Friday, June 20, 2008

Classic TV

I'm old, I'm so old I can remember watching Television before they had even invented TV Dinners.---(now thats OLD). I miss those good old days, back then we had Television---not the sappy reality crap they pass out today. Back then the fall season of programming was 39 weeks, followed by the summer programming of 13 weeks.. Back then the networks didn't recycle the programs every week was new material. Damn near put the movie business out of business. Most of the big shows were recorded live, no retakes, and we had real professional actors working. Some shows were so heavily watched, that traffic in the streets would become eerily absent, everyone was home watching TV. Here is a list of ten good shows that I looked forward to watching every week.----and I betcha that you readers can think of a few more , what were YOUR favorites.?

Ed Sullivan
Twilight Zone
Gunsmoke
Peter Gunn
Father Knows Best
The Loretta Young Show
Texaco Star Theater w/Milton Berle
You Bet Your Life, w/ Groucho Marx
Hazel
Sea Hunt

---------yeahh back then TV was entertainment---now its pablum for the masses. (no writing, no direction, just lots of pretty colors and actions to keep the commercials spaced apart.)

8 comments:

  1. Oh Coot. Those shows were so full of suspense and anxiety and now, when I watch them, I cringe at how naive I was!! I used to have nightmares that I was drowning and I would literally hold my breath til I passed out in my sleep and mom would wake me up and start yelling "NO MORE SEA HUNT!!!"

    Yep. Them were the days.

    Twilight Zone once scared my mom so bad that she popped me in the car and we took a drive just to get away from the TV.

    The Wizard of Oz scared me so bad that I VOLUNTEERED to take a bath just to get out of the living room.

    And Ed Sullivan with those men who would spin those plates to that nerve-wracking music!! THAT was BAD.

    But Andy Griffith?? ahhhhhh Mayberry, take me away.

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  2. ahh yes---I remember Mayberry--Aunt Bea---Opie (who grew up and became a successful movie Director)

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  3. You forgot I Love Lucy, Sky King, Steve Allen on the tonight show, (now THAT was good TV),Lassie, The Outer Limits, and there was one with a Helicopter that I always called "Whirley Bird" but I'm not sure if that was the real name.
    Then there was the local shows for us kids in the afternoon! Growing up in Seattle we had Brakeman Bill and my hero... JP Patches!
    I have to agree with you Gary...TV was better in the "good ole days"...although I do like to watch Survivor. (I know..I know..but hey it is entertaining to watch them duke it out..back stab and lie their way to the finals)

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  4. You have to remember that tv back then was geared to the wealthy. Tv sets in the 50s were very expensive. Our first set was a used philco console that my dad got from a tv repairman.
    Here's a few shows you might remember
    Playhouse 90
    I remember moma
    Rin tin tin
    Sargent Preston
    Amos and Andy
    Comander Cody
    Paleadon
    Fury
    The lone ranger

    Yep watched them all.
    And a little know secret, I skipped school to watch John Glen go into space. They wouldn't let us watch at school. They only had one set there for showing pbs science programs, go figure.

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  5. those were the good ole days, now all we get to watch at my house is CNN or CNN or guys running around kicking a ball or guys making hoops or hitting a little white ball around, Woo Hoo and guess who has the control and then proceeds to channel surf.Guys and their toys.LOL

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  6. And that is why today I don't have satellite or cable tv.

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  7. Shows I remember from when I was a kid:

    Donny & Marie
    All My Children
    The Barbara Mandrell Show
    Hee Haw
    Dukes Of Hazzard
    The Love Boat
    Fantasy Island
    Let's Make A Deal
    Bonanza
    The Wonderful World Of Disney

    I'm certain I've seen some of the others mentioned, but they were probably in re-runs.

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  8. Okay, so I've been trying to find out the name of an old TV comedy show where the guy (wore a business suit) had a flying car - helicopter car...Anyone out there remember that obviously short-lived TV show?

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