Watching Old TV Shows
@RichardMeister (5328)
Otis Orchards, Washington
February 9, 2016 2:44pm CST
About six months ago an offshoot of one of our local TV station started broadcasting what is called, “Antenna TV.” This station airs old TV shows like Three’s Company, Newhart, Barney Miller, Mork and Mindy, Alfred Hitchcock, One Day at a Time, I Dream of Jeanie, Bewitched, Stanford and Son, The Jeffersons and so forth.
It takes me back to a time when I used to watch a lot of these shows. They are still just as much fun to watch today as they were back then. But they also bring up sad feelings, too. As I watch many of these shows I realize many of the actors are no longer with us.
It’s something we all need to face. Our favorite actors are not going to live forever. They may live forever on film but not in real life. But it’s sad to think we will never see them again in a new movie or new TV show.
I guess that’s life. We cannot crank the clock back. I’m sure a lot of us would like to go back in time, but would we really do anything different? I think a lot of people would answer, “yes,” to that question. But would that really had been in our DNA to do things differently? If we would have done things differently, would we be different people today? As they say, what’s done is done.
So I guess I'll just sit back, enjoy watching the old TV shows and try not to think about the past.
8 people like this
8 responses
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
10 Feb 16
Perry Mason was on here at noon every day for years. I know I watched every show more than one time. Even though I knew each show by heart I still enjoyed watching them. They took the shows off the air here about a year ago.
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
10 Feb 16
@RichardMeister Perhaps The Three Stooges or Little Rascals are too old - doesn't really fall into a sitcom category. My mom used to talk about Father Knows Best but I don't know if I actually watched it (if I did, I may have been too young to remember). I watched Leave it to Beaver much later in life. I know they made a modern movie out of it in the late 90s, but I didn't see it . . . I'll bet it wasn't great like the old series!!
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
11 Feb 16
@much2say I think the only criteria for the shows are they are older shows. Burns and Allen is as old or older than Little Rascals and The Threes Stooges. I would think it would have more to do with whether or not they can get the rights to air them.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
10 Feb 16
I haven't seen The Three Stooges or Little Rascals in their lineup. They do have Burns and Allen and The Jack Paar Show late at night. I've seen Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best in their lineup. I liked Leave it to Beaver because Theodore Cleaver was about the same age I was went I watched the show. And I'm not giving you the business!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
9 Feb 16
I don't really watch much TV to begin with and don't have cable, but I often do watch the re-runs of the old time shows, not only on Antenna.TV, but This.TV, Decades, Cozi. I find those old time shows a lot better than what's on now, and yes, it is sad to realize that many of the people in those old shows are no longer with us. Do you get Cozi TV? They have re-runs of Highway To Heaven which was a great show too.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
10 Feb 16
I agree with you that many of today's shows are crap. I, too, do not have cable. No I do not get Cozi or Decades. Occasionally the Fox channel I get will call itself This TV. Highway to Heaven was a good show.
@suziecat7 (3349)
• Asheville, North Carolina
14 Feb 16
I was a big Jeffersons fan but my favorite used to be MASH. Hot lips and Radar, Hawkeye and Klinger - despite the comedy it was way ahead of its time.As far as people passing, all the great musicians I grew up listening to are dying. Davis Bowie, Maurice White, Davy Jones.
1 person likes this
@tammys85 (31395)
• Baltimore, Maryland
11 Feb 16
@RichardMeister I watch them on DVD or satellite as well. I own the first three shows, but we have been renting The Facts of Life from the library.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
10 Feb 16
I used to watch all of those show when they were on regular TV. Some of them are on Antenna TV.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
9 Feb 16
We had Antenna TV with Time Warner then got the similar ME-TV after switching to DirecTV. I love watching old shows. Yes, it is sad to realize whole entire casts have passed away and to be reminded how old one is now.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
10 Feb 16
I only use an antenna–no cable or DirecTV. Yes so of the show's entire cast is no longer with us.
@Lady_Justice (969)
• United States
4 Mar 16
I still like a lot of the older TV shows too. For one thing, they were a lot more "family friendly" than most of the shows we see now.
There are spin-offs of some of the slightly older shows coming out as well.
As for turning back the clock, I'm not so sure I'd want to. Maybe if I got to know then what I know now.
1 person likes this
@Missmwngi (12915)
• Nairobi, Kenya
9 Feb 16
Thats good of them to do that. Here we are yet to have one that can air them
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
10 Feb 16
I hope you can get a channel that will air this old shows. They are worth watching.
