Saturday was a really busy TV day. I'd usually start by watching the Superfriends or Fat Albert in the morning, but in the afternoon there wasn't much to choose from. The only options were American Band Stand, Soul Train, This Old House, or the painter dude with the Afro. This was always a safe time to step away from the TV and actually do something.
The early evening featured scandalous Solid Gold. If you flipped channels your options were Lawrence Welk or Hee Haw. I'd be embarrassed if I was caught watching any of them. At night, Starsky and Hutch, Battlestar Galactica, Chips, The Love Boat, Hart to Hart, and Fantasy Island were possible viewing options.
At bedtime, If I tried to escape the boring 10 o clock news by turning the channel it would take me to Dr. Who! I never watched Dr. Who for more than a few minutes back then. I used to make fun of it since the old episode's special effects and costumes consisted of tin foil, pipe cleaners, Legos, and yarn. I'd like to compliment the BBC for finally getting a budget. I've seen some recent episodes and they have better special effects and are actually pretty good.
Anyway, my childhood consisted of a steady diet of whatever crap happened to be on TV. Luckily I was able to break the cycle and escape like the rare kid who is able to get out of a deadly gang. It's a miracle I turned out to be so amazing.
14 comments:
I was a ChiPS and 90210 girl.
My parents used to watch Cheers, which signified it was time for bed. It was a forbidden kid show.
I LOVED the painter dude with the Afro!!
And The Brady Bunch, Dukes of Hazzard, The Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Magnum PI, CHiPs, Scarksy and Hutch, Hart to Hart, and the Incredible Hulk !!! Oh, and Little House on the Prairie but I don't suppose you watched that.
Shana-I saw occasional episodes of the Waltons and Little House, but it was usually in stealth mode since I didn't want to ruin my cool teenager image by talking about Half Pint and Nellie Olsen at school.
Oh Yeah, I forgot The Waltons!! Loved that too.
OMG, it's like you've channeled my childhood. Of course you already had me with the picture of the Dukes. I still get a thrill if I happen to catch an episode on TV. Man did I want grow up to be like Daisy.
I was all about TV back then. I'm more into books now. :)
I'm a fellow A-Z challenger and new follower. :)
No actress has really rocked the forward-looking tied off shirt, shorts and hose/heels combo the way that Catherine Bach has since Dukes of Hazzard. To my 8 year old self, it was an enticing mix of barn dance meets banker's office...
I could gauge what time it was by the TV shows on. Since we were 'latchkey" kids, I too watched every episode of Gilligan's Isle, Brady Bunch, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched and M*A*S*H
Love Boat and Fantasty Island were off limits - now THOSE were scandalous Those and Three's Company.
Yes, I am old. Very, very old. ; )
From this post, I can tell that you are about 5 years older than I. I was much more in the Silver Spoons/Different Strokes time period.
This phrase made me LOL: "scandalous Solid Gold"
It's true that Threes company was also the most controversial thing on TV back then. It was standard routine to see Mr. Furley pull faces as he mistakenly overhears some nasty double meaning conversation from his tenants.
Don't forget about "Happy Days" and "Laverne and Shirley" (Tuesdays?). Also- Scooby Doo on Saturday mornings. I remember the day I realized that every episode ended the same way. I remember the PTA warning parents about "Three's Company" but that is nothing compared to most of the shows on TV now. I definitely watched way too much TV as a child. Now I see a few minutes of Nightline before bed and that's about all I watch anymore.
DOCTOR WHO IS simply AMAZING!!! You are forever my hero for having a post (and though slightly opinionated in the opposite direction than myself) about DOCTOR WHO!!! David Tennant, Christopher Eccleston were amazing and I miss them both.-a Doctor Who fanatic.
I was like you. After five years (ages 7-12) of living in Europe where we had NO English TV, I came back to Canada only to overdose on the 13 channels we had. I became the human TV Guide and had every shows time memorizes. My Saturdays were always the best - up early for poptarts, cereal and cartoons until 11 - then old silent movies like Keystone Cops shorts, then I went bowling, home to Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour, Wrestling, Hee Haw, Love Boat, Fantasy Island then Star Trek. My schedule was so routine it was good someone wasn't trying to kill me because they always knew where to find me.
I used to sneak down to the basement after my parents were in bed to watch The Mod Squad. I sat about 4 inches from the TV with the sound turned down so low I almost couldn't hear it myself. I just couldn't live without my nightly dose of Pete, Linc, and Julie.
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