While sitting down watching the tube, I sort of started thinking about television when we first got our set. It was in 1950, and at that time if I remember correctly, you only had one station and that was channel 6. There was just so much air time for watching, and when there wasn't any shows on, you had a test pattern sitting there ,letting you know that it was time to shut it off and get some sleep.
We had already been used to watching television, because the people in the next block had one for more than a year, and they would place it by an open window, and all of us kids would sit there in this neighbor's yard and watch great shows like Amos & Andy, Lum & Abner, and many more comedies. It was real nice of those folks to share thier tv with all the kids in that great neighborhood. Neighbors cared about each other back then and they shared thier goodies with everyone.
Getting back to our own television, Mom & Dad sort of returned that sharing with whoever wanted to watch a show. I remember that they would tell all of us, that television was a gift to us in return for making sure all of our chores were done before the television came on. Many times my friends would help us get them done so that we could all enjoy a couple hours of viewing.
As I said earlier, the shows that we had watched at the neighbors, were still running and we continued to watch them. You just never got tired of watching those two great comedies. Other great shows like the "Old Redhead" himself "Arthur Godfrey" was a winner from day 1. That show lasted for a long time. I believe that he lasted until the early seventies. Some great talent was on that show, such as Julius LaRosa, , Frank Parker, Marion Marlowe, Tony Marvin, Haleloke, and The Mcguire Sisters, all great singers. Arthur would sometimes bless us with his talent on the ukelale. You could watch this show and only get good thoughts from it. It was a great family show.
How many remember The Garry Moore Show? That show had some great talent on it too. Durwood Kirby, Carol Burnette, and many others. At one time Jimmy Durante starred with Garry in a great comedy show. Jimmy was a great singer and had a heart of gold. Remember when Liberace would come on and master that piano, and sing us a tune? How about Ed Sullivan who was sort of a mainstay for many years with his show. A lot of great talent came through that show and went on to intertain us for years.
Joey Bishop with Regis Philbin as his announcer and cohart made an impression on me , in that here was a man of comedy who could sit with others and talk about serious topics. Johnny Carson and his Tonight Show success was because of an earlier show that came on at late night which was called The Jack Parr Show, which had Hugh Downs as the announcer. That show laid the groudwork for all the late night shows that followed
Great situation shows like The Real McCoys, Abbot & Costello, Alan Young Show, Laurel & Hardy, Luigi with J. Carrol Naish, Make Room For Daddy, The Honeymooners, Beulah with Ethel Waters, Burns & Allen, Bilko, all laid the foundation for situation shows today. There was a lot of shows that featured talent that had not been discovered yet. Ted Mack's Amateur Hour, Art Linkletter Show, were just a few of those who gave us new talent.
Action shows like Gunsmoke, Highway Patrol, Have Gun Will Travel, The Cisco Kid with Pancho, Dragnet, Bonanza, plus many others laid down that foundation for great family action shows for us to see. Musical variety shows such as American Bandstand, .The Kate Smith Hour, The Perry Como Show, The Lawrence Welk Show, all were foundation shows. Comedys such as Sid Ceasar & Imogene Coca Show, Groucho Marx, Milton Berle, Ernie Kovacs, Lucy & Desi, Danny Kaye, Doris Day, Eve Arden Show, Fibber McGee & Molly, Jack Benny, and Jackie Gleason, all were there to make you laugh.
And one show that I will never watch is the one titled "Big Brother". I remember a few years ago, when there was talk of someday that Big Brother will be part of our lives ,and that everything that we do would be watched ,and if we stepped outside the rules, regardless of where we were, we would be punished.. Sort of a solid police state such as the Soviet block had before it finally fell. I won't allow anyone to take my American pride and my freedom away from me. You can watch that show if you wish, but I won't.
Where will it all end? If we ,as the viewer, and as those who are buying the products that are paying for those shows, cannot let those sponsers know that we will not buy thier products, unless they clean up thier act. then what do we do to fill up that crack in the foundation laid out by all those great people who gave us some great shows? I personally don't watch tv too much anymore, but there are our children who do watch for many hours and what good are they getting out of it?
As most of you know, I don't try to talk anyone into my way of thought, nor do I try to discourage anyone in how to believe, how to vote, and how to live. I only try to live my life as I want to, and I only take life one day at a time. Life is precious to me, and I know that soon The Great Father will call me home. Until then I will, through this column, try to bring you joy with memories of the past, as long as The Tribune will print it. If you out there have any comments or suggestions as to what you, the reader, would like to see, or what you think about my writings, let The Tribune know about it. As always you can e-mail me at [email protected] and you can catch my writing and thoughts at www.geocities.com/kokomoman/.