Television, when it was good :)

[wraithfodder]

Just some observations in watching some rather old VHS tapes (yes, some of us still have uh, *cough*, far too many).

First, I'm watching VHS tapes of the show "Picket Fences," which to those really young, aired in 1992 for a few seasons. As with most shows, the early seasons were the best.

But overall, the writing was a lot better. You got more show (aka less ads) and what commercials you did get, did not insult your intelligence, scream at you, talk about four-hour erections and other stuff.  I saw Nathan Lane doing an Alka Seltzer ad! I'm hoping that I was lazy taping the rest of the PF episodes (about six tapes) so I can see the ads. I mean, I have a Simon & Simon tape somewhere with an ad boasting a brand new car for $10K. Ah, sigh, if only! However, did see ads for "Crime Time After Prime Time," which was  novel CBS experiment in which for most of the week, they aired inexpensively made (aka Made in Canada) series like (sigh) Adderly, NIght Heat and Dark Justice. Oh, and ads for Raven! That was a prime time CBS series starring Jeffrey Meek as a retired martial experts (with a mysterious background, as I recall) residing in gorgeous Hawaii. Only last a year ,but it was fun.

But, these tapes are fascinating. You can read the credits at the end of the show (impossible today with the way they shrink stuff), there are no 'bugs' on the screen, Tom Skerritt hadn't gone totally gray yet ;)  and nobody seemed to have cellphones. So nice :) Hmm, waht else? Large glasses, smaller cars (no SUVs, yeah!). Tylenol seems tto be the strongest drug... and did you know they have (or had) a shampoo that makes your hair curly (all the rage in the early 90s, not that I can remember it).

Wow, and I left news bit in. Sadham Hussein might challenge the U.S. Wow, this is old, and news snippets on catching suspects in the World Trading Center bombing ('92). Good grief, there's Andy Dick in a Pepsi ad! Ohmygawd, Kevin Sorbo in a real estate ad!

So I poked around the tape collection more: David Hewlett, in his early years, as a whacko escaped psychiatric patient with murderous intent in Forever Knight. Let me see if I can get it up on YouTube... Ohmygawd, and Night Heat! Must get that up on YouTube!


 

Comments

[thefannishwaldo.livejournal.com]

Which FK was it? I have them on DVD and can pull some of the DH clips pretty quick. :)

[casett.livejournal.com]

Ah Picket Fences - I loved that show. Lots of black humor and heart. I remember those days when there were less commercials. You barely had time to go to the bathroom or get a snack! So much better now - with lots of time to make a run now that I am slower (NOT :p).

[nakedwesley.livejournal.com]

I remember Picket Fences! I used to have tons of old stuff on vhs, but sadly had to purge when I moved.

When I first got into SGA I searched my tapes and lo and behold, unearthed my Friday the 13th (the series) tapes - scarily, I was a huge fan of that show - including the ep with a very young David Hewlett! I actually remembered him and knew exactly which one he was in.

Nostalgia can be fun!

[vecturist.livejournal.com]

Oh, I remember PF - not quite as weird and creepy as 'Twin Peaks' and life in my college dorm used to pause to watch 'Northern Exposure' (it actually took precedence over Monday Night Football. (And Saturdays were Kung Fu, Highlander, Forever Knight, and Babylon 5).

[faekitty71.livejournal.com]

don't worry, I got rid of about three boxes of videos but still have hundreds. I have a lot of doctor who that I don't want to get rid of b/c it has a lot of cast interviews that are impossible to find. I need to dubbed them off the tapes but it takes a lot of time.

I often wonder why I taped so much. Especially when I didn't watch most of it later on.

[pisces227.livejournal.com]

I loved Picket Fences, Twin Peaks, Northern Exposure *strolls down memory lane* Seems there were more eps a season back then.

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

I loved Adderly and Raven. I also remember watching a lot of Night Heat.

What cracks me up when I watch old VHS tapes is the commercials for 'new' movies coming out. It's always a treat to see 'coming soon' ads for something like the original Die Hard.