Last weekend, I finally got to sit down and watch a few of the new television shows that I had recorded this week. The beginning of the fall season is always so much fun for me as “old friends” return for another season of episodes while I get introduced to the new shows that are going to become favorites. So far, I have greatly enjoyed two new series — New Amsterdam and A Million Little Things. While watching the pilots of both shows and the season premieres of other favorites, my mind began to wonder to my childhood.
Television was a constant friend throughout my childhood. It was a great way to escape my small town and explore the world. My viewing habits were also a time to spend with my parents and share in their laughter. That’s when I began to think about the shows that I most remember from these formative years.
One of my favorite shows was Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. For a long time, I have tried to figure out what drew me to this PBS program, especially since my older siblings absolutely hated seeing of Fred Rogers in our living room each afternoon. Now that I have reflected on my memories, I suppose it was the predictability of Mr. Rogers changing into his sneakers and sweater at the beginning of each episode that provided me the regular routine I craved. As a young pianist, I was mesmerized by a man who not only played my instrument but was also so clearly passionate about the arts and made me want to learn more about them. And then there was the Land of Make Believe! I would gladly have hopped on the little red trolley and traveled to King Friday’s realm in order to meet Henrietta Pussycat and the other friends living there.
As I grew older, I was obsessed with anything to do with detectives and police. So Magnum, P.I. and Hill Street Blues were part of my regular viewing plans. Of course, how could I fail to admit my favorite of all of these shows…..Charlie’s Angels. While the rest of the world was going gaga over Farah Fawcett, it was Jaclyn Smith that held my heart! She was pretty, smart, and always getting into trouble! What more could a young boy ask for in a girl?
There were also the nighttime dramas that I wasn’t technically supposed to watch, but I would always somehow manage to see what was going on anyway! I sat in front of my television set with the rest of America to see who had shot J.R. Ewing and I was convinced that Joan Crawford and Linda Evans were going to eventually drown each other in the Carrington’s enormous fountain. To this day, I still enjoy watching old episodes of both Dallas and Dynasty. (The recent remakes of these classics, however, leave much to be desired.)
My real childhood obsession is one that continues to this day — game shows! I can’t get enough of them. Growing up, I loved watching The Price is Right as well as Let’s Make a Deal. As I have gotten older, my tastes have shifted and I now enjoy quiz shows like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and Wheel of Fortune. (One of the highlights of my family’s trip to Disney World in the late 1990s was when I got to play Millionaire from the hot seat!) With my current hectic schedule, I have to limit the number of game shows I watch, so there’s only a daily episode of Jeopardy currently in my television diet. But in the summer……well, that’s an entirely different story.
Livin' Life 