Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Rekindled memories

Janice of Jabblog posted about old children's tv memories, along with more modern tv shows. Her post stimulated my memory of childhood times and when we used to look after our great niece Jo. Memories of Pepper the Pig, Tro Tro, and a song I remember vividly, Pizza, pizza. I love da make da pizza. 

Felix the Cat was one of my favourite tv shows. For some reason I thought it was made in Japan but it seems not. It was made in the US. But wait, it has Japanese origins from the silent movie period. I does me research.

'Felix, Felix the wonderful wonderful cat. Whenever he gets into a fix, he reaches into his bag of tricks'.

We had the locally made Zig and Zag show, which was great. To our grandfather, 'Pop, get us home by 6 to watch Zig and Zag'. Sadly one of them turned out to be a pedo.


I was eight years old before we had a television set and what a fine piece of furniture it was. Functionally, vastly inferior to the screens we now watch. I think some Disney tv shows could be seen, such as Micky Mouse etc. 

Was it late 60s or 70s when tv really came into its own when there were terrific shows such as from Britain, On the Buses, The Rag Trade, Love thy Neighbour (odd that it doesn't appear on YouTube), so many I can't remember.

The US gave us Gilligan's Island, Green Acres, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Lost in Space, My Mother the Car, Leave it to Beaver, My Favourite Martian, The Second Hundred Years?, Petticoat Junction, Rin Tin Tin, The Littlest Hobo, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, The Lone Ranger, William Tell and Robin Hood. I'm sure I've left some out. 

I enjoyed the innocence of my youth. Maybe some of this stimulated your memories or maybe I am being a boring old man wallowing in past pleasures. 

26 comments:

  1. We didn't get a television until I was 15 or so (though we did hire one to watch the moon landing). I never acquired the habit and still watch very little (though more than I like because himself is an addict).

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    1. EC, I remember watching the moon landing on a terrible tv at primary school. Like you I see more tv than I prefer to because of someone close.

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  2. My parents didn't get a television until I was 16. They thought it would stop me doing my homework. Having said that I do not recall a great many of the programs you've mentioned. I lived in England then.

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    1. Graham, some hold up well but most don't and now look very dated and corny.

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    2. No, Andrew, just ordinary green peas. I was going to use this recipe but using frozen peas as it's the middle of winter: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pea-mint-soup

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    3. Interesting Graham. I've never had such a soup.

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    4. Neither have I, Andrew. This was an experiment. It'll have to wait got the summer when my mint is in bloom.

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  3. You are going through the nostalgia stage of your life. A lot of ideas concerning cartoons and movies are often borrowed from Japan and Korea alike.

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    1. Roentare, I am firmly told I must not live in the past, but I enjoy the memories. Kimba the White Lion might have been another Japanese creation.

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  4. My parents didn't have a tv until 1960, but the elderly neighbours next door did. During the week those kind people allowed us to come into their lounge room between 7-7.30 pm to watch an episode of Rin Tin Tin, Texas Rangers etc.

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    1. Hels, that was kind of the neighbours. I can only vaguely remember Texas Rangers. I certainly saw some of it.

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  5. I recognise the she shows you mentioned but don’t remember actually sitting down to watch them. My sisters would have the cartoons on (jetsons & flinstones) so I ‘know them’ Would I watch again? Not really.

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    1. Cathy, the cartoons wouldn't interest me much now. Lost in Space, well you could the rocks wobbling. But some of those American and English comedies were so good.

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  6. We had a black and white TV, weren't allowed to watch more than one hour per evening. That was in the mid 60's I think we got one. I remember the show "Lassie" and we went to see Lassie when they were filming in Florence and were devastated to find out there were "four" Lassies, and Lassie, the one we were allowed to see, would not even look at us, or interact at all, dead looking eyes focused on a trainer and his treats.

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    1. As River said, Strayer, that's a bit sad. But that is what herding dogs are like, with a complete focus on Master or Mistress.

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    2. I agree they are bred for just that type of focus. :) I don't remember much from 1970's programming, having been born in '69, though being the designated channel changer and 'bunny ear' antenna adjuster as youngest springs to mind. lol My nostalgia is from the 1990's when my husband and I were at our peak. Ah, memories... Be well!

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    3. Ah, the bunny ears Darla.. Our reception was poor and so the ears weren't any good for us but I remember some people having them.

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  7. We got a tv when I was about 6 and my Dad loved it so it was always on if he was home. I remember all of those shows from the USA but not the British ones from back then. Nice memories, Andrew.

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    1. Pat, I loved the tv shows that came from America. Now, I watch none. I wonder why. Interesting that your father loved tv so much. Men often weren't so keen, here at least.

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  8. We got our TV when I was 8 I think, I don't recall having one when mum was still with us, maybe we did? Anyway, I don't recall several of the US shows, and most of the others are from when I was a fair bit older and later when I had my own kids. We weren't watching it all day long though, the kids would watch Sesame Street in the mornings and then it was turned off until after school time and even then it didn't go on unless there was a decent kids show on. Most things were shown right after the 6pm news, like Gilligans Island, F-Troop, Steptoe and Son, Love Thy Neighbour, On the Buses, Greenacres. I do remember rushing home from school in the 60s to see Rin-Tin-Tin and Dr Who and Lassie, though I soon got tired of Lassie and preferred Skippy the bush Kangaroo.

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    1. Nice memories River. I missed mentioning F-Troop and Steptoe and Son. It was a bit later for me when Skippy arrived, and the American Flipper. I guess you remember some of the theme songs too.

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  9. Pepper Pig, some of the grandchildren didn't watch that for some reason.
    I never watched much TV at all when my parents got it for the first time, wasn't really interested. As I aged I become a little interested in Peyton Place but didn't worry if I missed an episode.

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    1. Margaret, there was another show after Peyton Place and I can't remember what it was. My mother loved Peyton Place and I remember there was a very handsome man in the show.

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  10. We had our first television to watch the Queen's Coronation. It was exciting when colour television came along!

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    1. JB, I think it was 1975 when we received colour tv, much later than you I think.

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