Am I getting old or does TV seem to be getting worse?

[Eamonn]

Frank

So far this season Masterpiece Theater hasn't been that masterful.

The history of how the mini historical drama came to be is a little odd. They started on the radio. In fact the BBC World Service still does a very good job of adapting novels to the radio. Many a night I like to go to bed and listen to it.Somehow it's like being a kid again having someone reading me a bedtime story.

The BBC started adapting classic books and plays (not Shakespeare) to TV for children's TV. These were shown on Sundays in the slot from 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM. This was followed by the News and then the weekly God Spot!! An hour of religious programming. "Songs Of Praise" where the BBC would visit churches all over the UK and film a community and a church singing hymns, with interviews of local people was very popular.

I'm not sure if the God Spot is still around or not. As a kid I remember watching it and making fun of the Ladies and their Sunday hat's.

Some books have been made into drama TV shows many times, mainly works by Dickens. I used to have lots of them when I worked for the BBC. Sadly they were all on tape and worse still the BBC taped using the Beata system. When I made my move across the pond I gave them all away.

Looking back to the days of my youth!! - Boy does that sound corny!!

My mother would cook and bake on Sundays, the big meal was a late lunch. She would bake cakes and loaves of Irish soda bread. Sunday Tea, was never a cooked meal. We would have cold cuts, fresh bread, pies and cakes that she had made. We would in the winter spend the afternoon watching TV as a family. Sunday night was bath night and if I was good I was allowed to stay up late!! Roger Moore was Simon Templer, the Saint and then there was Sunday Night At The London Palladium.

Of course in them there warm and fuzzy times we only had one TV in the house!

Of course also the Brits are a strange lot. When BBC 2 came along, the BBC was just starting to broadcast in color, they used Billiards and snooker as a way of testing the colors. People fell in love with it!! Soon professional players were seen as super stars and were making big bucks!!

Today in our house it is rare for the 3 of us to watch TV as a family, we all have our own likes and dislikes, we make our own choices, but I can't help think that something good has been lost.

Eamonn.

[gwd-scouter]

Like SR540Beaver, I too enjoy television. I've been reading this thread and thinking back to my youthful days. Fighting with my three brothers over what shows to watch on the one black and white television our family owned. Mom had a schedule posted in the kitchen and we each had an hour a day that was our own when we could chose what to watch and everyone else either watched it or did something else. Course, back then, there weren't many choices.

 

I remember staying up late with my girlfriends on Saturday nights and watching the old horror movies on the UHF channel.

 

Then, the color TV made it's way to our home. Parents purchased it maily to watch the Washington Redskins in color. Now, of course, the fights among my brothers were about who got to watch "their" program on the color set.

 

Sunday nights were always Disney. Four children sitting on the floor each with a small bowl of popcorn. What a treat.

 

Now, I guess I am a bit embarrassed to say our house has four televisions. My sons do not have TVs in their bedrooms, but we have one in the kitchen, den, living room, and my husband's and my bedroom. The kitchen TV was introduced a couple of years ago and we watch the news in the morning while getting ready for school/work and in the evenings preparing dinner.

 

Our tastes in television vary, but we all share favorites on the History Channel, Discovery and National Geographic. Animal Planet has some interesting programming, too. I will admit we all also like the Simpsons, the Daily Show, The Colbert Report, CSI, and a lot of the Nick at Night programming. I like old movies on Turner Classic and Fox Movie Channel. We are thinking about cancelling HBO since we rarely watch it.

 

I have the guilty pleasure of enjoying shows about UFOs, ghosts, paranormal events, and the like. Can't say I necessarily believe in all that stuff, but it is entertaining. Oh yes, Judge Judy just makes my day.

 

Years ago, I never missed Phil Donahue. Today's talk shows though, at least for me, just don't seem to measure up.

 

The absolute favorite show in our house - the one the gets us all in front of the TV together? Mythbusters! Ah, family time... :-)

 

 

 

 

[Gonzo1]

OGE, Calico

 

I knew there was something I liked about you two, I grew up in DuPage County and always wondered why people would get cable. We had a bunch of channels to choose from.

 

Now after being away from Chicagoland for 26 years, I know why we get cable, to get WGN to watch da Cubs!

 

Eamonn,

If you ever want to enter Amazing Race and would like to enter together, let me know. I enjoy watching Are You Being Served on PBS, darn thing is, it's never on the same time twice. PBS is bad about that. Except New Yankee Workshop is fairly consistent.

 

 

 

 

[packsaddle]

I guess the thing I like the least about the TV, is the tendency for children to park in front of it (or the computer) and add layers of adipose tissue intead of getting outside and developing balance, agility, and strength. The tube (or panel) just sucks the creativity out of us and it's almost addicting. I think this is one reason I have such a strong aversion to electronic gizmos on outings. The boys have a lot more fun and gain much more from being active as part of an active team. But enough of that, the commercial is almost over...

Hope everyone remembered to set the clock back!

 

Edited part: Oops, almost forgot..Gonzo1, hint, hint, the Braves, the Braves! OK, I understand but they do manage to win once in a while.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[Fuzzy Bear]

Got back from Camporee early this morning so I got the family up. I cooked and we ate breakfast and hauled a load of wood. I finished cutting it to length and stacking it about an hour ago. We installed a fireplace insert this year and we are heating with wood. It has been great on the coldest of nights. When we moved to our new home, which was built in the 60's, we didn't bother with the cable, which was limited to the econo-pack anyway. We can pick up PBS, 2 national networks, an Hispanic religious channel, and something that comes and goes with the clouds, I think. The antenna has saved us around 300 plus dollars this year.

 

I grew up watching the national channels and PBS. We watched them like some kind of religion or something. On every night of the week, we had a sacred list of shows and then there were Saturday morning cartoons to get us going. Saturday night was a mixture. My Mother would start it off with C and W shows and Lawrence Welk. My parents would go Square Dancing afterwards. My older brother would turn off the lights when they left and turn on Monster Piece Theatre. There would be some guy laughing hideously while the camera moved down a darkened hallway and lighting bolts would ring out through the windows (*in a hallway no less). We found out how to kill Wolf-man with a silver bullet, Dracula with a wooden stake through the heart and Frankenstein by burning his house down around his thick neck with a bolt through it while he was in it screaming. The natives were always satisfied with the results of their completely justified efforts at keeping the peace by mob rule. I appreciated them taking charge. Those were the good old days! I would sit and watch while getting the bejibbers scarred out of me.

 

My parents would return around 10 P.M. and my Dad would watch Rassling. It was great. Big guys in bathing suits stomping on each others heads while taking a dive from the top ropes. I don't understand how they kept their brains from squirting out. Sunday afternoon was all Dallas Cowboys. There is nothing like pro-ball to deliver the much needed punch in our lives. We would then top the week off with Bonanza. Pa and the boys killing off any low lifes that would cross over onto their thousands of acres was always uplifting. Church was not optional because we had much to forgive and still do.

 

I suppose that may be one reason that we have a selected library of films for the boys and one library for us. I like to watch the news on PBS. Any shows that we do get on the few stations that come in are totally optional when we find time to watch. The boys are now getting ready for bed while chasing each other around. They are playing some kind of game that needs an imagination. They would like a little dessert, so I gotta go. FB

 

[SSScout]

Let's date a few people.

 

Dave Garroway.... "Omnibus"

 

And his signature sign off was...?

 

Peter Graves was the narrator for what oceanic documentary? (and nothing else that comes to mind)

 

TWTWTW means? and who was in it?

 

BoBo Brazil was not a place but a...?

[FScouter]

I also got excited when Bobo Brazil would come into the ring and put Freddie Blassie in his place with a crack of his hard head. He was one of the few "good guys".

[OldGreyEagle]

SSScout, you threw me off, had you said TW3, I would have gotten "That Was The Week That Was" right off with the illustrious David Frost as the host. I see some of the same overtones in VH-1's "Best Week Ever" but the politcal intrigue is lacking.

[SR540Beaver]

gwd,

 

You need to add Dirty Jobs to the list with Mythbusters. Both are quitr entertaining. My son and I used to watch Junkyard Wars when it was on. Another favorite is Survivorman, but I'm tired of seeing the same reruns for the 20th time.

 

For those who might not know about Survivorman, the host plays out different survival scenarios in different terrains and climate conditions. Besides the little bit of gear he is allowed, he carries about 60 lbs of camera and sound gear and self films himself in his survival bid. That is why there are so few shows. I'm sure he can only do so many shows per year without killing himself or becoming extremely worn out or sick. The show needs multiple hosts so they can do more shows.

[rkfrance]

TV for the purpose of entertainment with a little learning in there too. I can live without it, but this is what I like right now.

 

Survivorman. Discovery Channel. My kids and I are hooked on it. My older two are boy scouts, the youngest is a tiger. From a practical point, Survivorman does some stupid stuff, ie - drink unfiltered jungle water. But he helped spark an interest in wilderness survival and outdoor skills that is helping all of us to become better scouts.

 

I Shouldn't Be Alive. Discovery Channel. I've only caught a couple of episodes. I don't care for the re-enactments of those that "shouldn't be alive". I watch for the "how to" stuff.

 

Man vs Wild. Discovery Channel. New show. Only saw first episode. Simply put, whatever he does, don't ever try it. Entertainment only.

 

Campfire Cafe. RFD channel. Exposing my kids to the realities that you can make more than cobbler in a dutch oven.

 

Dutch Oven & Camp Cooking. RFD channel. Same comments as Campfire Cafe.

 

Aside from that, about the only shows I watch on regular TV are Smallville and Extreme Home Makeover.

 

BTW - I only had 3 channels as a kid, 6 if the weather was perfect.

[CalicoPenn]

SSS - most a bit before my time but the Peter Graves reference intrigues me. I know Peter Graves from his role in Mission Impossible, his role as host of Biography, and the really bad 1950's B-movie science fiction films (the ones that are so bad, they're good - and the perfect fodder for Mystery Science Theater). So what was the oceanic documentary?

 

Growing up, the weekend routine was Saturday morning cartoons, Roller Derby in the evening, Creature Features at night (we got to stay up late for this - it didn't come on until 10 - first Creature Feature I saw was Dracula - scared the bejebus out of me), then Sunday afternoons/nights was the Outdoor Sportsman, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, Jaques Cousteau or Disney.

 

Calico

[oldsm]

I remember a lot of the old shows from my childhood: My Three Sons, Leave It to Beaver, etc. Wholesome stuff, although some modern-day apologists have to make the families back then seem dysfunctional. We kids weren't allowed to see Bonanza - our parents didn't approve of us seeing anyone shot with a gun or an arrow.

 

I have an antenna on the roof. I get CBS and NBC pretty well, and ABC and PBS sometimes (often to "snowy" to watch). The boys would like cable, but it's too expensive for what you don't get.

 

Packsaddle's comment about Spiro Agnew brought back memories. I went to the same high school that Spiro did: Forest Park High in Baltimore. He was about 32 years ahead of me! Most schools tout their "famous" graduates. FPHS gets to tout their "infamous" grad. Considering what Agnew was alleged to have done, he got off easy by today's standards. No jail time, just a $10,000 fine and probation (as VP). His actions as governor were never fully prosecuted. Still, his political career was ruined by his own greed.

 

//digression//

 

My high school alma mater did have another alum (actually, she dropped out at age 17) who I think compensated for Agnew: Ellen Naomi Cohen, aka Cass Elliot, aka Mama Cass. She was only 9 years ahead of me. I liked her music. It sure was better than what passes for music today!

 

FPHS also produced another well-known name: Barry Levinson, who has a string of minor and major successes as a television and film writer (The Carol Burnett Show) and director (Rain Man, Good Morning Vietnam).

 

Oh, yes, there was one more: ME! Oops! Correction: I'm not well known, just well worn.

 

//end digression//

[CNYScouter]

I also got excited when Bobo Brazil would come into the ring and put Freddie Blassie in his place with a crack of his hard head.

 

Wasn't that called the CoCo Butt?

[gwd-scouter]

SR540Beaver - you're right, totally forgot dirtiest jobs. Son and I just watched the episode with host learning how to determine between male and female alligators. Enlightening!

 

I also forgot to mention we used to enjoy Robot Wars, or I think that was what it was called.

 

Survivor Man sounds a bit like a show I watched years ago and which is the source of many jokes - McGuyver (sp?)

[SSScout]

Calico... My apologies... That should've been Leonard Graves, not Peter (altho Peter did introduce the rerelease, on History Channel, of Leonard's TV Documentary by saying he was no relation). Does that help at all? ummm?

 

Next up... Identify this quote...

"Plunk yer magic twanger, Froggy!!"

 

Sky King flew what kind of airplane?? (either of two wins...)

 

And... name any Saturday morning Show sponsored by Ovaltine...

 

(Sorry, Eamon, all I know is early American TV. 'Cause I was an early American TV watcher!)