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Childhood TV Meme...
(Oh another wonderful thing about having a day off? I can write! Heh.)
Was thinking about this late last night, while in bed. The tv shows I obsessed over as a small child. What was it about them? And how much have I changed in my interests and obsessions since then?
This meme really only works if your childhood was more than 15 years ago. Because, you have to pick the shows you remember. If it was only 15 or 10 or 5 years back? Not going to be that hard to remember a whole slew of television shows, now is it?
I'm 37, almost 38 now - so the shows I obsessed over as a child, were on TV approximately 30 years ago. Or from 1970-1981. And since it was so long ago, I can't remember that many. Which, by the way, is a good thing.
Here's what I jotted down last night:
1. Kimba (I was about 3 or 6 at the time). I remember it, because my mother keeps reminding me and well I was obsessed. I adored the white lion, identified with him and fantasized stories about the lion. For years I thought I'd dreamed the show up, because we'd moved to Kansas City when I was 11 or 12
and no one in KC had heard of the show. Then the Lion King came out and Mathew Broderick referred to Kimba. And I moved back to the East Coast where people had heard of it. Also found a bootleg VHS copy of it somewhere and rewatched four episodes. Interesting show - had lots of gaps that my child's imagination could fill in. Also dealt with a bunch of outsiders helping one another.
2. Batman (the cheesy 1970s Adam West, Burt Ward tv show. And being odd, I loved Burt Ward, Adam West did zip for me at the time. Have no clue why now. I remember my brother and I driving out with a friends family, three to four hours away, to some used car place to see the two characters in person. And being horribly disappointed - Robin had an Afro, so I knew it wasn't Robin. My favorite episodes where when Batman got seduced by Catwoman, and when Batgirl saved Robin.)
3. The Monkees (About 6/7/ or 8) Obsessed with this series. To this day, I couldn't tell you why. I was completely infatuated with Davey Jones - also odd, since he is only 4'11 and the shortest of the group. I remember racing home from the Third grade during a half day to see him on the Brady Bunch (which was on at noon).
At that time - I thought it was cool, now I can't watch the episode without cringing. I used to create fanfic in my head about the Monkees episodes. Who could guess that 30 years later - I'd find myself in the same room with Davy Jones and a good friend would get his autograph for me on a DVD of the Ed Sullivan show? Life is weird.)
4. Battle of the Planets (13 years of age. I had thing for the leader - Mark. I also liked the fact that they had a female in the group. Yes, the brooding stoic leader guy was a favorite of mine up until roughly 2001, when for some bizarre reason I lost interest and now find that sort of character somewhat dull. And much prefer the snarky/sarcastic one. Today - Mark would not be my favorite character. Another tid-bit - this was a show under-the-wire, no one else I knew seemed to like or be interested in it.)
5. BattleStar Galatica (I was around 12 or 13, I think). Confession time, I adored Richard Hatch who played Apollo. Apollo was my favorite. I remember trying to catch old re-runs of Sunset Strip - the cop show he'd been on prior to it and failing. Also hunting him after Battlestar Galatica, but the actor faded into obscurity. He aged well though - the previews I've seen of him appearing on an episode of the new series - he looks exactly the same as before just more lines. Dirk Benedict - not so much. I think Benedict got Cancer though. Not positive. Remember - I did not get past my fetish for dark brooding stoic men until 2001. At any rate - remember being very frustrated Hatch disappeared, and Benedict showed up everywhere, including in the shortlived sequel to the series (which was horrendously bad). Of course I liked Benedict's Starbuck, but not as much as Apollo. Now thirty years later?
It's the opposite, I prefer Starbuck. )
(I'll stick with five, you really don't need to know the rest..)
Was thinking about this late last night, while in bed. The tv shows I obsessed over as a small child. What was it about them? And how much have I changed in my interests and obsessions since then?
This meme really only works if your childhood was more than 15 years ago. Because, you have to pick the shows you remember. If it was only 15 or 10 or 5 years back? Not going to be that hard to remember a whole slew of television shows, now is it?
I'm 37, almost 38 now - so the shows I obsessed over as a child, were on TV approximately 30 years ago. Or from 1970-1981. And since it was so long ago, I can't remember that many. Which, by the way, is a good thing.
Here's what I jotted down last night:
1. Kimba (I was about 3 or 6 at the time). I remember it, because my mother keeps reminding me and well I was obsessed. I adored the white lion, identified with him and fantasized stories about the lion. For years I thought I'd dreamed the show up, because we'd moved to Kansas City when I was 11 or 12
and no one in KC had heard of the show. Then the Lion King came out and Mathew Broderick referred to Kimba. And I moved back to the East Coast where people had heard of it. Also found a bootleg VHS copy of it somewhere and rewatched four episodes. Interesting show - had lots of gaps that my child's imagination could fill in. Also dealt with a bunch of outsiders helping one another.
2. Batman (the cheesy 1970s Adam West, Burt Ward tv show. And being odd, I loved Burt Ward, Adam West did zip for me at the time. Have no clue why now. I remember my brother and I driving out with a friends family, three to four hours away, to some used car place to see the two characters in person. And being horribly disappointed - Robin had an Afro, so I knew it wasn't Robin. My favorite episodes where when Batman got seduced by Catwoman, and when Batgirl saved Robin.)
3. The Monkees (About 6/7/ or 8) Obsessed with this series. To this day, I couldn't tell you why. I was completely infatuated with Davey Jones - also odd, since he is only 4'11 and the shortest of the group. I remember racing home from the Third grade during a half day to see him on the Brady Bunch (which was on at noon).
At that time - I thought it was cool, now I can't watch the episode without cringing. I used to create fanfic in my head about the Monkees episodes. Who could guess that 30 years later - I'd find myself in the same room with Davy Jones and a good friend would get his autograph for me on a DVD of the Ed Sullivan show? Life is weird.)
4. Battle of the Planets (13 years of age. I had thing for the leader - Mark. I also liked the fact that they had a female in the group. Yes, the brooding stoic leader guy was a favorite of mine up until roughly 2001, when for some bizarre reason I lost interest and now find that sort of character somewhat dull. And much prefer the snarky/sarcastic one. Today - Mark would not be my favorite character. Another tid-bit - this was a show under-the-wire, no one else I knew seemed to like or be interested in it.)
5. BattleStar Galatica (I was around 12 or 13, I think). Confession time, I adored Richard Hatch who played Apollo. Apollo was my favorite. I remember trying to catch old re-runs of Sunset Strip - the cop show he'd been on prior to it and failing. Also hunting him after Battlestar Galatica, but the actor faded into obscurity. He aged well though - the previews I've seen of him appearing on an episode of the new series - he looks exactly the same as before just more lines. Dirk Benedict - not so much. I think Benedict got Cancer though. Not positive. Remember - I did not get past my fetish for dark brooding stoic men until 2001. At any rate - remember being very frustrated Hatch disappeared, and Benedict showed up everywhere, including in the shortlived sequel to the series (which was horrendously bad). Of course I liked Benedict's Starbuck, but not as much as Apollo. Now thirty years later?
It's the opposite, I prefer Starbuck. )
(I'll stick with five, you really don't need to know the rest..)
no subject
BattleStar Galactica. I was most definitely a Starbuck fan (being all of a second grader!). It also calls up memories of Buck Rogers which was on for what, one season?
no subject
No?
uhm, I'll go blush and hide then.
no subject
....anyone ??
....... hello ?
...damn...why does everyone get quiet when I mention that one ?
;-P
no subject
That's what we're talking about, right?
quiet? who, me?
Trying to think of my other childhood favorites...a lot of 'em were cartoons. Mighty Mouse was my favorite hero! Then there were Rocky & Bullwinkle, Looney Tunes cartoons (although at the time, those weren't a show in themselves--they were shown as part of a local kids' show w/a host, "Uncle Fred" in my area), & Tom Terrific (probably no relation to Mr. Terrific), which I loved so much I nagged my mom to make me a hat like Tom's, so she punched 2 holes in a white plastic funnel & put a string through it so I could wear it on my head. Now that's almost all I remember about it, aside from the names of Crabby Appleton, the bad guy, & Mandrake the Wonder Dog. Wait, no, Mandrake was the Magician...Manfred was the Wonder Dog!
Speaking of wonder, there was also Wonderama! I wanted to be on that show! On the spelling segment, of course! One time they had a kid my age on it (about 3 years younger than most of them), & every time his turn came, Sonny Fox would give him "hat" to spell. I got so mad! I wanted to go on the show & tell him to give me the same kinds of words he gave the bigger kids--'cause I woulda spelled every one of 'em right! I'd'a showed them! Ahem. OK, & I'm obviously not over my 1st missed chance at stardom yet. Um, I also liked the magic tricks a lot.
I'm sure there are others, but I can't think of them right now. I'm finding that for a lot of shows, I'm not really clear on how old I was when they were on. It still surprises me when I hear that such-&-such a show is in its 10th season. That seems to be a general thing w/me--I just don't say to myself, "Let's see, this is happening & I'm X years old."
I remember some of the ones s'kat mentions--esp. Batman & The Monkees--but I was probably older than the age range for this meme. Not, however, too old to run around the living room w/my brothers, jumping onto the chairs & sofa, while the Monkees' musical numbers were on. Until we...OK, OK, I...broke the couch. The show seemed to lose something after that....
I didn't have a crush on any of them, but I think I liked Mickey best, mostly because he was mouthy & funny. Definitely not Davy, which might have been because there didn't seem to be much to him as a character besides the British accent or because I knew I was supposed to have a crush on him. Looking back now, 1 of my favorite things from that show was their alarm clock, which dropped a needle onto a Beatles record that kept repeating "Good mornin'!...Good mornin'!...Good mornin'!...Good mornin'!...." I might want an alarm clock like that myself, except I'm not a morning person.
The Dregs of Our Childhood Memories
But these shows have been praised to the skies in everyone else's memories, and I often wonder: is there no room in our collective hearts for the shows we remember from childhood that absolutely sucked?
I have three specific memories:
THE UGLIEST GIRL IN TOWN - starring Peter Kastner (look him up), this situation "comedy" was a weekly version of "Some Like It Hot" with Kastner forced into drag and then dragooned into ever more preposterous situations to maintain the disguise. Done 20x better as Bosom Buddies, and I wasn't exactly wild about BB either...
MR. TERRIFIC - Stephen Strimpell played a nebbishy type who was the only successful test subject of a miracle pill that could give someone superpowers for exactly one hour. Naturally, he was employed on all kinds of secret missions and the time limit guaranteed suspense and wackiness. As a kid, I loved that the nebbishy guy was the hero. But even at age 8, I thought the show was stupid.
TURN ON - starring Tim Conway. One episode and one episode only! A legendary bomb, in which a series of quick comedy sketches was played against a sterile, blindingly white background. Think "Laugh-in" combined with THX-1138. I was 10 years old. It's still seared into my brain.
And then there's all those "A Quinn Martin Production" dramas (Cannon, Barnaby Jones) from the 1970s. Not awful, but nothing special about them whatsoever. Hours of my young life I'll never get back.
Ah, memories.
Re: The Dregs of Our Childhood Memories
And if you missed them? Heck - go to amazon, I'm sure you'll find one of their DVDs on sale. No, this meme was about those shows you didn't tell your friends about, that the critical elite does not remember, those private pleasures that haunt you into adult hood, that you raced home from school to watch, were upset you missed, and could not always tell your friends about - because they just would *not* get it. Or the ones that you discussed endlessly with them - both of you completely devoted. Your early obsessions.)
But did they suck? If you remember them - they have a resonance, a meaning for you.