Constants Earlier Favorites Current FavoritesLater FavoritesWhy isn't the U.S. this good?

Constants

CNN
I might not watch a lot of network television, but that doesn't mean I don't watch plenty of TV. CNN. No smarmy newscasters, just you, Larry King, James Earl Jones, Christiane Amanpour, and more of the rest of the world than you'll see almost anywhere else on U.S. TV. Only a constant since 1991, when I moved back to my mother's house from television-less college, when the U.S. declared war on Iraq, when I belonged to a gym and watched CNN while Lifecycling after work. I kind of miss CNN now: with the television downstairs, it's out of daily life, which is great, but it's also out of daily life. I also miss it because several of the new newscasters suck.

60 Minutes
Approximately every Sunday evening of my life when a television has been around, I've watched "60 Minutes." I remember when I used to think Andy Rooney was funny. I also remember when the show was 55 minutes, not 50, and they broadcast their letters, too. Ha.

CBS Sunday Morning
If television had a Smithsonian magazine, with gently informative articles on obscure topics you never knew you were interested in, this show is it. A pleasant way to wake up Sunday mornings: the newspaper, toast, cocoa, and Charles Osgood. And this is the only CBS quasi-news show that still reports on its letters to the editor, too.

Warner Brothers
I was a Saturday morning kid. Two hours of Warner Brothers cartoons and I don't remember what other foolish shows I watched. And I still like the original crew of 'toons and now the Animaniacs (especially when they terrorize an unsuspected Barney). The single best Warner cartoon is "One Froggy Evening," starring Michigan J. Frog. His figure is on my key chain; his tie-tack is the one remaining button on my Levi jacket (and my Levi jacket used to be the Cliffs Notes to Life According to Lisa). What other cartoons familiarize their viewers with opera and classical music and everything else? I don't remember the title of my other favorite, which spoofs the Marriage of Figaro/Barber of Seville, with Bugs giving Elmer Fudd a beauty treatment.
(top)

Earlier Favorites

Captain Kangaroo

Someone asked me who my favorite people were when I was maybe six. I named Mrs. Newman, who was my speech therapist, and Captain Kangaroo. The ping-pong balls, the little people in the bookcase, Dancing Bear, Mr. Moose, and Bunny Rabbit. I loved Captain Kangaroo. I remember that I was very upset when I switched from afternoon to morning kindergarten. I was maybe too attached. (When I was in high school Bob Keeshan was rumored to be considering purchasing a house in Lyme, and I plotted how to make him hire me as house boy.)

Then in November of 1996 he came to the Tattered Cover in Denver to sign his book, Good Morning, Captain! I bought one for me and one for CLH and waited in line, about the fiftieth person. When the elevator doors opened, the line burst into applause, and I realized that this old, short man must be Captain Kangaroo because none of the rest of his entourage could have been and there must have been a reason for the applause. I must be a lot taller than I was the last time I saw his show. As my linemates and I inched forward and chatted about our memories, I was struck by how much older these folks were than I­very few were in their twenties or younger. I saw a pair of sisters ("We grew up watching you!") have their books signed and then their photograph taken with him! And I hadn't brought a camera! The man ahead of me in line offered to take my picture on his camera. (And if you are out there reading this, Mr. Miller, I apologize for never sending you a note expressing my gratitude for that photograph. I didn't save the envelope with your return address on it.) My turn came one person after the sisters, and the first coherent thing I was able to tell Mr. Keeshan was that I had a book for my sister too, who couldn't be there that day (since she lives in Boston). "Well now," said Captain Kangaroo. "Aren't you thoughtful to remember her." Captain Kangaroo called me thoughtful. (top)

H.R. Puffnstuff

I remember very little about this show except vague images--was it derived from "The Magic Flute"? The story here is more a CLH one than a television one anyway. She used to imitate Witchy-Poo, very well.

The Ranger Station

We used to go to the filming of this show for Brownies and the occasional birthday party. I don't know how any of the local network affiliates could have produced the show independently, and I know we didn't go to New York, so how did this show happen? Does anyone remember? Anyway, here I made my first television appearances (and so far my last).

Current Regulars

Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, Sex and the City.
Also The Wire, because sometimes the Sopranos and Six Feet Under are in reruns and I have to watch something (note the Calvin and Hobbes reference).

I hate commercials.

ER

I ascribed my watching ER to peer pressure. This is an outright lie. I first saw it because I was a guest in someone's house and they had to watch it. Now I am grateful for that introduction. I love ER. It's much better than "Cats." I would watch it again and again and again.

The Simpsons

I don't remember how I first watched the Simpsons, though I know it wasn't on the Tracy Ullman show. It was late enough so that Bart wasn't saying "Cowabunga." What I enjoy is how cleverly this show assimilates everything going on in popular culture. They have spoofed "Mary Poppins" while Itchy and Scratchy have spoofed "Reservoir Dogs." And they combine dissimilar works so hilariously that I will happily watch as long as they're about.
(top)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I watched the entire seven-year run in less than eleven months, the first two seasons on DVD from the 'brary, seasons three through five on Tivo'd reruns, and seasons six and seven by relying on the kindness of near-strangers.

The West Wing

I just started this (August 2003) because Bravo started rerunning it from the beginning. As with a journal, as with a book series, I want to see a show from the very beginning. Seeing five episodes at once (in less than four hours, praise Tivo) was a good way to get into the show.

Later Favorites

M*A*S*H
I remember how sad I was at the final show, and how I thought that at least I could see reruns in syndication. I think "M*A*S*H" got thrown out of the loop during college sometime, because I remember watching it after dinner in SEM's room freshling year but by senior year his après-meal choice was "Cheers."
(top)

Moonlighting
In Boston, staying at my sister's after college interviews, I went along with her and two friends to get ice cream before God, as they said. And I was instructed, "No talking during God." And I saw "Moonlighting "for the first time, and it was good. I should mention that both the friends were male; one was gay but the straight one was the most stridently worshipful. I mention this in defense of its being shown only on Lifetime these days. After God we went to see the Sting movie, whose title currently escapes me but which was I think taken from a song (990909: "Bring on the Night"). For the rest of the school year and as often freshling year as I could, Tuesday nights at nine were ABC, do or die. I stopped with the weekly pint of Ben and Jerry's Mint and Oreo in college, though, having embraced the freshman fifteen [a prime example of why the term "freshman" is so inappropriate; don't mostly women gain it?] easily enough without it.

Northern Exposure
When I moved in with NBM in my first year of grad school, she introduced me to "Northern Exposure," then in its second season, and I immediately fell in love with it. I wanted to be Ed. I wanted Maggie not to grow her hair. I loved even Maurice and found Marilyn unbearably funny. Another unrequited love fête, but at least "Northern Exposure" had enough of a supporting cast so that story line didn't get old by the third episode. This show is the closest network TV has ever come to magical realism. In my second year of grad school, when I rented a different room but mostly lived with RDC, my only certain night in my own room was Monday, so that at ten CXJ and I could be couch potatoes together.
(top)

Why isn't the U.S. this good?

Blackadder and Mr. Bean

I don't remember who introduced me to Rowan Atkinson. Even if it was TEWS, I am eternally grateful. From the sniveling Black Vegetable of the first series to the snide and punctilious Blackadder of the fourth, this is one of the chortlingly funniest shows ever. And watching it is better than sitting around all day on our elbows.

I have only seen a few episodes of "Mr. Bean" but Rowan Atkinson is equally, if differently, gifted in this. What U.S. show has ever been brave enough to commit to a show entirely without dialogue?
(top)

Fawlty Towers

Two of my babysitting victims in a new family wanted to watch "Fawlty Towers" one night. Having grown up without good television reception, I think this tenth-grade experience might have been my first exposure to public television. I was suspicious at first, thinking it looked sort of cheesy (cheesy! and I had never seen or heard of Dr. Who!), but I learned. Over our last Christmas in our mother's house, CLH brought home some borrowed Fawlties. Trying to enjoy them in our mother's house was a pathe experience: "Why is that funny? I don't see what's funny there. Why my two intelligent daughters want to waste your [sic] time with this...." This during "The Germans," the best of all of them. Sigh.
(top)

Flying Circus

An entire vocabulary has sprung from this show. Some of it gets quoted when it shouldn't be ("That parrot's nailed to the perch!") but other bits are just too useful and connotative to abandon: "My brain hurts!" I think I've the answer to my rhetorical section head: the U.S. doesn't succeed with comedic skit shows because we're so hung up on sex. In SNL when a man's in drag, the joke is about the drag, not about what he says or does. Other than that we make only puerile, stale comments and never understand the concept of "Say no more."
(top)

Whose Line Is It, Anyway?

Where is this show now? Is it available on video? It's never on the Comedy Channel anymore. And it bolsters my point about Yank vs. Brit humor, because the Yank players never handled off-the-cuff ad-libbing with such facile grace as the Brit ones. It might be my outsider's perspective, though. Tony Slatterly is the best, but Josie Lawrence and Peter Laurie give him stiff competition. Jerry Seinfeld would fall on his face in this, and so would Michael Richards.
(top)

The Young Ones

The young one Neil started me thinking if I had ever known a Neil who wasn't slothful. I've known a Neal who ran marathons who was sloth-like when not racing, and a Southern-drawling Neil, and an obese Neil. They all have something slothful in common. "Thanks for telling me about the new hole in the floor, guys!" Parents beware what you name your child. Names like Rick and Adrian might be equally problematic. Adrian to a biting hamster: "It's into the toaster with you." Rick, to the license-collector who's accused him of the old "eat-the-telly" avoidance tactic: "It's a toaster!" (The toaster must have had a rough life.)
(top)

Go to Words, the Personal or Public side, or the Lisa Index

Last modified 9 September 1999

Speak your mind: lisawherepenguindustdashcom

Copyright © 1999 LJH