I watched a lot of television growing up. Even back then, experts worried it would stifle my imagination. I don’t recall it having that affect! Some of my fondest memories of spending time with my big sister, are of watching Fantasy Island and The Love Boat. That special night was the highlight of my week – even better than cartoons on Saturday. As I grew older, I glued myself to detective shows like Miami Vice. I graduated from a crush on Gopher to speed boats.
Miami Vice was so exotic to a Southern girl like me. I'd been raised running barefoot in the mountains and swimming in creek beds. Even when we moved to Suburbia, we were still in Music City, U.S.A. -- Nashville -- so beaches and neon city lights were the moon. The theme song to that cop show is still one of my most memorable show tunes. Then again, every time I hear Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight," I think of Miami Vice and the episode it played on. Oh the days of mullets and white blazers and designer shades!
I guess you can say I've grown up. I do find the Florida tropics a nice place to visit, but I am more attracted to the Caribbean further south.
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Loved Miami Vice. Also the A-Team and Airwolf, Magnum PI, Remington Steele -- oh, and the music! Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer," Dire Straights' "I Want My MTV" and Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love." Great stuff.
ReplyDeleteI was in love with Remington Steele. I must have been in 7th grade because I remember talking about each show the day after with the girls at school. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteI was a sucker for Dynasty. I LOVED that show. All the drama! hehe
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Moderator Steph
Thank you for your post, Danielle.
ReplyDeleteTV wasn't a big part of my life when I was a little kid and a tween. I spent some of these early years in countries where there was little or no TV. I'm one of the few people in my age group, the Baby Boomers, who knows what it's like to be without it.
When I got access to American TV at age 13, I went way overboard with it. I watched it as much as possible, and could have watched it every waking moment.
Some said this much TV would warp my mind. Well, it did get pretty warped; but I doubt TV had anything to do with it.
Of course, this phase didn't last. By age 17 I was into other things.
Since then my TV viewing has been minimal, except for news and documentaries. But this is watching TV for the purpose of gathering information. Usually the phrase "watching TV" means doing so for entertainment. And for me entertainment typically means books, movies, and the Internet.
Funny you should mention "The Love Boat". Yesterday I saw an article on a news website that the ship used as the setting in the series, the "Pacific Princess", is currently docked in Genoa, Italy. It's about to be auctioned off because its most recent owner went bankrupt. So if you've got a few million to spare, you can purchase this souvenir of your youthful TV viewing!
Buy the Loveboat? Wouldn't that be a hoot! I can't even afford a canoe right now though, haha.
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