Your Favorite OLD TV Series and Why

[Cow Poke]

What's your favorite OLD TV show, and why?

Two of my favorites were Leave it to Beaver and Andy Griffith.

Mossy reminded me of these in our discussion about Dick and Jane, because in that series, there are no "morals".

In the two shows I mentioned, Opie and Beaver (separately, of course) would often do something stupid or wrong, get caught, and have to "fess up" and make things right.
In other words, there often seemed to be a 'moral to the story'.

Another favorite was Ponderosa, because I really liked the character Dan Blocker played - Hoss - and how he exemplified the biblical concept of meekness --- power under control.

[Faber]

I was a science fiction fan. (Still am.) I enjoyed William Lundigan in Men Into Space, which lasted only one year, 1959-60. The Outer Limits. Twilight Zone.

Best of all, I enjoyed those old test patterns that used to come from distant television stations late at night during the summer.

[rogue06]

What's your favorite OLD TV show, and why?

Two of my favorites were Leave it to Beaver and Andy Griffith.

Mossy reminded me of these in our discussion about Dick and Jane, because in that series, there are no "morals".

In the two shows I mentioned, Opie and Beaver (separately, of course) would often do something stupid or wrong, get caught, and have to "fess up" and make things right.
In other words, there often seemed to be a 'moral to the story'.

Another favorite was Ponderosa, because I really liked the character Dan Blocker played - Hoss - and how he exemplified the biblical concept of meekness --- power under control.

Wasn't Ponderosa the name Bonanza was given when it was first put in reruns? Back then they had to give it a different name for some silly reason (I remember the show Emergency was called Emergency One for instance).

I didn't like Leave it to Beaver as a child but grew to appreciate it as an adult and have always been fond of Andy Griffith -- at least until the cast started changing (the replacing of Barney with Warren being the biggest example)

[rogue06]

Wasn't Ponderosa the name Bonanza was given when it was first put in reruns? Back then they had to give it a different name for some silly reason (I remember the show Emergency was called Emergency One for instance).

Just looked it up. It was the name of a Bonanza "prequel" set when the sons were teenagers that ran from 2001-2 and the name NBC gave reruns

[Cow Poke]

Wasn't Ponderosa the name Bonanza was given when it was first put in reruns?

Correct! Ponderosa was also the steakhouse we used to love to visit when we went to Ohio to see my Dad.

Back then they had to give it a different name for some silly reason (I remember the show Emergency was called Emergency One for instance).

I didn't like Leave it to Beaver as a child but grew to appreciate it as an adult and have always been fond of Andy Griffith -- at least until the cast started changing (the replacing of Barney with Warren being the biggest example)

And you just reminded me of Adam 12!

[mossrose]

We have recently enjoyed reruns of Little House on the Prairie. And we like the Anne of Green Gables miniseries, and the offshoot series, Road to Avonlea.

I am having trouble remembering much tv from when I was a kid. I don't think I saw much of Beaver and Andy Griffith. Maybe living in Canada made a difference? We had more locally produced shows. Like Friendly Giant and Mr. Dressup and Buckshot.

But shows like Little House and Anne are so wholesome, and wonderful in comparison to the smut that every show these days portrays. The last sitcom that I enjoyed was Life With Bonnie, which portrayed a strong husband and very good family values. It didn't last long. We like Last Man Standing, too, but this last season is not as good as previous years.

Mr. mossy would likely Have more memories of older shows, since he's older than I, and grew up in the States.

MelMak bought his dad the entire series of Beaver one year. You haven't lived until you've binge-watched umpteen gazillion episodes of Beaver.

[rogue06]

Correct! Ponderosa was also the steakhouse we used to love to visit when we went to Ohio to see my Dad.



And you just reminded me of Adam 12!

As was Bonanza

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Since we had both where I live (neither has been around for decades), they weren't regional names for the same place even though there really wasn't much difference between them that I recall

[rogue06]

As for the OP... I've always had a soft spot for Hogan's Heroes

[Cow Poke]

As for the OP... I've always had a soft spot for Hogan's Heroes

YES! And I remember when some do-gooders tried to have it taken off the air because it was offensive to those who were actually held as POWs, and the POWs rose up in rebellion saying KEEP IT --- it actually made fun of the Germans and their incompetence, and put a "light side" on their suffering. (or something like that)

Plus the delicious irony that so many of the "bad guys" were played by Jews!

[rogue06]

I am having trouble remembering much tv from when I was a kid.

No surprise there

Wasn't your first TV just a hole through a rock?
Stone_Age_TV_-_geograph.org.uk_-_109938.jpg


And your later one had lousy reception
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[Sparko]

Star Trek, Gilligan's Island. Adam 12, Emergency, Dragnet, Hawaii 5-0. Doctor Who.

[Chaotic Void]

Gilligan's Island and Get Smart are two of my two favorites, and you can't go wrong with the ol' Batman series for good old Cheesy Fun.

[rogue06]

YES! And I remember when some do-gooders tried to have it taken off the air because it was offensive to those who were actually held as POWs, and the POWs rose up in rebellion saying KEEP IT --- it actually made fun of the Germans and their incompetence, and put a "light side" on their suffering. (or something like that)

Plus the delicious irony that so many of the "bad guys" were played by Jews!

Looking back it seems impossible that only 20 years after WWII they would have a show like that and IIRC, all the major German characters (except Klink's secretary) were Jewish. And as an aside the actor who played Corporal Louis LeBeau (Robert Clary), the last surviving original cast member, was also Jewish and was even imprisoned in the infamous Buchenwald concentration camp

[rogue06]

Gilligan's Island and Get Smart are two of my two favorites, and you can't go wrong with the ol' Batman series for good old Cheesy Fun.

I recently watched a bunch of the old Batman shows. They are actually pretty well written.

[Chaotic Void]

I recently watched a bunch of the old Batman shows. They are actually pretty well written.

Oh yeah, they've aged surprisingly well. I've been meaning to sit down and watch The Addam's Family, another show that I've been told is a classic.