Classic TV

by teejay 27 Replies latest social entertainment

  • teejay
    teejay

    When it comes to TV, every generation since the fifties thinks theirs had the best TV shows. While America has fallen in love with "reality" TV shows like Survivor and American Idol, I've been thinking about how much better the shows were when I was coming up....

    Classic westerns like Rawhide, Gunsmoke, Guns Of Will Sonnet, Bonanza, Have Gun Will Travel, The Big Valley, High Chapparral, and Wagon Train.

    There were spy shows like I Spy, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and The Avengers.

    Dramas included The Fugitive, Hawaii Five-0 and Mannix.

    For comedy/variety there was the classic Ed Sullivan Show and later The Flip Wilson Show.

    Then there were the comedies. Shows that *still* play well on were Gilligan's Island, The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle, USMC, Sanford And Son, The Flying Nun, Bewitched, I Love Lucy, Dick Van Dyke, and Love American Style. Among the comedy dramas were The Courtship Of Eddie's Father and one of the best comedy/dramas ever produced – a show that our family NEVER missed: Room 222. It's hard for anyone to imagine the inspiration a little black boy saw in highschool teacher Mr. Dixon and the fairness he always seemed to show for his kids. His main squeeze Ms. McIntyre was an inspiration of a different kind.

    There were classic game shows: The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game, Let's Make A Deal, and Password; cartoons: Top Cat, Beanie and Cecil, The Jetsons, and The Fantastic Four.

    And last but not least... sci-fi that was and still is ahead of it's time: The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Lost In Space, and of course Star Trek.

    Why is it they don't make TV shows like this anymore?

  • Reborn2002
    Reborn2002
    Why is it they don't make TV shows like this anymore?

    Welcome to the dumbing down of America.

    I contend with it everyday. I look at individuals within my age bracket and bang my head against the desk in frustration when realizing their stupidity.

  • gitasatsangha
    gitasatsangha

    I still think Sanford and Son is the funniest american comedy, ever (I have to say American, because the British comedies are funny to me, but in another way I cant seem to explain).

    An eighties show that didn't get a lot of viewers, but was very well done was Crime Story. These days I don't watch much TV. Nothing but reality shows on, anyway.

  • sandy
    sandy

    I do not watch reality TV or any other shows out now. With a few exceptions: American Idol, 7th Heaven, which is the most rediculous show to date IMHO but foe some reason I torcher myself with it each week.

    I do think the show is too over the top but I love the competitions. I love to sing myself so I absolutely love the show even with its faults.

    I love the older shows too. Shows like Lucy, Mary Tylor Moore, Taxi, What's Happening, Twilight Zone. I could go on and on.

    I really like the New Dragnet.

  • breal
    breal

    Loved the Fugative and the Avengers.

    Now I watch Y&R - silly but it makes me laugh after work. For reality TV shows my favorite is the Amazing Race. I have great respect for there ability to nagivate through strange and exotic places on a deadline and with little or no knowledge of local customs etc. Plus the team dynamics and diversity of the teams is entertaining.

  • rocketman
    rocketman

    Well, with so-called "Reality" TV, the producers don't have to pay actors, so the shows are much cheaper to produce.

    I well remember many of the shows you listed Teejay. Definitely some good shows.

  • Gopher
    Gopher

    In the world of TV, these are the BEST and WORST of times.

    The variety available through satellite and cable TV is awesome, if you can pay for it. You can see shows about history, nature and geography 24 hours a day. You can see biography shows, classic TV shows on several outlets, children's programming, women's programming, the list goes on and on.

    On the over-the-air networks however, they have to cater (pander?) to the masses. The news here is good and bad. There are still high-quality TV dramas such as ER and CSI being produced, and top-shelf comedies such as Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, etc., and newsmagazine shows like Dateline and 20/20.

    The flip side is that there is a lot of stupid TV produced to cater to the LCD (lowest common denominator). Included in these are reality shows (Big Brother, Survivor, Fear Factor), wrestling shows, and daytime confrontation-style shows (Jerry Springer, Maury, Jenny Jones).

    So in among the mass quantity of things produced today, if you are choosy (and if you have access to the cable networks), you can on almost any given night still watch a few hours of quality programming.

  • Sadie5
    Sadie5

    I loved Lavern & Shirley. What were the two funny guys on there? Lenny and Sqiggy? They were hilarious.

    Drama shows: Mannix and Cannon. Police Woman. Remmington Steel

    I liked Marcus Welby MD.

    Yes the quality of TV show is terrible today. We have more channels and nothing worth watching.

    Sadie

  • gitasatsangha
    gitasatsangha

    "Fiftyseven channels and nothing on." -Bruce Springstein.

  • teejay
    teejay
    I contend with it everyday. I look at individuals within my age bracket and bang my head against the desk in frustration when realizing their stupidity.

    Well, Jason,

    I think it's fair to say that when they were passing out brains, you bumped a couple of folks out of line and took their share. You're waaaay ahead of schedule, dude. Waaay ahead.

    That being said, you're right. Not just your generation but the populace as a whole is either a lot dumber than it used to be or TV programmers think we are. Outside of news and news programs, I watch very, very little TV. Give me Bernie Mac and some Seinfeld reruns and I'm done with today's TV.

    I still think Sanford and Son is the funniest american comedy, ever (I have to say American, because the British comedies are funny to me, but in another way I cant seem to explain). – gitasatsangha

    When I was coming up, on Friday night at 7:00 pm the housing project where I lived became a ghost town. I mean activity came to a screeching halt. Sanford and Son was on, brother, and no one missed it. Watch that show today and you'll still see the humor. Classic TV.

    And I agree with you about British comedies, too. Can you say Benny Hill? We don't get too many of them over here, but yeah... they can make some solid programs, too.

    I do not watch reality TV or any other shows out now. With a few exceptions: American Idol, 7th Heaven, which is the most rediculous show to date IMHO but foe some reason I torcher myself with it each week.

    Sandy

    I'm almost embarrassed to say that I happened to see the last two weeks of American Idol, only because I thought I was taping Bernie Mac... which was pre-empted for that show. Anyway, I kinda liked it. The three finalists where good people, I thought, as well as pretty good singers. When Kim sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"? Girrrrl, I almost lost it. The voice of an angel. Like Smokey Robinson said, that woman can sang. Now, I can live with a show like that because you can't fake talent. Either you have it or you don't. You have to worry about the voting, though. Sometimes the best person doesn't win, and that pisses me off.

    Now I watch Y&R - silly but it makes me laugh after work. For reality TV shows my favorite is the Amazing Race. -- breal

    Man, I saw that show one time. Had one thought: those people are nuts.

    I well remember many of the shows you listed Teejay. Definitely some good shows.

    You know what I'm talking about, don't cha rocketman?!!

    Man, these people don't know good TV!! Man we had westerns, comedies, dramas... shoot... even the cartoons were pretty cool. I feel sorry for these kids today. The junk that's on now ain't even close.

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