View Full Version : TV: Then and now
Disclaimer: This probably applies more to us in the "Over 50" crowd
I was watching an old "S.W.A.T." rerun from 1975 today, and Hondo and the gang unapologetically kill a few bad guys. IIRC, "S.W.A.T." was cancelled largely due to it's perceived (at the time) high level of violence. Now it's being broadcast on FamilyNet (along with "T.J. Hooker", "Police Woman", and "Starsky and Hutch").
I suppose it's kind of a commentary on what's considered violent nowadays versus "back in the day". Any thoughts from any of you old farts?
Wonder Woman is on The CW and it's very tame compared to today's "cop" or "secret agent shows" like Burn Notice. . It's the episode where the German Underground brought Hitler back in a cloning. The old Jeeps and weapons are fun to watch. The Brown Shirts still carrying 98K's is kinda lame. The Policia had some (1977) modern HK looking SBR's.
One thing hasn't changed. Wonder Woman is still Hot! I had to google it but it's also ironic to think Lynda Carter's C Cups were large for the day.
I caught SWAT on reruns. I thought it was badass. Crazy people doing bad things and the cops show up and jump through the window and M16 the hell out of them. Then they go back to the dept and have a laugh at the lunchladys bad food. And no paperwork.
I remember A Team, Airwolf, Hunter, Magnum PI, Miami Vice etc...
But there was one I begged to stay up and watch. It was on for like a short while and it was Lady Blue. This redhead who had this revolver and just shot the hell out of everybody. Then there was Sledge Hammer. I did not realize it was a comedy. I thought he was just really bad ass.
Now it's just pointless cursing and over-emotionality. And kind of a downer.
They should go back to gunning down bad guys and then laughing about it then cut to freeze frame.
All I watch anymore is anything no later than maybe 1996.
Cloo network (NBC) and VICE TV on AT&T UVerse plays 1980s-1990s TV shows: TV shows today are too busy and generally written to appeal to people with ADHD (which I have).
Miami Vice- My all time favorite, This is Miami pal!
Dynasty - I only watch because I like Kate O'Mara, Stephanie Beacham, Tracy Scoggins and Heather Locklear.
Night Court - I still find it funny, but I have to be in the mood
Quantum Leap - I liked this show when I was a kid, not so much now
Golden Girls - I love this show, even to this day.
Unsolved Mysteries -still gives me nightmares, but I watch anyway.
Star Trek TNG - the only Star Trek series worth watching.
Star Trek DSN - horrible, absolutely horrible!
Star Trek Voyeger - a total disgrace!!
Firefly - only a few episodes but one of the best short lived tv show ever!!
titsonritz
04-30-16, 21:08
Firefly - only a few episodes but one of the best short lived tv show ever!!
It is also the only TV show canceled in it's first season and then went on to become a motion picture.
In my way of thinking, a show was a classic and good if one can truly enjoy it today as much or more than when first aired.
I Love Lucy or Andy Griffith, yes. Something like Happy Days; uh, no.
I still like some of the old westerns like Wanted: Dead or Alive with Steve McQueen. That shorty 45-70 always got me.
1960s Dragnet was the first law enforcement procedural drama on TV. Recently I saw a rerun where Friday and Gannon were looking for a bad guy who had a Thompson. From the arms room they checked out an Ithaca 37 and 5 rounds of 00 buckshot, loaded the shotgun, put it in a case, and went hunting. They kicked down his door and arrested the man. Standing in a corner was a 1927 Navy model that the bad guy bought for $25.
Dragnet and Adam-12 can be found on Hulu. I'm all of 30 and enjoy watching them. I really enjoy classic TV, there isn't much on now I actively watch. The only reality TV show worth a damn is COPS.
I remember watching SWAT and Wonder Woman as they aired.
SWAT is probably one of the reasons I got into black rifles. Wonder Woman is probably the reason I got into, well you know.
A significant portion of my DVD collection is TV shows from the 70s and 80s.
wildcard600
05-01-16, 01:26
Cloo network (NBC) and VICE TV on AT&T UVerse plays 1980s-1990s TV shows: TV shows today are too busy and generally written to appeal to people with ADHD (which I have).
Miami Vice- My all time favorite, This is Miami pal!
Dynasty - I only watch because I like Kate O'Mara, Stephanie Beacham, Tracy Scoggins and Heather Locklear.
Night Court - I still find it funny, but I have to be in the mood
Quantum Leap - I liked this show when I was a kid, not so much now
Golden Girls - I love this show, even to this day.
Unsolved Mysteries -still gives me nightmares, but I watch anyway.
Star Trek TNG - the only Star Trek series worth watching.
Star Trek DSN - horrible, absolutely horrible!
Star Trek Voyeger - a total disgrace!!
Firefly - only a few episodes but one of the best short lived tv show ever!!
Man, I like DS9 and Voyager. Not on the level of TNG, but a damn sight better than Enterprise and the new ST movie garbage.
Outlander Systems
05-01-16, 07:45
Stargate SG-1.
Freaking loved that show.
Nowadays, there's pretty much nothing I can watch with my kid that isn't a kid's show.
TV has turned into a cesspool of characters I hate.
Sorry fellas, but I can't get down to shows where the "protagonists" are corrupt politicians, meth dealers, or serial killers.
Give me Farher Dowling Mysteries, Stargate SG-1, and Mattlock, please.
I watched most of these as well.
And Rat Patrol.
Baa Baa Black Sheep.
We turned cable off almost a decade ago.
Had 600 channels. About all that meant was that it took a whole hour to find out there was nothing to watch.
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I watched most of these as well.
And Rat Patrol.
Baa Baa Black Sheep.
I grew up in the 60's and 70's and watched shows like Combat, McHales Navy, The Man From UNCLE, Rat Patrol, Get Smart, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Starsky and Hutch, etc.
I won't lie, I sorta had a thing for the nun on Father Dowling.
Same with Heather Langenkamp.
Outlander Systems
05-01-16, 11:26
You an me both, homie.
I won't lie, I sorta had a thing for the nun on Father Dowling.
Same with Heather Langenkamp.
The well-equipped SWAT team, circa 1975:
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss158/5757_photos/800px-SWAT75_05_zpsmby9hch6.jpg (http://s571.photobucket.com/user/5757_photos/media/800px-SWAT75_05_zpsmby9hch6.jpg.html)
Wonder Woman is on The CW and it's very tame compared to today's "cop" or "secret agent shows" like Burn Notice. . It's the episode where the German Underground brought Hitler back in a cloning. The old Jeeps and weapons are fun to watch. The Brown Shirts still carrying 98K's is kinda lame. The Policia had some (1977) modern HK looking SBR's.
One thing hasn't changed. Wonder Woman is still Hot! I had to google it but it's also ironic to think Lynda Carter's C Cups were large for the day.
Lynda Carter....mmmmm hhmmm.
There is some battle of the network stars footage one can find of her that is worth watching.
:)
Cloo network (NBC) and VICE TV on AT&T UVerse plays 1980s-1990s TV shows: TV shows today are too busy and generally written to appeal to people with ADHD (which I have).
Miami Vice- My all time favorite, This is Miami pal!
Dynasty - I only watch because I like Kate O'Mara, Stephanie Beacham, Tracy Scoggins and Heather Locklear.
Night Court - I still find it funny, but I have to be in the mood
Quantum Leap - I liked this show when I was a kid, not so much now
Golden Girls - I love this show, even to this day.
Unsolved Mysteries -still gives me nightmares, but I watch anyway.
Star Trek TNG - the only Star Trek series worth watching.
Star Trek DSN - horrible, absolutely horrible!
Star Trek Voyeger - a total disgrace!!
Firefly - only a few episodes but one of the best short lived tv show ever!!
Seven of nine is the only reason to EVER watch voyager. I cannot watch unsolved mysteries either.
Try to catch some Rockford Files if you like classic '70s stuff...
The well-equipped SWAT team, circa 1975:
They actually look more capable than people today who dress up in Multicam and have the latest gizmos.
Then they had that one hitman who used an AR-180
BoringGuy45
05-01-16, 12:08
TV has turned into a cesspool of characters I hate.
Sorry fellas, but I can't get down to shows where the "protagonists" are corrupt politicians, meth dealers, or serial killers.
I agree, generally speaking. I'll say this: I do like crime dramas where we are shown a blunt, no nonsense look at the underbelly of society. But I want the theme to be that the criminal life is what it is, but it's nothing to aspire to. I like when shows/movies can have evil protagonists who you cheer for against the other evil characters, but cheer against when the good guys are on their trail. But modern TV has largely removed "good vs. evil."
I know modern TV is supposed to be more "realistic". In the days of hero vs. villain, there was a suspension of disbelief that the hero could be THAT noble, and the villain so inexplicably evil. I understand that show writers want to show that the heroes have flaws, and villains may be deeper than just wanting to cause chaos for shits and giggles. The thing is, shows have taken it too far. Each side is as evil and despicable as the other. Nothing good can come out of either side winning. If anything, shows these days hint that evil is better than good, because at least it admits what it is. The criminal and the terrorist are what they are, but the cop is a mobster hiding behind a badge, and the soldier is a terrorist with a uniform. That's the amoral worldview that Hollywood wants to push: There is no "good and evil"; just different viewpoints, neither one more right or wrong than the other.
I miss the days where we had characters with ethics we could admire. Also, does EVERYBODY on TV's life have to be a complete and total shit show? Even if a character ISN'T totally corrupt, you can guarantee that his wife is cheating on him, his daughter is a druggie, his son hates him, and he's at the bottom of a bottle half the time. That's getting old. I want to watch TV to unwind; nowadays, I leave more stressed than before I watched!
I remember watching SWAT and Wonder Woman as they aired.
SWAT is probably one of the reasons I got into black rifles. Wonder Woman is probably the reason I got into, well you know.
A significant portion of my DVD collection is TV shows from the 70s and 80s.
Wonder Woman and Daisy Duke.
Damn.
Roscoe P Coltrane is one of my favorite characters. Both iterations of him...the character was far more serious in the first eps.
I was into the cowboy guns because of shows like 'The Rifleman', and 'Gunsmoke'. I have a pair of Uberti SAA's with birds head grips because of shows like that.
I don't have cable but watch Netflix. The only current shows I like are Last Man Standing, Criminal Minds and Walkimg Dead. When the kids are around it is either baseball, hockey, Home Improvement or Andy Griffith. I much prefer the older shows that used to play on Tv land and Nick at night.
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I loved Rat Patrol! It was in re runs in TV as a kid. I would watch it after school. The Rifleman is on pretty regularly too on ME TV we get it over the air.
Honestly, when I was a kid in the 70s, I spent lots of time watching reruns of "Our Gang", "Three Stooges", "The Lone Ranger", "The Wild Wild West" and similar shows with my Dad. If I had a kid and was uncomfortable with what was being shown, we'd watch older shows.
It's hard to imagine today that we actually wanted to watch "The Waltons", "Little House on the Prarie" and similar shows but we did. You'd have a hard time selling that kind of theme today without being littered with socialist propaganda.
Also watch The Six Million Dollar Man, Kung Fu, Baa Baa Black Sheep and any run of the original Star Trek. We literally watched Star Trek every night during dinner because some channel was always showing it.
The 1970's was awash with detective shows: "Mannix", "Barnaby Jones", "Cannon", "McCloud", "Columbo", etc.
I liked the sitcoms too. WKRP, threes company, Archie bunker...
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So much good TV back in the day. Like others I ate up Baa Baa Black Sheep (aka Black Sheep Squadron). My favorite though was Magnum P.I. Living on a sweet estate in Hawaii, one buddy has a Hughes 500 the other runs a beach club. He bangs some seriously hot broads, including Sharon Stone. Loads up his Higgins, Rick, TC and some MP-5s to rescue a POW in Cambodia. VERY Cool. The best is when Magnum finds Russian colonel that tortured him in Vietnam who is now a diplomat. "Did you see the sun rise?" BLAMO! Magnum s smokes Ivan in cold blood with his 1911.
So much good TV back in the day. Like others I ate up Baa Baa Black Sheep (aka Black Sheep Squadron). My favorite though was Magnum P.I. Living on a sweet estate in Hawaii, one buddy has a Hughes 500 the other runs a beach club. He bangs some seriously hot broads, including Sharon Stone. Loads up his Higgins, Rick, TC and some MP-5s to rescue a POW in Cambodia. VERY Cool. The best is when Magnum finds Russian colonel that tortured him in Vietnam who is now a diplomat. "Did you see the sun rise?" BLAMO! Magnum s smokes Ivan in cold blood with his 1911.
Probably the best episode of any 80s show. But Ivan also killed Mac in a car bomb intended for him, Mac was talking about watching the sunrise.
Night John Boy
Night Mary Ellen
Probably the best episode of any 80s show. But Ivan also killed Mac in a car bomb intended for him, Mac was talking about watching the sunrise.
That's right, I forgot about that part. Mac wanted to go see the sunrise and hops in the 308 when the car bomb detonates. The poor bastard.
I also liked Highway to Heaven.
It always had a moral.
And I occasionally watched 21 Jump St. but got frustrated that these guys were police and getting pushed around by two bit hoods.
Miami Vice gave me a lot of preconceived notions. People got a 10MM, .45, or UZI shoved up their butts if so needed.
I didn't realize until later in life that 21 Jump St was a girl's show. So...bleh.
I also remember Tour of Duty. It was a bonding show. At least until it got stupid. For a while it was guys living in the bush then it became like China Beach. Love triangles, everyone has a girlfriend, less action, hippie ruining everything. Then it stopped getting watched.
China Beach was strictly forbidden.
Which I understand but I always thought the doctor girl with short bobcut hair was attractive
China Beach was strictly forbidden.
Which I understand but I always thought the doctor girl with short bobcut hair was attractive
Mmmm, Dana Delany. How about "Call to Glory" with Craig T. Nelson as an USAF fighter pilot in the '60s? Funny how most of my favorite shows had either airplanes/helicopters, cool guns, a hot chick or some combination of those three.
Does anyone watch any quality TV shows that are new? I started watching Breaking Bad on Netflix between 4th and 5th season. I spent a whole weekend binge watching that show, I got caught up on all 4 seasons just in time to start watching the 5th and last season. Now I'm watching the spin off, Better Call Saul which I think is a great show unlike anything on TV right now. Billions is probably one of the best TV show on right now.
Does anyone watch any quality TV shows that are new? I started watching Breaking Bad on Netflix between 4th and 5th season. I spent a whole weekend binge watching that show, I got caught up on all 4 seasons just in time to start watching the 5th and last season. Now I'm watching the spin off, Better Call Saul which I think is a great show unlike anything on TV right now. Billions is probably one of the best TV show on right now.
Try The Americans, it is one of the smarter TV shows on right now. It has protagonists you'll hate but still admire, it captures the "feel" of the 80s. Especially the cars. FBI toting Chief Specials and Model 10 snubs.
There's nothing else like it. I tried to watch Breaking Bad but just couldn't. I've seen enough meth crap to last me 10 lifetimes. I simply cannot bear to watch.
It was like The Shield. Interesting at first but I just can't look at crooked ass cops like that.
I miss JAG. I know jack squat about the Navy and Marine Corps but young Catherine Bell when she had that one hairstyle and was kinda bitchy....oh mah GAWD...that's my kryptonite. Bitchy, olive skin, tall Brunettes.....holee hell.
I also liked Highway to Heaven.
It always had a moral.
And I occasionally watched 21 Jump St. but got frustrated that these guys were police and getting pushed around by two bit hoods.
Miami Vice gave me a lot of preconceived notions. People got a 10MM, .45, or UZI shoved up their butts if so needed.
I didn't realize until later in life that 21 Jump St was a girl's show. So...bleh.
I also remember Tour of Duty. It was a bonding show. At least until it got stupid. For a while it was guys living in the bush then it became like China Beach. Love triangles, everyone has a girlfriend, less action, hippie ruining everything. Then it stopped getting watched.
China Beach was strictly forbidden.
Which I understand but I always thought the doctor girl with short bobcut hair was attractive
Dana Delaney was awesome.
Does anyone watch any quality TV shows that are new? I started watching Breaking Bad on Netflix between 4th and 5th season. I spent a whole weekend binge watching that show, I got caught up on all 4 seasons just in time to start watching the 5th and last season. Now I'm watching the spin off, Better Call Saul which I think is a great show unlike anything on TV right now. Billions is probably one of the best TV show on right now.
Still watching The Americans, Game of Thrones and Black Sails.
Try The Americans, it is one of the smarter TV shows on right now. It has protagonists you'll hate but still admire, it captures the "feel" of the 80s. Especially the cars. FBI toting Chief Specials and Model 10 snubs.
There's nothing else like it. I tried to watch Breaking Bad but just couldn't. I've seen enough meth crap to last me 10 lifetimes. I simply cannot bear to watch.
It was like The Shield. Interesting at first but I just can't look at crooked ass cops like that.
I miss JAG. I know jack squat about the Navy and Marine Corps but young Catherine Bell when she had that one hairstyle and was kinda bitchy....oh mah GAWD...that's my kryptonite. Bitchy, olive skin, tall Brunettes.....holee hell.
For years I resisted watching Breaking Bad for exactly the same reasons. Eventually I gave it a try and it really is a brilliant show.
I just caught the second half of Columbo. He busted the police commissioner for murder!
For years I resisted watching Breaking Bad for exactly the same reasons. Eventually I gave it a try and it really is a brilliant show.
Naw. It really is just a turn off. Like how some people can't watch Platoon.
I watched End of Watch in theaters and it just really, really, really upset me. Everything made me angry and I hated life the rest of the day.
Miami Vice is like a music video or a comic book. But when certain things literally turn my stomach or make me upset, I can't do it.
As I've gotten older, I just can't handle things anymore.
Kojak and McCloud, they at least make me laugh or be admirable
Just got done with 5 years worth of "Combat!". 152 episodes--count them! I saw part of the first year, 62-63, then between school and the draft missed all the rest. I remember liking it, but when I got to watching it at length, I was blown away by the quality of the show and the writing--especially when you realize they were cranking out one episode a week for all that time. Admittedly not every show was top drawer, but some really were wrenching. Vic Morrow was quite a director. I guess what I really like about it after all these years is the fact that the attitudes and values in the show were still the ones we grew up with. I'm kind of glad I managed to see it all after all this time. Never expected to.
All the Wehrmacht White half-tracks were a bit of a downer, and they failed to point out that the US Army was still slogging through France after five years--but you got used to it.
I loved watching combat early morning on the UHF station as a kid. Then I was told "oh yeah thats Vic Morrow. He got cut up by a helicopter." Then I saw that HBO special tgat showed the decapitation. Then it wasn't fun to watch anymore
I loved watching combat early morning on the UHF station as a kid. Then I was told "oh yeah thats Vic Morrow. He got cut up by a helicopter." Then I saw that HBO special tgat showed the decapitation. Then it wasn't fun to watch anymore
Yeah, we have many of the same experiences. It's even stranger to see him as a kid in Blackboard Jungle. I can watch him in "Combat" but on the rare occasion I watch "Twilight Zone - The Movie" it just isn't the same as my first few viewing experiences.
Naw. It really is just a turn off. Like how some people can't watch Platoon.
I watched End of Watch in theaters and it just really, really, really upset me. Everything made me angry and I hated life the rest of the day.
Miami Vice is like a music video or a comic book. But when certain things literally turn my stomach or make me upset, I can't do it.
As I've gotten older, I just can't handle things anymore.
Kojak and McCloud, they at least make me laugh or be admirable
I understand. Life is hard enough without making it harder.
I could watch United 93 once, and I'll never watch it again. I wasn't there when it happened, didn't lose anyone that I know of, but I just can't watch it.
Similarly there are a few movies that I used to love, that I can never watch again because I too closely associate them with my father. Just too hard to watch them.
So much good TV back in the day. Like others I ate up Baa Baa Black Sheep (aka Black Sheep Squadron). My favorite though was Magnum P.I. Living on a sweet estate in Hawaii, one buddy has a Hughes 500 the other runs a beach club. He bangs some seriously hot broads, including Sharon Stone. Loads up his Higgins, Rick, TC and some MP-5s to rescue a POW in Cambodia. VERY Cool. The best is when Magnum finds Russian colonel that tortured him in Vietnam who is now a diplomat. "Did you see the sun rise?" BLAMO! Magnum s smokes Ivan in cold blood with his 1911.
After Ivan tells him he won't...
I also liked Highway to Heaven.
It always had a moral.
And I occasionally watched 21 Jump St. but got frustrated that these guys were police and getting pushed around by two bit hoods.
Miami Vice gave me a lot of preconceived notions. People got a 10MM, .45, or UZI shoved up their butts if so needed.
I didn't realize until later in life that 21 Jump St was a girl's show. So...bleh.
I also remember Tour of Duty. It was a bonding show. At least until it got stupid. For a while it was guys living in the bush then it became like China Beach. Love triangles, everyone has a girlfriend, less action, hippie ruining everything. Then it stopped getting watched.
China Beach was strictly forbidden.
Which I understand but I always thought the doctor girl with short bobcut hair was attractive
Yeah she was hot, but I always dug the slutty red head.
Honestly, when I was a kid in the 70s, I spent lots of time watching reruns of "Our Gang", "Three Stooges", "The Lone Ranger", "The Wild Wild West" and similar shows with my Dad. If I had a kid and was uncomfortable with what was being shown, we'd watch older shows.
It's hard to imagine today that we actually wanted to watch "The Waltons", "Little House on the Prarie" and similar shows but we did. You'd have a hard time selling that kind of theme today without being littered with socialist propaganda.
Also watch The Six Million Dollar Man, Kung Fu, Baa Baa Black Sheep and any run of the original Star Trek. We literally watched Star Trek every night during dinner because some channel was always showing it.
My wife has all of "The Waltons" and "Little House" episodes on DVD. My kids love 'em.
A lot of these shows are still on, on some obscure channels on Dish, and of course on Netflix and Hulu.
Don't forget jewels such as "Manimal" or "Automan".
Doc Safari
05-02-16, 14:25
I was too young to catch them in their first run, but to me the original 1960's Star Trek episodes have never been equalled.
Of the "sequal" Star Trek shows, Deep Space Nine is the only one I really liked, and I think it was a ripoff of Babylon 5.
I saw Rat Patrol, Lost in Space, MASH, and Hogan's Heroes in syndicated reruns after school.
Ultimately, after seeing the episodes over and over, I decided I liked the early episodes of MASH the best.
I loved the British sci-fi show UFO. For a kid of just the right age I got off watching those fighters with the tricycle skids and the big missile on the front blow flying saucers out of the sky.
I never warmed to Space:1999, though. I think it was the local TV station proclaiming it "better than Star Trek" that soured me (it wasn't anywhere near as good as Star Trek).
I had to fight to see the last four episodes of Babylon 5 Season 4 when the show got canceled by Fox. One episode actually ran in the wee hours of the morning and I missed it until TNT ran the entire series over again. Those 4 episodes wrapped up the five-year story arc and luckily the writing was so good I actually figured out what happened in the "missed" episode and it didn't ruin the series finale for me.
I think that whole incident soured me on ever again watching a TV show with a continuing story line...maybe X-Files being a possible exception since I did catch the half-dozen "X-Files Returns" type episodes on recently.
Shows like Walking Dead, Falling Skies, et. al., I'd have to wait for the entire series to be in the can to take an interest now.
I was too young to catch them in their first run, but to me the original 1960's Star Trek episodes have never been equalled.
Of the "sequal" Star Trek shows, Deep Space Nine is the only one I really liked, and I think it was a ripoff of Babylon 5.
I saw Rat Patrol, Lost in Space, MASH, and Hogan's Heroes in syndicated reruns after school.
Ultimately, after seeing the episodes over and over, I decided I liked the early episodes of MASH the best.
I loved the British sci-fi show UFO. For a kid of just the right age I got off watching those fighters with the tricycle skids and the big missile on the front blow flying saucers out of the sky.
I never warmed to Space:1999, though. I think it was the local TV station proclaiming it "better than Star Trek" that soured me (it wasn't anywhere near as good as Star Trek).
Man, I LOVED Space: 1999. I had all of that stuff growing up...the Eagle 1 spacecraft, all of it. I really liked Rat Patrol but it seems like they were harder and harder to find on TV whereas most everything else has been in syndication and on TV for the past 50 years.
Lost in Space was awesome....well, most of those old shows were awesome.
I have both Rat Patrol season on DVD. I hadn't seen that show for decades. I saw most of the shows first run that many here saw on reruns. To me the 60's and some of the 70's were the golden age of TV. Hogan's Heroes was another great one. I even remember the pilot episode of the Munsters. Back then they'd do a pilot to see how it went, then if it did well the network would pick it up. We had three network stations, then later, three UHF stations in addition. At some point PBS snuck in also.
The original Star Trek was a ground breaking series, and really ahead of its time both with technology, and socially. Many of the episodes reflected the social issues of the time. Vietnam, race, gender, nuclear war, etc.
Doc Safari
05-02-16, 15:57
The original Star Trek was a ground breaking series, and really ahead of its time both with technology, and socially. Many of the episodes reflected the social issues of the time. Vietnam, race, gender, nuclear war, etc.
And none of the other Trek series had a character with the charisma of Mr. Spock. I suspect the '60's were unique in that such a character could become so popular. Like someone said, "There will never be another Beatles."
"As I've gotten older, I just can't handle things anymore."
Amen to that. John Wayne's "The Shootist" is one I can only watch occasionally and if I'm psyched for it...".Even an ox dies."
"Combat!" had one episode, I think directed by Vic Morrow, "The Carousel", in which a young 15 year old nurse who adopted Saunders's squad, steps on a land mine at the end. Saunders loses it, and I didn't do too good either.
That Shakespeare fellow does it sometimes, too, darn it.
Growing up I always made a point to watch Tour of Duty. Didn't care for the later ones as much because it seemed like something was missing. Opening music did introduce me to the Rolling Stones, so I will always remember the show for that.
Airwolf, Knight Rider, Automan, The A-Team (had all the "action figures"), Dukes of Hazard, all favorites when I was younger.
Now days I prefer shows with good writing and consistent story among episodes (ever notice how back and forth CSI was over whether they were allowed to carry?). I like show like Numbers, Bones, Walking Dead. Love watching Archer.
Actually, the one newer show I go out of my way forcaside from Americans and Archer is 2 Broke Girls. They take the piss out of everybody.
I occasionally watch Last Man Standing but only because I like the black haired middle daughter. And American Dad...especially now that they've matured past political jokes.
I stumbled onto breaking bad just before cutting off cable.
There he is, in a shirt and his underwear, out in the desert, when a fire truck goes screaming by.
WTF???
So, started watching it, and when we got Netflix, kept on.
Kept following the walking dead that way.
Ran across a few shows there might never have seen, such as British and Scottish shows, and some of their originals.
Yeah, Dana Delaney. Still not bad.
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I stumbled onto breaking bad just before cutting off cable.
There he is, in a shirt and his underwear, out in the desert, when a fire truck goes screaming by.
WTF???
So, started watching it, and when we got Netflix, kept on.
Kept following the walking dead that way.
Ran across a few shows there might never have seen, such as British and Scottish shows, and some of their originals.
Yeah, Dana Delaney. Still not bad.
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House of Cards was pretty good. I have not started Breaking Bad yet but heard it was good.
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Moose-Knuckle
05-03-16, 03:35
Let me preface this with I'm in my thirties, born in late 70's, grew up in the 80's, and was a teen in the 90's.
When I was young we had a local channel (we never had cable or satellite) that would air starting in the morning all the old black and white Westerns; The Lone Ranger, The Rifleman, Bonaza, Gunsmoke, Rawhide, etc. I have one cousin named after Steve McQueen's Josh Randall character in Wanted Dead or Alive and I have another cousin named after Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Yates character in Rawhide.
As the day would wear on they would air shows like Get Smart, Man From U.N.C.L.E., Mission Impossible, S.W.A.T, Hawaii 5-0, Emergency, Adam-12, Rockford Files, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Charlies' Angles, Buck Rodgers in the 25th Century, Las Vegas, Kung Fu, Star Trek, etc. This same channel on weekends would air "Tough Guy Theater" all weekend which was a two day orgy of Charlton Heston, Lee Marvin, Chuck Norris, Lee Van Cliff, Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood, etc. films. God I miss those binge sessions.
The 80's was king of the action-adventure TV shows and cop shows. Some of my favorites; The Fall Guy, Hardcastle and McCormick, Hunter (It works for me), Magnum P.I., Airwolf, Street Hawk, Blue Thunder (yes there was a TV series), Knight Rider, The A-Team, Simon and Simon, Miami Vice, MacGyver, Spencer for Hire, Tales of the Golden Monkey, Starman, The Highwayman, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and at least a dozen more that escape me at the present.
There is a free channel called Cozi TV (http://www.cozitv.com/shows/weekday/?page=1) and they air The Lone Ranger, Wyatt Earp, Maverick, Dragnet, Adam 12, Charlie's Angels, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Murder She Wrote, Miami Vice, The A-Team, Magnum P.I., Simon and Simon, Hart to Hart, Knight Rider, Quantum Leap, Baywatch, among others.
As for modern TV, we cut the cable three years ago and haven't looked back. Only modern shows we watch we catch on disc are The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, True Detective, and Peaky Blinders.
Word is that CBS is going to reboot the "MacGyver" series (or "re-imagine", I guess). Lucas Till is reportedly cast as the title character.
Outlander Systems
05-03-16, 06:39
If the setting is 1985, I'm in.
Mac was the OG Eurodriver. The first rule of the Phoenix Foundation: Only rescue hot chicks.
Word is that CBS is going to reboot the "MacGyver" series (or "re-imagine", I guess). Lucas Till is reportedly cast as the title character.
To me the 60's and some of the 70's were the golden age of TV.
Agreed. It was also the Golden Age of TV scores....the music was awesome, and for many of the shows in the 60s, written by some heavy-hitters, using real bands. And the jazz music sequences for the cartoons at the time like The Flintstones and The Jetsons? Forget about it.....
Doc Safari
05-03-16, 09:44
I do have to say: Reality shows destroyed television.
Mostly these days I watch a little news to get the weather, then I'm on AM talk radio or shortwave the rest of the evening.
I agree, reality TV just sucks.
Haven't watched house of Cards. Looks very political, and if it's truthful, probably just depressing. Or, at least that's what I thought.
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diving dave
05-05-16, 09:40
Most TV plain stinks. Other than Fox news and outdoor channel, I could care less. Although I love watching the old Lost in Space on HULU, I grew up watching that show and still laugh my ass off at it...:rolleyes:
A little trivia for fans of 1960's TV. The Batman series with Adam West and Burt Ward was actually a mid-season replacement for another failed show on ABC Television. It debuted 12 January 1966. It wasn't expected to be the cult hit it became. I saw the first episode myself.
Agreed. It was also the Golden Age of TV scores....the music was awesome, and for many of the shows in the 60s, written by some heavy-hitters, using real bands. And the jazz music sequences for the cartoons at the time like The Flintstones and The Jetsons? Forget about it.....
Much as I love 80s TV, the 60s were the Golden Age. Between the WWII dramas, watchable westerns and Johnny Quest it was just amazing. Then at night you had the Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock and dozens of other ground breaking shows for adult viewers. Shows like The Honeymooners are still completely watchable.
I actually liked Outer Limits more than Twilight Zone(granted I only saw them in reruns and remake).
Twilight Zone could get too preachy and kitschy at times, like Star Trek, but in that same vein had some real classics like that guy who broke his glasses.
Outer Limits remake was 90s and came on cable but also came on after one on some regular TV channels and most lf the twist endings weren't so much twists...they were just mean spirited. Which, I enjoyed.
Like that one where they think they dropped a planet killer bomb on the aliens but got turned around and dropped it on earth.
And I agree about Golden Girls.
Who remembers Man and Machine? It was a cop show where this smart mouth guy gets tied up with this hot robot girl?
It was on for five minutes. Same as Gabriel's Fire which had James Earl Jones.
I actually liked Outer Limits more than Twilight Zone(granted I only saw them in reruns and remake).
Twilight Zone could get too preachy and kitschy at times, like Star Trek, but in that same vein had some real classics like that guy who broke his glasses.
Outer Limits remake was 90s and came on cable but also came on after one on some regular TV channels and most lf the twist endings weren't so much twists...they were just mean spirited. Which, I enjoyed.
Like that one where they think they dropped a planet killer bomb on the aliens but got turned around and dropped it on earth.
And I agree about Golden Girls.
Who remembers Man and Machine? It was a cop show where this smart mouth guy gets tied up with this hot robot girl?
It was on for five minutes. Same as Gabriel's Fire which had James Earl Jones.
I also liked The Outer Limits, but the writing just wasn't quite up the the level of The Twilight Zone and the ideas not quite as original. Also The Outer Limits tended to specialize in Sci Fi while The Twilight Zone wasn't limited as much. I'm not even sure The Outer Limits would even exist if not for The Twilight Zone.
That said, my favorite episode was the one with Adam West, "The Invisible Enemy" where the sand on Mars was like the ocean and predator species swam through the sand like sharks. That one really creeped me out when I saw it as a kid. As for The Twilight Zone, I don't think any episode even comes close to "To Serve Man...", that one really blew me away.
"How about you? You still on Earth, or on the ship, with me? Well, it doesn't make very much difference because sooner or later we'll, all of us, be on the menu. All of us."
I remember giggling like a fiend when it was revealed to be a cookbook.
See...I'm kinda Alt and sorta morbid so tastefully mean-spirited shows were always a delight.
Like that one where Aliens cut the power and all hell breaks loose and they are laughing because people just couldn't deal with the power being out
And people think I'm crazy when I say there was an episode with Charles "Death Wish" Bronson as a soldier and the Bewitched chick as a Russian Soldier and they become a post apocalyptic Adam and Eve
And on that note....Bewitched lady made the better wife but Jeannie made the better girlfriend. A hot chick who is borderline nympho and grants eternal wishes?!
I would be more laid than pavement and more armed than a Hindu god.
I wouldn't leave the house. But then dude is so square he acts like it's a burden
I remember giggling like a fiend when it was revealed to be a cookbook.
See...I'm kinda Alt and sorta morbid so tastefully mean-spirited shows were always a delight.
Like that one where Aliens cut the power and all hell breaks loose and they are laughing because people just couldn't deal with the power being out
And people think I'm crazy when I say there was an episode with Charles "Death Wish" Bronson as a soldier and the Bewitched chick as a Russian Soldier and they become a post apocalyptic Adam and Eve
And on that note....Bewitched lady made the better wife but Jeannie made the better girlfriend. A hot chick who is borderline nympho and grants eternal wishes?!
I would be more laid than pavement and more armed than a Hindu god.
I wouldn't leave the house. But then dude is so square he acts like it's a burden
You are not crazy, I have the entire Twilight Zone series on DVD, and Outer Limits for that matter. And yeah, Barbara Eden would be working round the clock. Add Yvonne Craig and Julie Newmar and I don't think I'd ever need anything else.
It was alleged that James Cameron got the idea for "The Terminator" from an old "Outer Limits" episode:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier_(The_Outer_Limits)
Moose-Knuckle
05-08-16, 01:59
It was alleged that James Cameron got the idea for "The Terminator" from an old "Outer Limits" episode:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier_(The_Outer_Limits)
In the special features of the Blu Ray Terminator Anthology there is a feature entitled The Making of The Terminator. In it James Cameron stated that he was in a hotel room feeling out of place in Rome with a high fever.
@ 2:23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBF4Rxm_dlc
With that said, nothing is really original. At sometime or another something has influenced everyone.
Im 50 yrs old, as a kid I loved "Rat Patrol"
it may suck now, but Id love to watch those again...
And on that note....Bewitched lady made the better wife but Jeannie made the better girlfriend. A hot chick who is borderline nympho and grants eternal wishes?!
I would be more laid than pavement and more armed than a Hindu god.
I wouldn't leave the house. But then dude is so square he acts like it's a burden
I was in love (lust??) with Jeannie. Man, I loved that woman. Walk around in that get-up, calling me Master?? Go right ahead.....
Doc Safari
05-09-16, 09:29
I also liked The Outer Limits, but the writing just wasn't quite up the the level of The Twilight Zone and the ideas not quite as original. Also The Outer Limits tended to specialize in Sci Fi while The Twilight Zone wasn't limited as much. I'm not even sure The Outer Limits would even exist if not for The Twilight Zone.
That said, my favorite episode was the one with Adam West, "The Invisible Enemy" where the sand on Mars was like the ocean and predator species swam through the sand like sharks. That one really creeped me out when I saw it as a kid. As for The Twilight Zone, I don't think any episode even comes close to "To Serve Man...", that one really blew me away.
"How about you? You still on Earth, or on the ship, with me? Well, it doesn't make very much difference because sooner or later we'll, all of us, be on the menu. All of us."
Of the old Outer Limits episodes, I guess I'll take "Cold Hands, Warm Heart."
I don't remember if it was an episode of the new Outer Limits or new Twilight Zone, but the episode was called "A Stitch in Time."
Amanda Plummer goes back in time to assassinate murderers before they commit their crimes.
Could have sworn it was this thread that mentioned "The Voyagers" (1982). Anyway, as a result I just started into Season One and completely forgot I used to watch it when I was younger.
Everything seemed real familiar and then I heard the tag line over the ending credits "If you'd like to learn more about the Red Baron, The Wright Bros. or Eddie Rickenbacker take a voyage to the public library. It's all in books."
As a sci fi show it's pretty good. It does seem like it was heavily inspired by "Time Bandits" (1981) however.
I think people are desensitized to violence on TV and in movies, and that's not a good thing. It's astounding to me the level of violence on a typical TV show. Ever see Criminal Minds? I started watching that by mistake in a hotel room one day and couldn't believe what i was seeing. I had to turn it as torture of some young girl is of zero interest to me. It was like a PG rated snuff film. Even shows like The Shield was at 10Pm, for adults, and was in context to the obvious story line.
Could have sworn it was this thread that mentioned "The Voyagers" (1982). Anyway, as a result I just started into Season One and completely forgot I used to watch it when I was younger.
Everything seemed real familiar and then I heard the tag line over the ending credits "If you'd like to learn more about the Red Baron, The Wright Bros. or Eddie Rickenbacker take a voyage to the public library. It's all in books."
As a sci fi show it's pretty good. It does seem like it was heavily inspired by "Time Bandits" (1981) however.
I vaguely remember that. It was like Quantum Leap. It actually did inspire me to go and read books. They had this weird compass watch and saved Sherlock Holmes.
Actually Quantum Leap was kinda lame. It was always preachy about some issue until it got to the Vietnam War where homeboy greased mamasan with a Stoner 63.
One I miss was Sidekicks. This cop adopted this little chinese boy who was a karate master and together they fought crime.
One I loved way more than Cagney and Lacey(which I only liked for the black haired girl. Do NOT google her. She aged horribly. Worse than Kelly LeBrock) was Lady Blue. It was on for like five minutes and I begged to watch it and even had it recorded cuz I fell asleep. It was this redhead who went around with this big ass revolver and it was pretty graphic for the time. One episode she puts on an extended barrel on her pistol and a laser sight and takes an UZI with a scope and some grenades with her to kill the mob.
You would think it was gonna be feminist touchy feely "Let's talk it all out over coffee" tripe. NOPE. Dudes getting murdered up left and right. Probably not something a young lad should watch on a school night but too bad.
I think people are desensitized to violence on TV and in movies, and that's not a good thing. It's astounding to me the level of violence on a typical TV show. Ever see Criminal Minds? I started watching that by mistake in a hotel room one day and couldn't believe what i was seeing. I had to turn it as torture of some young girl is of zero interest to me. It was like a PG rated snuff film. Even shows like The Shield was at 10Pm, for adults, and was in context to the obvious story line.
I liked the Shield up until he killed another officer. First and Last ep for me. Watching him beat the hell out of a pedo was great then...he shot his own guy and he was just a crook. Not a renegade who played by his own rules but just a crook.
I liked the Shield up until he killed another officer. First and Last ep for me. Watching him beat the hell out of a pedo was great then...he shot his own guy and he was just a crook. Not a renegade who played by his own rules but just a crook.
That was the idea. He was not a nice guy, he was a nasty bit of business with some redeeming qualities. He and his crew met their fate by their own making. It was a truly amazing show and the last episode haunts me to this day. I promised myself I wouldn't get wrapped up in similar shows that followed and never watched a single episode of Sons of Anarchy, etc, after that. I was done.
"SWAT" was a classic as I always liked guns. I was about 9 or 10 when it came out. "Baa Baa Black Sheep" was used by my parents to blackmail me into cleaning my room or whatever chore they had...."Get it done or no Baa Baa Black Sheep tonight". I actually bought Boyington's book when I was young and read it, put a whole new perspective on the show.
I liked "The Rockford Files" too.
Remember "CPO Sharkey" with Don Rickles?
Saturday mornings were the original "Scooby Doo" and my personal favorite: ANY of the old Warner Brothers cartoons (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Coyote/Roadrunner, etc.). I still remember most of the words to the song when the worker found the singing frog that never sang for anyone but him! "Send me a kiss by wire, baby my heart's on fire. If you refuse me, honey you'll lose me, then you'll be left alone...." He put up a sign for "Free Beer" and all the people ran into the as-yet unattended theater he rented (those were adult-themed cartoons back then).
I am (sorry to admit) old enough to remember "The Monkees" on Saturday mornings, but I was like maybe 5yo so it's a vague memory.
"Courtship of Eddie's Father". "Family Affair" with Mr. French. "That Girl". "The Bob Newhart Show" was funny as I recall.
The early 70's was waaayyy before cable, and "Combat" was on channel 61 out of Cleveland, an independent channel. This is back when you had to turn the antenna to pick something up and listen to it click it's way to where you turned it. I used to turn to channel 61 and sit way back from the TV so you could barely make out a picture and watch "Combat". I had my toy M-1 and was ready for fuzzy action!
I vaguely remember that. It was like Quantum Leap. It actually did inspire me to go and read books. They had this weird compass watch and saved Sherlock Holmes.
Actually Quantum Leap was kinda lame. It was always preachy about some issue until it got to the Vietnam War where homeboy greased mamasan with a Stoner 63.
One I miss was Sidekicks. This cop adopted this little chinese boy who was a karate master and together they fought crime.
One I loved way more than Cagney and Lacey(which I only liked for the black haired girl. Do NOT google her. She aged horribly. Worse than Kelly LeBrock) was Lady Blue. It was on for like five minutes and I begged to watch it and even had it recorded cuz I fell asleep. It was this redhead who went around with this big ass revolver and it was pretty graphic for the time. One episode she puts on an extended barrel on her pistol and a laser sight and takes an UZI with a scope and some grenades with her to kill the mob.
You would think it was gonna be feminist touchy feely "Let's talk it all out over coffee" tripe. NOPE. Dudes getting murdered up left and right. Probably not something a young lad should watch on a school night but too bad.
Another one that needs a DVD release.
For those into sci-fi, who remembers "Threshold", "Surface", and "Dark Skies"? (all early '90's shows, IIRC).
Moose-Knuckle
09-21-16, 04:11
Could have sworn it was this thread that mentioned "The Voyagers" (1982). Anyway, as a result I just started into Season One and completely forgot I used to watch it when I was younger.
Everything seemed real familiar and then I heard the tag line over the ending credits "If you'd like to learn more about the Red Baron, The Wright Bros. or Eddie Rickenbacker take a voyage to the public library. It's all in books."
As a sci fi show it's pretty good. It does seem like it was heavily inspired by "Time Bandits" (1981) however.
I use to watch that one as well, I remember liking it a lot as a kid and the thing that stood out to me was the "pocket watch" doohickey .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP6ET-fYg2M
I use to watch that one as well, I remember liking it a lot as a kid and the thing that stood out to me was the "pocket watch" doohickey .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP6ET-fYg2M
I would eventually get an Omni of my very own, unfortunately mine was made by Dodge.
I would eventually get an Omni of my very own, unfortunately mine was made by Dodge.
Was it an 024? My buddy's dad had one and it was my introduction to the concept that you didn't have to have a massive V8 to go fast.
https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=OIP.M4ab69f007124f91376bb2638f7c52281o0&pid=15.1
Averageman
09-21-16, 15:31
Rod Serlings "Night Gallery."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Gallery
The episode with the evil doll freaked my eight year old self out.
Doc Safari
09-21-16, 15:35
Rod Serlings "Night Gallery."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Gallery
The episode with the evil doll freaked my eight year old self out.
I loved the one with the spider that got bigger every time it was washed down the sink.
Then there was the one with the broach that would bite into its wearer.
In some ways I preferred Night Gallery to Twilight Zone. Twilight Zone had some great stuff but you couldn't call them "horror" like Night Gallery.
Was it an 024? My buddy's dad had one and it was my introduction to the concept that you didn't have to have a massive V8 to go fast.
https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=OIP.M4ab69f007124f91376bb2638f7c52281o0&pid=15.1
Sadly no. It was this POS.
http://www.automobile-catalog.com/img/picto28h/dodge/expo-omni.jpg
Original Outer Limits is still ranks on top for me. Galaxy Being freaked me out at 8yrs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJSn55nkngY
Moose-Knuckle
09-22-16, 02:33
This thread reminds me I really need to get the original Star Trek, Twilight Zone, and Outer Limits on DVD.
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