I virtually never watch daytime TV except on some rare occasions in hotel rooms. Each time I am reminded of why I don’t bother at home – there is nothing worth watching. In a way I find that rather sad as I have fond childhood memories of watching morning television during the summer when school was out.
I was a child of the 60s/70s and television was a different beast. For one thing, we didn’t have 500 channels to choose from. In fact, while our family did get cable fairly early, I do have vague memories of when we only got about four channels via antenna. We lived in the desert of Southern California so we were able to pick up some Los Angeles stations without cable. Even when we did get cable there were only seven stations, if I remember correctly (2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13). Televisions only went up to channel 13 and you changed them by turning a knob on the TV itself. Yes, I’m old.
That may sound tragic to today’s youth but we didn’t know any better and were fine with it. In some ways I think television back then was more enjoyable because it was special. Since this was in the days before VCRs and DVRs, if you missed a show, you missed it.
I spent a lot of my time reading but I still enjoyed certain TV shows, especially the usual daytime lineup of syndicated programs such as Hazel, I Dream of Jeannie and my favorite, Bewitched. These started as prime-time shows and I do remember seeing Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie during prime time but Hazel ended when I was only four. I think I liked the morning lineup best because there was never any competition for the TV. In the evenings when my dad was home we were more likely to watch whatever he was interested in. He usually brought home lots of paperwork each night and he’d set up a card table in the living room where he would price invoices while watching TV. But during summer mornings? The TV was all ours.
What were your favorite childhood television shows?
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Cherie says
I think you're right about the TV channels – but those were the "VHF" stations. We also had "UHF" where you could find PBS – I think it was channel 22? Although it seems like a small number compared to today, my husband talks about how they only had 3 – just the major networks at the time – so we were lucky to have some variety.
Deanna Piercy says
Ah, I had forgotten about those other channels. I don't think our tvs had more than 13 channels, though. Was PBS on channel 6? Oh, who knows? It's been a rather long time. 😉
Tori says
It seems strange to me you saying about having gotten the extra channels as a child, since I was about eight or nine before we got them over here, and I know for a fact you’re several years older than me. Anyway, it was great when we got the extra channels. Even more so from my point of view, since my brothers were away at school, my Dad went to work before I got up in the morning and didn’t get home until shortly before I went to bed, and my Mam considered while I was at school and after I went to bed to be her TV times, which left me in full control of the TV remote.
I loved Bewitched! It’s on DVD, did you know that? I’d love to get the DVDs for that show! I didn’t enjoy I Dream Of Geni quite as much, but I have seen some episodes, and can see why you’d enjoy it.
My morning TV “must see” shows were Lambchop’s Playalong and Mrs Pepperpot. I know of a bus driver who really wishes I didn’t watch the first one though, since I started singing “this is the song that never ends” soon after getting on the bus – after having watched an episode where they were singing it – and soon had the entire bus full of kids singing it. I’m quite certain that’s one bus driver who was very pleased when we reached the school. But, hey, at least we were behaving. 😉
Deanna Piercy says
I know lots of other people my age who didn’t get that many channels that early. I can only speculate that it was our location in Southern California.
As for Bewitched, yes, I have the first season on DVD (I included the link to buy it from Amazon). As soon as I finish it I’m buying the next. Of the three shows I mentioned in this post it was by far my favorite. I Dream of Jeannie was my least favorite but I did rather like her bottle. Ha!
My kids watched Lambchop but I’m not familiar with Mrs. Pepperpot.