I love the classics. Not only the country music classics, but the TV classics as well.

That's why is was great news for me (and many others I'll bet) when METV came back to my television after a year or two away. If you're not familiar with METV, it's the classics TV network that carries great classic shows, from 'Gunsmoke' and 'Rawhide' to 'Columbo', 'Rockford Files', 'M*A*S*H', 'Wonder Woman' and most of the other greats, too.

Including 'Adam 12'.

It has become one of the phrases that has lived through the years. It opened virtually every episode.

The police radio in the car cackling 'One Adam 12, One Adam 12...' And whatever came after that meant that Reed and Malloy were on their way, lights flashing, through the streets of Los Angeles.

And now Malloy is gone.

Actor Martin Milner who portrayed Pete Malloy (as well as Tod Stiles from 'Route 66' earlier) has died at the age of 83. The following is from CNN:

(CNN)Actor Martin Milner, who projected clean-cut integrity through car windshields on '60s TV hits "Route 66" and "Adam-12," has died. He was 83.

Milner died Sunday night surrounded by his family, said friend Pete Gray, who with Milner co-hosted "Let's Talk HookUp," a Southern California radio show on sportfishing.Milner appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies in a Hollywood career that spanned half a century, from "Dragnet" to "Murder, She Wrote." His forthright manner and wholesome looks made him a popular choice to play cops, military officers and other authority figures.

But he is best remembered for two roles that placed him behind the wheel of a car, fighting crime and seeking adventure.In "Route 66," which ran from 1960 to 1964, Milner played Tod Stiles, a restless young man who wandered the country with buddy Buz Murdock (later Lincoln Case) in a Corvette convertible, taking odd jobs and helping local people with their struggles.

Inspired by Jack Kerouac's novel "On the Road," the show tackled social issues and filmed in locations all over the country, reflecting the rise of American car culture and the interstate highway system.

A few years later, Milner returned to TV screens weekly as LAPD officer Pete Malloy in "Adam-12," about two patrol cops who grapple with a range of incidents -- from the murderous to the mundane -- while cruising the streets of Los Angeles.

A steady, principled veteran of the force, Malloy was paired with a rookie cop, Jim Reed (Kent McCord).The show's title was police code for the main characters' unit and patrol car, and its frequently repeated radio call sign, "1-Adam-12," became a catchphrase. Plotlines were based on actual LAPD cases."Adam-12" ran from 1968 to 1975 and was credited with introducing many Americans to police jargon and procedures.

RIP Mr. Milner and thank you for many hours of entertainment on the tube. And thankfully, 'Adam 12' still airs on my TV at home on METV.

More From KKRC-FM / 97.3 KKRC