This week for the writer’s workshop I chose the top 10 TV shows. These are the shows that I grew up watching. Most were educational in some fashion but some were just only there for entertainment purposes. Although I feel it is important to learn, I also think it is important to relax and just entertain. Here is the list of TV shows I grew up with:
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You can’t do that on Television
I grew up with this show and it was my favorite for a VERY long time. I still remember, over 20 10 years later that saying “I Don’t Know” meant you were going to be slimed and saying “Water” meant a bucket of water was going to be dumped on your head! I remember the introduction to the opposites and locker jokes. Although I want my daughter to watch educational shows, when she is old enough to understand it all, I also think some brainless, comedic down time (besides the kind of brainless humor I will provide) is also needed.
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The facts of Life
This was a good show at the time. It touched on topics needed to be addressed like when Blair fell out of love with her boyfriend of a very long period of time and Mrs. Garrett explained how that can happen and its ok if that happens. My wife sill misses this show as well.
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Buck Roger’s in the 25th Century
This was a good show. It was not as good as Star Trek: Next Generation that actually explored space, possibilities as well as many of the star trek concepts which are based on possibilities and even being worked on today, such as a light speed engine for us to explore beyond our galaxy.
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Zoom
This was my after school show. I don’t remember a lot of it but I do remember that its main theme was making friends and friendships. I even remember a little of the theme song! ” Come on and zoom down to my zoom… come on and zooma zooma zooma zoom… everyone is doing it everyone is making it fly high!” Ok maybe the theme song is more about giving in to peer pressure and maybe drugs? Maybe we will cross this one off the list!
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Electric Company
This was a good educational show. I remember at one point they wanted to try and bring this show back, but what was good for the 70’s is not good for the 21st century. Keeping things up to date and with current needs of kids who are getting smarter and learning more at a faster rate is needed.
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The Incredible Hulk
I used to watch this show on Wednesday nights, I believe. I think bringing it back with a little more educational theme would be good. I mean Bruce is wondering the US trying to find a cure why not go a little further into the chemistry of what he is trying to do or maybe a little more geography about the places he is traveling to. Granted, as the hulk, he rips his pants to pieces and yet his pants and clothes are fine when he changes back and he ALWAYS found his wallet by the end of the show… go figure.
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Mr. Wizards World
This was a GREAT learning show. I used to try some of the experiments with the show, when my parents let me. My mother was a great person, but not very supportive of things like this. I know I plan on letting our daughter try anything like this that she wants to. If she is anything like me, she learns more from doing and from a mistake than from only watching or reading.
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Three’s Company
This is just great slapstick comedy and my wife LOVES this show. Our DVR is usually full of reruns of the show she tapes because she loves it so much.
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Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood
This was a good educational program. Although, I never knew that Mr. Rogers was a minister but it was obvious that religion was not a part of the show so I think that is good. Informing kids of cultures and information is great, this way they can form their own opinion of things.
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Mork & Mindy
How could you NOT like Mork and Mindy! It was the only show that made me laugh for 30 minutes both as a child AND as an adult. I still think Orson was a jerk for not letting Mork return home when he wanted to but he did have a mission.
Do you remember any of these?
You have such a great list! Mr. Wizard, the Electric COmpany and You Can’t Do That on Television were some of my favs.
Thank you! You Can’t Do That on Television (YCDToT) was one of my favorites growing up as well!
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I remember all of these, and the potential comeback of the Electric Company. I loved You Can’t Do That On Television.
My writing workshop is on my main blog (not on wordpress). http://therealpoopsie.blogspot.com/2011/07/this-is-gonna-date-me-but.html
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Mork and Mindy was one of my favs! How could I have forgotten that one???
It wasn’t so funny after they had the Old man baby tho.
x
Mork and Mindy was a GREAT show! Every time I think of it I see the episode where Mork finds a carton of eggs and throws one up and says “Fly, by free!” and it falls. 🙂
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Mork and Mindy! Yes!! Love early Robin and Pam … oh that makes me smile!
Thinking of Mork and Mindy makes me smile as well! 🙂
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I almost put Mork & Mindy on my list, but I couldn’t work it out in my head. That show fails without Robin Williams.
& the kid shows were stellar! You Can’t Do That on Television was awesome! It brought new things to tv at the time.
Mork and Mindy without Robin Willimas would defintiely not be as funny and YCDToT was classic Canadian comedy!
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Mr Wizard’s World, Mork and Mindy, Threes Company….TV just isn’t the same these days at all.
I know! I remember being 5, 6 and 7 years old and running down stairs early on saturday mornings for cartoon day! Nowadays, all the cartoons look like ANIME or computer generated and none seem as entertaining as things liek Scooby-doo or Magilla Gorilla or even Hong Kong FOOEY!
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out of your list, the only show i like is “Facts of Life.” I loved how Jo and Blair interacted and the premise was good. Mrs G. was great in her role!
Well, you can’t please everyone but Facts of Life was a really good show. Its also where George Clooney and Mackenzie Austin started!
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I was a big mork and mindy fan too. After I created my list I thought of “Alf” too. Funny huh?
I LOVED Alf! After you posted this I wanted to add it to my list! I used to do a great Alf impression and I remember having the Alf hand puppet that was given away at Burger King!
Thank you for reminding me of Alf and commenting!!
Yes for Three’s Company! My whole family used to watch this show together. Not sure that was even appropriate but everything was okay in the 80s!
I remember growing up there were only a few shows my mom would let me watch and I remember The Electric Company and Sesame Street being top on her list!
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Mork and MIndy! How could I have forgotten them?!
I know, right! Mork for Ork! Na Nu Na Nu! I never did get the sitting face first thing but I was young! LOL
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I forgot about You Can’t Do That on Television! I just want some TV that my kids and I can watch together. I loved this prompt!
I loved YCDToT but nowadays, iCarly is a good one. Nickelodeon is still my favorite go-to channel for kids shows!
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That is a great list. I forgot about some of those shows. 😀 I love Three’s Company. Oh and of course Mork and Mindy. 😀
Thank you! These were some of my favorites. I know there were some I watched that I also enjoyed but I guess these ones had the biggest impact as I still remember them 20+ years late!
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You Cant Do That on Television is on my list too!!!
I know! Wasn’t that an awesome show!
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I remember all of these. Great list. I remember telling a friend about You Can’t Do That On Television…she said she wasn’t allowed to watch R stuff. I laughed, turned it on, and got her hooked on it too.
LOL It doesn’t even SOUND R rated! I used to watch it after school every day… even when it was a rerun!
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good old mork and mindy! loved that show! three’s company made my top ten list too!
Both were really great shows! My wife fills the DVR with Three’s Company still!!! LOL
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Fun List! Forgot about You can’t do that on Television.
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Yes, I remember a lot of these. I watched you cant do that on television a lot and my mom says I could not get enough of mork when I was 3 and 4 years old. Facts of life= clasic.
I used to watch Mork and Mindy with my mom and dad when I was younger and facts of Life was another we all watched together! I wasn’t 3 or 4 at the time, I was like 6 or 7!
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