Thursday, April 8, 2010

Did I really watch that?

Something got me started thinking yesterday, about all of the television series I've watched over the years. It's amazing to think about how much time I've actually spent, just watching TV.
Like everyone else in my small town, we started out with a black & white set, and I think we had the rabbit ear antennas. We got 2 channels, one was CBC, and the other was CBS from Michigan.
I simply loved everything about television back then. I recall knowing which advertisement was going to play at which intermission in each of my favorite shows. I knew every commercial, line for line, and actually spoke along with them. I was truly hooked.
Along with the commercials came some pretty incredible programming.
Captain Kangaroo, Rocket Robin Hood, the Jetsons, Batman, all of the Saturday cartoons, especially Bugs Bunny. I really liked a soap opera called Dark Shadows, mostly because there was a vampire in it. My brother and I were riveted to Mr. Dressup when he hosted the missing paint mystery. There were tons more, and I watched everything I could. I really don't know how I had time for anything else, but there are pictures of me actually playing outside, and I do recall eating every now and again. (actually, meals were quite regimented, and never in front of the TV)
Alas, all good things come to an end, and my good thing came to an abrupt one, when I had to go to school. Not a big deal really, looking back, but I filled my lunch break and after school time with as much TV as I could, without getting into trouble.
Little by little though, I started to forget the commercial lines, and with the addition of more and more channels, I just couldn't keep up with the programmers schedules.
I picked a few shows and focused on them, which left me a lot more time for playing and chores.

Somewhere in the 70's, when my orange paisley shirt sleeves became puffy, and I gained a certain respect for a knitted sweater vest, we acquired a colour TV set.
This was an entirely new beginning. I was all grown up now, watching live actions series, the Six Million Dollar man, All in the Family, Wonder Woman (yes, alas, Wonder Woman), and every family oriented sit-com coming and going. I was hooked again. I spent the decade in front of the television every night, although there is more photographic proof that I did have a social life, I just can't remember it clearly. What I do remember is Charlie's Angels, Happy Days, the Brady Bunch, I Dream of Jeanie, and the Beverly Hillbillys.
Top notch entertainment, all of it.
Then the 80's dawned, and, again, I was off to school. College this time, I didn't own a TV anymore, and couldn't afford to buy one, so TV took another back seat to education.
There aren't many shows I really can say I watched on a regular basis through those years, Mork and Mindy, FAME, Quantum Leap, The Golden Girls (yes, alas, the Golden Girls), but I really discovered my social life through that decade, and lost interest in most of what was on.
Shows now come, and shows now go, but there were a few standouts in the 90's and naughts....
Cheers, the X files, OZ, Idol, Charmed (alas, yes, Charmed) and a bunch of others that I've long since forgotten. They even resurrected the vampires for me in the 90's with a remake of Dark Shadows. Have I forgotten any really great ones? Of course I have, Dallas & Dynasty, any Star Trek series (Deep Space nine excepted) Carol Burnett, The Partrige Family, True Blood, and of course, The West Wing.
I can revisit my youth on Youtube any time, but I use it sparingly, like a treat that I'm allowed only in small quantities. There are also the boxed sets of DVDs and Blue Rays available, but I tend to plunk myself down and watch the entire series in one sitting when I come across one of those treasures. The PVR now helps me schedule a normal social life around my current favorites, and even though there are still some great commercials on, I no longer have to watch them if I don't want to.
So, there it is, my life of television all laid out. It hasn't been bad, so far (although there has been some really bad TV), and I'm always looking forward to checking out what's next.
But, I did neglect to mention my favorite show from any decade, the one that I'd want if I was on a desert island, if I was the last human alive, if I was trapped in the vacuum of space, I'd bring
Bewitched (alas, yes, Bewitched.)
That's what I think, anyway.

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