Monday, August 13, 2012

TV's Good Old Days . . . Or Were They? by Diane Kelly



Many of you, like me, may remember life before the invention of the VCR.  Back in those days, if you wanted to see a show or movie on television, you had to make sure you were in front of the set on the scheduled day and time to see it.  If you missed your favorite TV show, you could only hope that particular episode would be one of the few that was replayed during the summer hiatus.  I planned ahead for weeks when I knew a special Winnie the Pooh or Pippi Longstocking movie would be coming on, and we always marked our calendars for the holiday favorites like Charlie Brown and the Grinch.

Things sure have changed, huh?  Now, we can watch virtually any movie or television show we want to watch anywhere at any time.  I’m a huge Netflix fan and often fall asleep watching something on my phone in bed. I love the selection and convenience. Lately, I’ve been going back and watching some of my favorite sitcoms from years gone by, such as Arrested Development and The Wonder Years.  I’m noticing that it’s so much easier to catch and follow the subtle subplots when you watch the shows back to back rather than waiting a week between episodes.

Still, even though I love the instant access we have now, part of me is nostalgic for the days when watching a show seemed more special.  Now that families can buy the holiday movies and favorites TV shows on DVD and watch them at any time, there’s no longer that sense of excitement about the shows, that sense of them being a fleeting thing that you had to catch now or miss out.

Do any of you feel this same way?  What shows or movies did you especially look forward to as a child?      

3 comments:

catslady said...

I have to agree with you. I think people are in overload with so much technology. Within the last year or so I actually stopped recording shows!! I had got behind because I had so many shows taped that it was overwhelming and I finally realized that TV was taking over my life. So now I have cut down on shows that are must sees and if I can't be home to watch it, than my life is more important. Now to do that with the computer lol.

Diane Kelly said...

I've had that sense of being overwhelmed, too! There are so many channels and shows now that it is impossible to even catch a glimpse of them all. I have to admit that I like that there are weird niche shows, like the one about the dumpster divers who make cool things out of trash. We are getting a much bigger, broader view of people and the world than we used to, even if this view can feel like a tidal wave.

Brandy said...

I'm of the same mind, but at the same time-not. We have so many channels, but sometimes there is NOTHING I would like to see on tv. Those are the times I'm glad that we have boxed sets of our favorite shows.
I remember when watching the Charlie Brown specials was SO exciting! Of course now? Not so much, but my Son loves them so at least someone still looks forward to them.