Who's with me?

This morning, when I woke at 7:00, instead of the alarm, I reached for the remote and flipped on the tv and watched some old sit-coms. I can tell you Cheers holds up fairly well but other sitcoms from the 70's suffer with time.

All of that old tv got me to thinking about daytime television when I was a kid. Now a days, I've noticed day time tv is geared towards seniors. Back when I was a kid it was directed at homemakers.

Of course, I was at school most of the time, but remember sick days? Ah, sick days. My Mom was a teacher and both of my parents had strict work ethics. As a result, sick days were few and far between for me and my brother. They definitely required a fever or evidence of chicken pox. When I was sick I must have watched a lot of tv because the first things I think of, when I think of childhood sick days, besides flat ginger ale and crackers, are The Price is Right and I Love Lucy reruns. I remember going to the home of a neighbor with a blanket and a tube of Doodle Art on some sick days (I actually had that jungle poster shown above). I loved Doodle Art but I hated those sick days. I would have preferred to stay in my own bed but I suppose Mom had to work, and I couldn't stay at home alone, so off to a sitter I went. I recall lots of commercials from the 70's. Remember that KTTV jingle (Eleven, eleven, eleven...)?

Here are a few of the commercials I recall:
K-Tel (Um, I think I actually had this one.)
Chiffon
Calgon
Dr. Pepper
Wisk
Tootsie Roll
Keep America Beautiful
Cal Worthington
Palmolive

Mercifully, I don't recall this one:
Tab (Thank God women got into advertising.)

My brother and I were "latchkey" kids for about 30 minutes each week day. Instead of going straight home, and accidentally burning the place down, we were sent to a neighbors house until Mom got home. Really this meant Ginger Snaps and milk. (I know I should have been grateful but, Ginger Snaps?! Gross! Ginger Snaps are probably the weakest excuse of a cookie in existence. I hate them to this day.) Once home, I remember watching Match Game followed by Tattletales. Next up was The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show. Now those sitcoms hold up just fine. In fact I've got the first two seasons of Mary Tyler Moore on DVD and I'm bucking for some Bob Newhart for Christmas this year. For me, these are comfort shows at their best. I have to have them on DVD because cable television has retired them and replaced them with Fresh Prince and Full House episodes. A sure sign that the world is coming to an end. Well that and the lack of After School Specials (I'm still laughing at that clip!) I'm tellin' you, that's what's wrong with these kids today. It's just plain mean to expect today's youth to handle life's difficulties without so much as an After School Special to help them out. What's a kid to do?

One of these days I'm going to host a Craft Day/ After School Special Marathon!

HOLY CRAP! Look what I just found. God bless the internet!!! I'm not kidding. I hope all of my crafty friends are up for a marathon!! Who's in? After all, this can't be done alone. As Afternoon Specials taught us, it takes a village!