Fifth Blog: What I learned about watching television

What I thought I knew: As a child, I did not have access to a television until I was about 7 or 8. I recall watching Felix the Cat on a small black and white TV. Then my parents purchased a small Zenith black and white TV, our first new television. We had about 4 channels, some of them UHF, requiring a separate antennae. Within two or three days, it conked out and started smoking, smelling of burnt electronics. Anyway, we replaced it. On Sunday or Saturday night, my family would make popcorn and watch "The Honeymooners" with Jackie Gleason and the June Taylor Dancers. Mom allowed us an hour of television watching a day and we were not allowed to watch the mysterious "Dark Shadows," a vampire infested soap opera. On Saturdays, our hour was cartoons early in the morning, before the housecleaning routine began (see last week's blog). I just had to watch "The Monkeys," because Davey was so dreamy and later, "The Partridge Family" because David Cassidy was so dreamy. "Laugh-In" began showing in the late '60s, and was on after my bedtime, although I recall watching some of the shows. In 1969, the whole neighborhood watched as men walked on the moon for the first time. Star Trek was introduced and then quickly taken from us. I only saw the show in re-runs.

Television was not really a habit or necessary. Somewhere in the '70s, the networks began showing full length movies.It was so unusual, we viewed this as a treat. A standout event from those days was the resignation of Richard Nixon on live TV. He unfortunately did not look good on TV, and I recall many comedians making jokes at his expense (Rich Little walking on the beach, murmuring about politics.) During college, I began watching "Monty Python's Flying Circus, a show I can hardly stand now. Sometime after I got married, I began watching Johnny Carson. I have a VHS tape of his last show and nobody has ever gotten close to entertaining me the way Johnny could. Television became more important after I was married, as my husband insisted on purchasing a large TV for us to watch. His parents watched Jeopardy every night. Scheduling an evening around television viewing was a strange and weird idea for me. Sometime in the '80s, I watched the Olympics for the first time on TV; now I can watch the opening ceremonies on a 44 inch HD TV.

What I have learned:  After I moved into my home in Boise, we got cable TV, without which, we receive no programs. I had cable until last year and then I turned it off. I still get almost no programs because I can't see Bogus Basin from my house behind the foothills. Cable TV and remote controls have given us the ability to waste all day watching TV. There is so much information and entertainment available that I feel overwhelmed. Choosing a channel seemed much easier when a) there were only 4 channels and b) mom only let us watch for an hour. I suspect that my standards are higher for actual entertainment then (sorry kids) what the younger generation counts as entertainment. There are lots of vampire shows, often sexual content and no cigarettes. People SMOKED in the '60s. Commercials are often more interesting than the show that is on, but there are 20 minutes of selling for every hour of show. Remember when we thought having cable TV, a service we paid for meant there would be no commercials?

What I know now: OK, I have my favorite shows, including "The Big Bang Theory" and "My Name is Earl". I long for entertainment, not unscripted reality shows that spotlight the bickering that Americans, competitors always, profess to enjoy. Star Trek, (not one of my favorites) has lasted until the Next Generation of re-runs. Movies are made of television shows. Mash continues in re-runs somewhere. Myself, I go to the library at least twice a month and I subscribe to a movie service. My reality is unscripted, except for the conversations in my head. Don't you understand? This blog is what's in my head!