TV has become an important part of people's routines. Some of us weren't lucky enough to have a two-parent household with eyes on us at all times. When the television babysits, we're imparted some important life lessons from the families and friends we see on the small screen. It's not perfect, but it does instill a certain socialization. We get to watch as people solve their problems, and that experience helps us further down the line. 

There's also the way TV has integrated itself into our traditions. Maybe we can't resist having a show on while we eat! For many, television is as important to a meal as salt and pepper. There's also the example of entire generations with memories of the whole family gathering around the tube for nightly entertainment. It seems like family programming was as important in bringing us together as cards or checkers may have been before!

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Carl Reiner had to send the pilot script for ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' to President Kennedy's father

So, are we all like that? Do we all unwind with a bit of telly now and again? Well, while we can't say definitively that everybody loves television, we can for sure say that a lot of important figures are just like us. Presidents, in particular, are on record as a TV-watching bunch. Because their lives are meticulously chronicled in biographical volumes, we can go through history to discover which Head Honchos liked which series.

For John F. Kennedy, it was all about unwinding. There had been stressed-out presidents in the past, sure. But, JFK was unique in how often he dealt with the promise of mutually assured destruction. The likelihood of global catastrophe reached new highs during his presidency. So, where did Kennedy turn to relax? Why, he flipped on the TV of course!

In two separate JFK biographies, we find stories of the 35th president watching television. 

According to the book The Kennedy White House: Family Life and Pictures, 1961-1963, our youngest Prez was a big fan of Jim Garner in Maverick. It's no wonder JFK looked to Westerns to relax... There was the escapism of it, sure. But there was also the moral center in brothers Bret and Bart Maverick. While both claimed to be financially motivated, a lot of episodes saw the main characters putting money aside to do the right thing. In an increasingly complicated world, Kennedy relaxed by watching a show with clear, obvious good guys and bad guys.

But, what about when JFK needed a laugh? A Day in the Life of President Kennedy by Jim Bishop, tells us the then-POTUS loved Jack Benny. Even while in the nation's highest office, Kennedy still made room in his schedule for The Jack Benny Program. The groundbreaking comedy series provides some much-needed levity during a very trying term in office!