he was inhaling a carnivore platter at the Hungry Heifer restaurant.

Homer Simpson: Is there a more prevalent food-inspired catchphrase in use today?"Mmmm. . . (fill in name of food)." Just think how big his belly will be on the silver screen once The Simpsons movie opens in July.