The 20th anniversary of the debut of "Miami Vice" is coming up - Sept. 16 to be exact. I can’t say as I remember the plots very well or even the whole cast. Don Johnson co-starred with another good-looking guy - Michael Tilson Thomas, John Phillip Sousa, something like that.

What I do remember vividly is the art direction - the Armani jackets color-coordinated with Art Deco pastels of Miami’s South Beach - and the inspired use of contemporary pop music to echo or enhance the action on screen.

The presence of these movie-like elements constituted a revolutionary development in traditional series TV. It’s why "Miami Vice" ranks as one of the most influential TV shows of the past 20 years. It also got me thinking about other shows that have had a huge impact.

More about them shortly. First, the unavoidable influence of "Vice."

Then-NBC Entertainment president Brandon Tartikoff’s legendary brainstorm consisted of two words: "MTV cops." Foremost among the writer- producers who developed the idea were Anthony Yerkovich, co-creator of "Hill Street Blues," and Michael Mann, whose 1981 theatrical film "Thief" prefigured "Vice’s" attention to color, lighting and music.

Before "Vice," TV series’ visual panache tended to end with the opening-credits sequence. Think "Hawaii Five- O." Before "Vice," a series’ memorable music tended to end with the opening theme. Again, think "Hawaii Five-O."

Nowadays, it’s hard to find a dramatic series whose creators don’t try to achieve a distinct look or who don’t use contemporary songs - originals, not cheaper, mood-undermining cover versions - at least as much as they use orchestral underscoring. And it’s hard to imagine the "CSIs," "The West Wing" or "Smallville," to name a few, if there hadn’t been a "Miami Vice."

What else from the past two decades has had lasting impact? I can think of five shows, some fairly obvious, some not. In chronological order:

"The Simpsons" (1989- present, Fox) - Like "Miami Vice," a double whammy. "The Simpsons" gave rise to the satiric, adult cartoon series ("King of the Hill," "South Park") and to the dysfunctional-family sitcom, both animated ("Family Guy") and live-action ("Malcolm in the Middle," "Arrested Development").

"Law & Order" (1990- present, NBC) - The "procedural" crime drama goes back at least as far as "Dragnet," but "L&O" creator Dick Wolf refined the form to machine- like efficiency, complete with sound cues and documentary-like informational on-screen print. The show’s true genius is as much utilitarian as artistic and it wasn’t fully evident until the series had been on for a few seasons. "L&O’s " stand-alone episodes emphasize detection and prosecution rather than its regular characters’ personal lives (like, for instance, the serialized "Hill Street Blues"). As such, it offers viewers surprises within a familiar format, and the network, be it NBC or TNT, a highly desirable repeat-ability. Which is why NBC keeps cloning it and CBS has stocked up on shows such as "CSI," "Without a Trace" and "Cold Case."

"The New Detectives: Case Studies in Forensic Science" (1996-present, Discovery) - This is where Anthony Zuiker got the idea for "CSI" and where Court TV got the idea for "Forensic Files." NBC’s new fall drama "Medical Investigation" is proof that the idea is still contagious.

"Changing Rooms" (1997- present, BBC America) - Most Americans have never seen this British series, but the creators of Discovery’s "Trading Spaces" (and Fox’s "Trading Spouses") certainly did. It’s only a slight stretch to say that TV’s makeover mania, for "ducklings" as well as dwellings, began with "Changing Rooms."

"Survivor" (2000-present, CBS) - Producer Mark Burnett, a former British commando, shipped a carefully selected cast of everyday people to a remote island to play Darwinian survival games while stealthy cinematographers recorded their every boast and gripe. Thus was born the TV genre I like to call "managed reality," documentary-as-lab experiment. From "Survivor" comes everything from "The Apprentice" to "Who Wants to Marry My Dad?"

There are probably other influential shows I’ve overlooked. Or perhaps, you think I’ve overstated - or misstated - the case for some of the above. In either event, your quibbles or your nominations are welcome.