When I was but a wee Sarah Von, my parents instituted this rule: only one hour of non-educational television per day.
From the distance of 31, I can see that this was, in fact, a great act of parenting. But at the age of seven, I was enraged that I had to choose between Scooby Doo and He-Man and Duck Tales. Outrageous! I'd show them! I'd watch educational tv until my eyes fell out! I know it's beautiful outside, Mom, but I'm going to sit in the basement watching episode after episode of Ghost Writer. So there.
As such, I may have a particularly strong affinity for Sesame Street, since I've probably seen every episode produced between 1981 and 1994. And even now when I happen upon the occasional episode I'm always entertained. Especially if some hip celebrity is stopping by to sing about numbers and letters!
From the distance of 31, I can see that this was, in fact, a great act of parenting. But at the age of seven, I was enraged that I had to choose between Scooby Doo and He-Man and Duck Tales. Outrageous! I'd show them! I'd watch educational tv until my eyes fell out! I know it's beautiful outside, Mom, but I'm going to sit in the basement watching episode after episode of Ghost Writer. So there.
As such, I may have a particularly strong affinity for Sesame Street, since I've probably seen every episode produced between 1981 and 1994. And even now when I happen upon the occasional episode I'm always entertained. Especially if some hip celebrity is stopping by to sing about numbers and letters!
What was your favorite TV show as a kid? Did you have rules about how much TV you could watch?
16 comments:
Aww I loved sesame street, especially the Count! One apple! ah ah ah!
Kids telly was only on for about an hour and a half after school so that was all we got to watch. We didn't have satelite or anything, just 4 channels!! My kids have it so good with their all day access to cbeebies and cartoon network. Makes it harder for parents today to get their children to play and read and draw though! (I feel old)
Oh my gosh, my parents had the SAME RULE! Only it was 1 hour for both me and my brother, and we liked different shows, so we usually only got to watch one half hour show that we liked. And this is why I learned to enjoy books and played outside all the time and didn't get fat. Thank you, Mom and Dad.
My daughter is going to be so fired up about these videos. They are all so great. That's the funny thing about having a child, you will get to watch all those same Sesame Street shows all over again.
Oh my gosh! Sarah, I can't believe you watched Ghost Writer as well! I was hooked on this show as a kid and NO ONE else I know has any idea what I'm talking about. Man, that glowing blob had a knack for solving mysteries...
Wow, Ghostwriter was awesome! I was in love with that show. Sesame St. was always fun to watch. I also watched a show called Pinwheel on Nickelodeon. Good times!
Oh boy...we have another thing in common. I LOVE Sesame Street. Loved when R.E.M. sang "Happy furry monsters." Grover was my fave.
You missed the R.E.M. Furry Happy Monsters song!
I was about the same age, and Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow and that trippy PBS Math show for kids were all I got to watch regularly, Saturday mornings were a special occasion.
D'oh. Katie d. beat me to it. Awesome song though.
I spent a lot of time watching Shining Time Station and reruns of Today's Special. Does anyone remember those shows? Classic :)
One hour a DAY? Girl, shoot. We didn't even OWN a TV till I was like, ten? Maybe? And then we only could ever use it to watch movies as a family, like old black and whites and documentaries and such. When we were older and my mom was working, my younger brother and I would sometimes sneak and watch Boy Meets World after school and then turn it off really quick when we heard her pull up. But yes, somewhere in there we managed to watch Reading Rainbow, which we liked, and Mister Rogers. I've probably seen a handful of Sesame Street episodes here and there, but that's about it.
Anyway yeah, I read a lot as a kid :)
I had a TV in my bedroom by the time I was four. No, my parents weren't wealthy (in the least) but my dad was super lazy and didn't want to share the front room TV with us. So I had the awesome privlege of watching Duck Tales etc. every day when I got home from school. TV wasn't regulated until we moved and then it was no TV until homework was done. Luckily I had mine finished by the time I got home because I had after school day care. I was a TV addict.
I don't remember TV ever being regulated for my sister and me. We'd come home and watch TV for a while, but we weren't really addicted... we'd go outside and play and get our homework done and we both loved reading, so I guess my parents didn't see a need to limit television.
Love the Johnny Cash one!
Pap used to tell us at the beginning of every school year, "Right girls, new rule: only half an hour of TV a night. You'll have to choose your show carefully." That lasted about a week. Tops.
I also loved Today's Special! And Anne (in Reno) I think the trippy PBS math show you're referring to is Square One. Loved that one so much!
Thank you for this post! I actually showed the video with Will I Am and then the Jason Mraz one (he does a version of I'm Yours but changes it to Go Outdoors) to my 8th grade Health classes today. Many of them secretly liked it and others were dancing!
Thanks for sharing! Erin
this is why i love yes and yes (that's YOU, sarah!): my two-year-old and i watch almost all of these every day. she sings along with the "shoe" song (neil p.h.) and learned to count to 4 with feist. love it. thank you!
this is why i love yes and yes (that's YOU, sarah!): my two-year-old and i watch almost all of these every day. she sings along with the "shoe" song (neil p.h.) and learned to count to 4 with feist. love it. thank you!
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