Since we grew up in different generations -- he has a good 50 years more added to his lifespan, or maybe just 20, I always forget -- we watched entirely different shows as children. The shows he watched never extended into my generation, as I know the shows that I watched as a kid will never be known by my daughter unless I buy the DVDs.
Let's begin.
Hogan's Heroes
During my time range as a kid, there was a mixture of shows that were in color and black-n-white. I remember watching this show before the Channel 4 noon news. My brother enjoyed it immensely. I remember it as a war captive show where the prisoners ate good, did whatever they wanted and helped "our" side beat "their" (meaning the bad) side. The technicalities of the Second World War were still a bit too complicated in my mind.
But I was quick enough to know that Captain Klink and Sergeant Schultz should never have had those jobs watching those prisoners. In fact, I kept patiently waiting for the scene when the firing squad would put those two out of their misery. Sigh... never happened.
I Love Lucy
"Rickkkyyy! Waaaahhhh!" If you never seen "I Love Lucy," then you truly missed out on a show. The antics of Lucy and the gang are memorable. Walk up to someone and mention Lucy working the the candy-factory assembly line. I bet you'll get a chuckle and a nod and even the word, "Classic!" out of them.
The Andy Griffith Show
Did you start whistling when you saw this picture? I sure did. Good old Mayberry with the watering hole and the inept deputy Fife. Sure not like today's cop shows. The worse you would have seen is someone tossed in the drunk cell. No body dismemberment like CSI or NCIS or any other show that simply goes by an acronym.
Mork and Mindy
"Nannu-nannu" Boy, did I hate this show. Of course, I never said I was listing favorite old shows that I watched as a kid. Just old shows.
My sister loved this one with Mork, Robin Williams debut, playing the alien who is observing humans and his human confidant-turned-wife, Mindy. The fact that he landed on Earth in a giant egg tells you how half-baked, or soft-boiled, this show was. And it's origins came from another old show, "The Happy Days."
I think I'll end the list here. There are, of course, other shows which I'll list.
WKRP in Cincinnati
The Odd Couple
Laverne and Shirley
Three's Company
All in The Family
The Jefferson's
The Partridge Family
The Brady Bunch
The Honeymooners
Moonlighting
Any shows you remember watching as a kid? Or adult?
Well, 'Hogan' and 'Andy Griffith' were among my own youthful favorites, but I watched 'em before they were syndicated (funny, but I guess I'm young enough that I remember when Andy's deputy was Warren, after Barney moved on to bigger/better things) (but then, I also remember Festus on 'Gunsmoke' more than Chester. . .)
ReplyDeleteAnd of course 'Lucy' and 'Honeymooners' are classics of early TV.
Hogan might've been my favorite show of all time; we used to catch it regularly in my college days (which seem to roughly correspond to your childhood, just judging from your list). But it drove my dad (a European-Theater WW2 vet) crazy - "There was nothing funny about a German POW camp!" was all he'd ever say about it. . . He had a point. . .
I remember 'Mork' not because it was such a great show (it really wasn't), but because it was my first exposure to Robin Williams, whose rapid-fire improvisational comedy has always had me on the floor. . .
Hogan, Andy Griffith....they were great. And I still Love Lucy!
ReplyDeleteGreat list, Michelle. I have to agree with Craig. While Mork wasn't a great show, watching Robin Williams in those early days almost made it worthwhile. Another show you're missing is Busom Buddies, which was where Tom Hanks got his start. Not a great show perhaps, but it was fun to watch Tom do his thing.
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ReplyDeleteA good FIFTY years older than you? Well, Merry Freakin' Christmas to you, too, My Darker Grey Friend!
ReplyDeleteJust kidding, of course. Good list, and thanks for the linky love!
I watched these shows, too! :-D
ReplyDeleteAnd some of these are on cable tv - sometimes I'll watch old shows and just can't get into them any more, but some are timeless!
Craig: Since i was the youngest of three siblings (with a big age gap) I have different timelines of shows that I watched based on who controlled the tv watching in those days. "Hogan" was definitely a show my brother was into. But a lot of the others(Mork, Partridges, Lucy, Bradys) were shows my sister was into. Perhaps I'll do a post featuring my old favorites.
ReplyDeleteLife,laughter and Paris: They were. It's great that we can still catch them on cable.
Eric: I "know" Busom Buddies, but it didn't make the list upon instant recall.
Suldog: You're welcome, MLGF! I mean for the link vs the joke.
Kat: I know. Shows we watched as kids seem a bit strange now to watch them as adults. Even the storylines can seem a bit off.
I mean, really, "Murder She Wrote." Every time she arrived at a new town, someone died. In today's cop shows, Agatha would always be the first on the suspect list.
I must have been in a time warp... I'm sure I'll figure it out.
ReplyDeleteI seem to like the "ensemble" type comedies . . . my favorites are Taxi, Cheers,and MASH.
ReplyDeleteAlso have fond memories of Happy Days, The Brady Bunch, and Welcome Back Kotter.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
ah, i forgot about the odd couple. i used to love that. i think i'd have to add all in the family. it seemed so taboo that you'd hear a toilet flush on tv. yes, i now i am weird.
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