Excellent '90s teen dramedy My So-Called Life, meanwhile, saw Boston indie-rockers Buffalo Tom play the local pool hall while series leads Angela Chase (Clare Danes) and Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto) got angsty in the foreground, sound-tracking what TV Guide later voted as one of TV's Ten Most Romantic Moments.

21st Century teen melodrama The O.C. held such influence over its audience that by its second season, artists like Beastie Boys, Coldplay and U2 premiered new singles on the soundtrack. The show also boosted the careers of many then-obscure groups who graced the stage of their Bait Shop, including The Killers, Modest Mouse and Death Cab For Cutie. Death Cab were, famously, the favourite band of the show's lovelorn geek Seth Cohen, whose passionate fandom won the group a whole new audience.

The more surreal shows don't even bother to concoct reasons for their celebrity rock guest stars. BBC's The Young Ones coursed with an anarchic freedom which allowed such set-pieces as Madness playing their #1 hit House Of Fun at dingy pub The Kebab & Calculator, Dexy's performing in the boys' lavatory, and - shown here - Motörhead materialising from nowhere to blitz through Ace Of Spades...

The short-lived '70s comedy Fernwood 2 Night, meanwhile, saw comedians Martin Mull and Fred Willard play presenters of a backwoods chat show that was often wanting for celebrity guest-stars. A tourbus breakdown brings Tom Waits on the show, and the clip below finds the reluctant interviewee countering his smarmy hosts with surreal growl and bar-room wit.

And finally... talking of fake talk shows, here's the undisputed numero uno for connoisseurs of the cool rock star guest spot: The Larry Sanders Show. A wicked showbiz satire, Sanders would showcase Elvis Costello, Warren Zevon and Butthole Surfers, all gleefully in on the joke and delivering some fine musical performances to boot. Here's the Wu-Tang Clan shocking the network suits with their salty lingo, but not before a cringe-inducing encounter with Larry's legendary stooge, Hank "Where's Dirty Old Bitch?" Kingsley.