7 years, 2 months ago Mike Moyers
The passing of Mary Tyler Moore and Mike Connors last week took many of us back to the days of the one television family. Yes Millennials, not everyone had a flat screen in every room and the question “where’s the damn remote?” had yet to be asked.
Times were simpler then. The person sitting closest to the TV WAS the remote.
When it was time for The Dick Van Dyke Show or, later, The Mary Tyler Moore Show your butt was in front of the tube with the rest of the family. Watching TV was a family affair. That isn’t the case now.
Actors were actors. Their political views and opinions on the environment, abortion and other topics were just that: their opinions. There was no such thing as “binge watching”, the DVR, Netflix and all the other things that have changed the culture of this nation.
Seeing a young Laura Petrie waiting for her husband at the opening of The Dick Van Dyke Show and watching Van Dyke trip over the ottoman is one those things you can’t un-see. And enjoying Mike Connors who, like all the other TV detectives, always got his man right after the last commercial for Tide near the top of the hour was an hour I looked forward to each week.
But those were also days when you sometimes had to watch something that really didn’t interest you. Like, The Lawrence Welk Show (longest hour ever). However, you had to get there early to watch it so you got a good seat to see Heehaw that was coming up next.
But today is different. And while it's cool to have all the technology and surround sound and stuff I think the way America shared TV back in the day was better. I wish it could be that way at my house.
How about you?
