On a lighter note, those sets are handsome pieces of furniture, aren't they? At the Broadcast Archives, here's a 1960s ad for a 21-inch color set; could very well be one that's displayed on the floor there. Today's big screens are great, but I miss those old consoles.
At Comfort TV, David has some random observations about classic TV that are sure to ring a bell with many of us. Some of them are quite shrewd (#6, for instance), while with others you'll nod your head and think, "Yeah, now that you mention it, he's right." Great stuff.
The actress Sharon Farrell died this past May, although it was not announced until last week. Hers was a familiar name and face to anyone watching teleivsion in the 1960s and '70s, and Terence pays tribute to her career in this piece at A Shroud of Thoughts.
John continues his provocative look at the relationshilp between The X-Files and the American Dream with a look at several more episodes that provide commentary on, if you will, the difference between the dream and the reality of America. Always food for thought.
Back when times were simpler, one of TV's favorite questions was whether or not Mister Ed was actually a zebra. At Drunk TV, Paul goes back to those simple times, with a look at the show's third season: still funny, but how long can this premise go on?
At The View from the Junkyard, Roger takes a look at "No Time to Die," an unconventional (and perhaps underappreciated) episode of Columbo, one that is a complete departure from the standard Columbo format. Did it work? You be the judge, but Roger has some interestng thoughts.
Finally, a quick note from Jodie at Garroway at Large: Peace, her biography of Dave Garroway is now available at Amazon in both hardcover and paperback, so if you haven't purchased your copy yet, here's another option. Now you have no excuses! TV
interesting you note that people don't gather together to watch big news or events now. I think I experienced a rare exception! Just last week in Australia, Australia was playing France in the quarter final of the Women's World Cup, so of course it had huge public interest. Any venue, restaurant, bar, etc., that had big TVs were tuned to the game and any venue whose TV could be viewed from outside on the footpath had crowds of people gathered to watch through windows etc. It was quite surreal just so many people invested in watching this game. (Australia won, btw)
ReplyDeleteI wasn't around when TV started but the sort of atmosphere I witnessed last weekend made me think what it was probably like when people gathered at shop windows to watch TV in the early days or to watch the moon landing or something like that. Everyone coming together for a common experience in real time.
I will agree with that - I think you're right that sports is the one thing that can be a communal experience nowadays. It seems to demand watching in the company of others, whether in the large groups as you mention, or inviting people over to your homes. Thanks for pointing that out!
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