Things That Gladden The Heart

Lord Tyrion said:
I clearly watched a lot more tv than you in my youth šŸ˜„. Did you not watch black and white films when you were younger? Not see black and white morning tv shows from days gone by? Old westerns, gangster films, musicals etc. We watched them because of the channel restrictions, 3 then 4. Nothing else available. In terms of music, I was aware of the big band scene, swing then rock and roll from the 50's.
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But in terms of timescales, thatā€™s only like todayā€™s teens being aware of, say, Radiohead or Oasis. Which they are.

Unlike listening to Radio 1 in times of yore, streaming services have a wider time palate and kids will be exposed to music having no idea if itā€™s from yesterday or 50 years ago, so at least in terms of music Iā€™d suggest they have as wide a palate as ever.

Film, and especially TV, just ages a lot less kindly on average, I think. Special effects, obviously but even the onscreen action, social norms and behaviours (and humour based on these). Seminal works that will never age are unlikely to be enthusiastic teen viewing (e.g. Schindlerā€™s List).
 
As a kid I had no choice but to watch black and white movies, old westerns etc as my dad loved them plus we only had 4 channels until Ch5 came along but was viewed as to ā€œout thereā€For my parents to watch. With the exception of that Dross soap opera they released called ā€œEl Doradoā€ my mum loved that.

My post school viewing would be other crap soaps mum had on like ā€œSons and Daughtersā€. I definitely donā€™t look back at nostalgic tv and see anything that Iā€™d class as a classic. Even films I loved as a kid Iā€™ll look at now and think god that really was crap šŸ˜‚

I donā€™t blame kids nowadays for having no exposure to it, theyā€™ve got far more choice or channels, streaming services and better quality TV to watch.
 
The Squirrel said:
True. Even Python is actually wildly inconsistent.
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That's an understatement. I'd say 90% of Python's TV output is just woeful. And yet they delivered Life Of Brian - possibly the greatest comedy film of all time.
The Squirrel said:
Despite it being before my times (although I would have seen one of the many repeats), I still think Fawlty and the 4 Yorkshiremen sketch is the pinnacle of timeless British comedy - and 4Y proves it by even having my teens laughing!
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+1 for Fawlty Towers. Still brilliant (but sadly now unbroadcastable).
Other classics from back then that have stood the test of time: Porridge, Yes Minister, Blackadder.
 
irip said:
Rented from Rumbelows šŸ˜‚
My kids donā€™t believe me when I say we rented our telly. And a bloke used to come round in a van every week and we rented videos off him.
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I don't really remember when renting stopped. Renting your tv was standard, people rarely owned them at one time. Mr Rumbelows and Mr Radio Rentals had a hell of a business for a good few years. Then all of a sudden, gone.

Did tv's suddenly become cheap? I wonder what caused the big change in that market?
 
Lord Tyrion said:
I don't really remember when renting stopped. Renting your tv was standard, people rarely owned them at one time. Mr Rumbelows and Mr Radio Rentals had a hell of a business for a good few years. Then all of a sudden, gone.

Did tv's suddenly become cheap? I wonder what caused the big change in that market?
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I think blockbusters put an end to man in a van.
The shop not the tv programme (another great).
I think the introduction of buy now pay later put an end to renting TVs.
You paid the same but owned it at the end of the contract.
Trouble is by then the tv was so old it was worthless.
Do you remember having to warm it up and the national anthem being played at 23.00 and then tv going off šŸ˜‚
 
irip said:
I think blockbusters put an end to man in a van.
The shop not the tv programme (another great).
I think the introduction of buy now pay later put an end to renting TVs.
You paid the same but owned it at the end of the contract.
Trouble is by then the tv was so old it was worthless.
Do you remember having to warm it up and the national anthem being played at 23.00 and then tv going off šŸ˜‚
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I just about remember warming the tv up, not the anthem. I was too young, would have been in bed then.

I certainly remember getting up to turn the tv over and the excitement of having a remote for the first time. That remote was attached to the tv by a long wire šŸ˜„.

All laugable to my kids, and I am not sure they believe me when I say this.

The other one that does them, I never used a computer through my school and university time. There were specific computer rooms but I never used them.
 
cliveb said:
That's an understatement. I'd say 90% of Python's TV output is just woeful. And yet they delivered Life Of Brian - possibly the greatest comedy film of all time.

+1 for Fawlty Towers. Still brilliant (but sadly now unbroadcastable).
Other classics from back then that have stood the test of time: Porridge, Yes Minister, Blackadder.
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I'm convinced that due to changes in how TV is produced and consumed, not only is the end of Blackadder 4 the greatest single scene of TV ever produced, but it is very unlikely to ever be topped. Somehow the fact it took 4 series to get there, and the fact that the absurd irreverent nature of the show morphed into that desperate final episode then that final scene, made it all the greater.
 
Lord Tyrion said:
I clearly watched a lot more tv than you in my youth šŸ˜„. Did you not watch black and white films when you were younger? Not see black and white morning tv shows from days gone by? Old westerns, gangster films, musicals etc. We watched them because of the channel restrictions, 3 then 4. Nothing else available. In terms of music, I was aware of the big band scene, swing then rock and roll from the 50's. I didn't know all about it but I had an awareness. It was on tv on one of the channels somewhere and you had a 1 in 3/4 chance of catching some of it.

I'm not criticising younger people now, how they consume things is different now and they are not exposed to it. The same applies to me. I have no idea about modern music, it's easy not to watch Stranger Things, Euphoria etc, the big tv shows for younger people. In effect, we are all impacted and I don't think it is necessarily a good thing.
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The Billy Cotton Bandshow ( with Alan Breeze) was well listened to in our house.
Wakey Waaaakey!
 
Sid Rixon IV said:
I often sing that aloud.
Same for Robin Hood (Richard Greene of course)
"He handled all the trouble on the English country scene and still found plenty of time to sing!"
What a man!
Don't start me on "Born down around the old Panhandle" Bronco Lane.
All compulsory viewing!
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Something from that era you could hum along toā€¦ ;)

 
Lord Tyrion said:
A sad point I heard the other week. The effective decline of the TV theme tune. They have them but most people now, me included, just jump to the start of the action, missing the theme. These shared moments won't be there in the future.
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Other than Game of Thrones I canā€™t remember a theme tune Iā€™ve listened to in the last decade! Soon as the Skip Intro button appears Iā€™m all over it.
 
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