It’s that warm nightly glow that inhabits our living rooms and bedrooms since our early years. I, like the rest of American of my generation, grew up with that television in the background. It was there during those historic moments. I can remember watching Reagan’s assassination attempt, the Gulf War and September 11th on television in my home throughout the years.
We had a cabinet Zenith which was a pain to move when it was time to get it repaired. (Funny thing about the concept of tv repair. In today’s day and age we just trash the TV and get a new one. We are thoroughly a disposable society). I can remember taking a magnet to the TV and being surprised that it did not reset itself when I changed the channel.
At first it was just a handful of channels. 2,4,5,8 and 17. Then cable arrived sometime in 1983 and suddenly my world changed to 30 channels including Nickelodeon.
My Granny had a black and white TV and it was a long time before I finally realized there were no black and white episodes of the Brady Bunch. I was gently admonished by Granny to allow her to watch her “stories” (a.k.a. Soap Operas). To this day I have a special place in my heart for the theme to “The Young and the Restless.” While at my Granny’s house in the summer I discovered what Pinko, and “Come On Down” meant and how to avoid the Whammy.
I can remember listening to the M*A*S*H theme as somewhat of a lullaby at 11PM during my elementary school years.
TV was my babysitter as a latch key kid during my junior high years. In the summer time my sister and I were entertained by the USA Network’s block of old game shows like Bumper Stumpers and Hollywood Squares. My sister and I would fight over the programming when she wanted to watch “Little House on the Prairie” or “The Waltons” and I wanted to watch Transformers.
Sometime in high school I got a personal Watchman TV and watched Late Night with David Letterman in my bed at 11PM.
I still have the small tube TV I watched in college. It sits on my dresser in my bedroom. I’ll continue to use it until it goes out.
And now I’ve entered into the world of flat screen HD TVs, even if it is about a decade late. It is amazing. This is the best TV I’ve ever downed and I can’t imagine what life was like before all this.