The 80's

 
A time where big hair and baggy clothes were the rule not the exception. A time where TV shows were simple yet effective entertainment.

I recently purchased the first season of MacGyver on ITunes, (a rather lengthy process as it took almost three days to download 22 episodes at 500 mb each for a grand total of 11 Gb).
The most remembered scene, (for me anyway), from MacGyver is when Mac is captured by the bad guys and has to escape, (again...running theme perhaps), by contriving a device, explosive or a diversion out of everyday house hold or industrial items. There by making a spectacular getaway!

I remember one scene in particular where MacGyver is locked in a concrete room. He looks around, as he usually does in these situations, and finds a lighter and a hanging light. So MacGyver decides an explosion is needed. Filling the lock with the gas from the lighter he then throws the powered light bulb at the lock there by igniting the gas and making it explode the lock and letting him stroll out of the room. Not the most accurate, but made for very convincing entertainment.

That is the Essence of TV shows in the 80's. Shows like Knight Rider, A-team, Air wolf, Battle star Galactica, (these are a few of my personal favorites), offer imagined scenarios that are impossible difficult but are accomplished in the last five minutes of the show, (ie MacGyver).

Now as I went back in time to 1985 while watching MacGyver I noticed A few themes, (besides the cheesy effects), good is good, bad is bad. More than that is the fact there is romance with out nudity, love without sex, dialog without cursing and good guys doing what they do best, winning.

My wife just purchased the TV show "Gummi Bears" and my kids love it. They ask for it constantly. Good simple fun. All these old TV shows have brought the fondness of old cartoons back to my mind so that I now want to buy another of my favorite cartoons just to enjoy the fun,(Chip and Dales Rescue Rangers).

I have found that the cartoons of today are really about nothing, (and they are annoying). No values are to be found, bad jokes abound and they are way to violent…

At home we also have the complete series of "little House on the Prairie". My eight year old daughter loves it and I believe it is her favorite TV show. Why might she like it so much? It could be the simple stories of simple people. Or it could be the underlying good values and good feelings that come from watching a well done show. But the fact remains that it is a show the whole family can enjoy together.

 

Final Thoughts:

Keep in mind the things you watch as a family

Find shows that entertain and uplift and maybe even have a good moral…… ( Or just dump the TV altogether…)