I love my brother. He is always calling me with these questions about our childhood. He is seven years younger than I am, so I think he believes I have a more in depth perception on those years. My favorite question from him was “Why did Mother get up at 4 AM to put the turkey in the oven at Thanksgiving?”
Anyway, he calls often and we always have a good conversation. Last week we discussed television. We did not have a TV for many, many years and would go across the street to this wonderful family and watch it there…..usually the Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday nights. Now my father was a big sports fan, so he would often be found there watching some final of a sporting event. I also remember having to often pry him away during the McCarthy hearings. He was a country doctor with an extremely busy and hectic practice. My mother got tired of having to go find him whenever some emergency arose, so that is when we got a TV.
My brother only remembers watching Bonanza on the TV once when he was sick. I honestly don’t remember watching anything at all. I did have a babysitting job after school watching these kids until their mother got home from work (the father was deceased) and I remember becoming quite enthralled with “Queen For A Day”.
I don’t have a TV now, but do get Netflix and I love the many BBC series that are wonderful tales covering historical eras – Foyle’s War, Downton Abbey, and I am watching a whole series now on the Victorian era called “Lark Rise at Candleford”. I began to think if there were any American series that were similar. Many movies cover history, but I could not think of a good TV series (not a documentary, but a fictional series) that covered a specific era of history, save “Mash”. So can you? What did you love to watch as a child? I would love to know.
Remember when we got cable, and I woke you up at 6 am to ask if I could watch TV?
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't remember that. I do remember you sitting at that little table eating your breakfast watching Sesame Street.
DeleteThe only American historical mini-series (about the Civil War) I can think of is "North and South." I think it was on in the '80s?
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little I can remember watching Howdy Doody each afternoon after school. Also Super Circus which came on Sunday afternoons at 4 o'clock. We lived kitty-corner from the grade school I went to so my brother and I came home for lunch each day. There was a noon time show that featured cartoons called Lunch Time Little Theater and was hosted by Uncle Johnny Coons. Boy, I'm surprised I can remember that far back.
Uncle Johnny Coons -- I love it! We missed on all these not having TV. Someone else mentioned The Waltons, which I had forgotten about.
DeleteLet's not forget Little House on the Prairie! We had very restricted viewing, so I would say anything with Jacques Cousteau, National Geographic, Jackie Gleason (which we adored as a family), Mickey Mouse Club, one hour of cartoons on Saturday (Bugs Bunny - my personal favorite) and The Wizard of Oz when it was aired every year (viewed with a blanket pulled up to our chins - ready to throw over our eyes when the Wicked Witch appeared!)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I forgot Captain Kangaroo.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Greenjeans.
DeleteSylvia, This blog brought a smile. I just called Sue (my older sib by 8 years ) to ask why we always had a piano in our living room. No one in our family played the piano. Her answer was she thought it came with the house. It was too much trouble to get rid of so it became part of the house. I often call my older sibs for family information -in a sense, they are a different generation.
ReplyDeleteYou might enjoy "The House of Elliot" another BBC period piece.