Sentimentality is tough to pull off. It's a hard balance to strike. Too little, and the feeling doesn't come across. Too much, and the emotion warms over and becomes sickly sweet. Sweet shows do well. Saccharine shows get canceled. The lesson is that conveying true human spirit is one of the biggest challenges creative teams face. 

Think of your favorite show and a moment when it made you cry. All In the Family is capable of absolute emotional acrobatics. There are episodes of that series that could make a statue cry. But that's only true because the writing staff chose its moments very carefully. "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen," the two-part M*A*S*H finale is only as sad as the show was funny. If there wasn't such a finely tuned equilibrium, such choices would feel cloying.

Even The Rifleman knew to strike a balance. The show starred the square-jawed former athlete Chuck Connors. He fit the role perfectly, and for many youngsters growing up in America, Connors was the ultimate good guy. While the Winchester Model 1892 in the show's opening credits drew viewers in, it was the storytelling that kept them coming back. The people behind the scenes on The Rifleman understood that action was great, but emotion was the most important thing a story could have. 

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In a 1960 interview with the Hartford Courant, Connors was asked about whether there was too much sentimentality on TV, and his answer might've surprised some readers.

"People say there's too much, but I say in some respects there is not enough," said Connors.

"For instance," he continued, "folks feel it's unsophisticated to choke up once in a while on sentiment, but they'd be far better off if they let themselves go occasionally. On The Rifleman, my relationship with Johnny Crawford is frankly sentimental— and it's been the key to our success."