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Me and mate were talking after watching little kids play Jerry Springer outside my place, and we came to a startling realisation.
TV for kids is rubbish these days.
Those 20+ will remember when I start to talk, and those of you that don’t remember owe it to yourself to try and watch the DVDs so you’ll understand.
There are no action series for kids anymore. And this is why you are now a generation of delinquents and slack-jawed tv babies.
When I were a lad, many hours would be spent playing outside with my mates, we didn’t have computer games back then you see. Oh no, we made our own fun up.
And we had class tv shows to base our fantasy play on.
I’m going to throw a few names out and see who goes “Oh yeah! I forgot about that!”.
Knight Rider – David Hasslehoff, a talking car and Hasslehoff also playing evil twin Hasslehoff. This was a class show, with his car foiling crimes and him generally standing about looking manly and white-afro.
Manimal – Simon McCorkindale was a bloke that had the ability to morph into animals when needed. This usually entailed him turning into a chicken or ferret or equally useless animal. Used a lot of stock footage of nature programmes.
Automan – The only bit I remember is his car that turned right-angles at 120mph.
Tales of The Golden Monkey – a 1940s thing with a bloke in a seaplane searching for treasure, usually getting into adventures utilising a seaplane.
Monkey – Monkey, Pigsy, Tripitaka and Sandy. Chinese kung-fu series with Monkey flying on a pink cloud and using his stick in mad ways. Tripitake was a boy. Or a girl? I could never tell. This programme ruled and survives to this day.
The A-Team – If I need to tell you about this, you are a newborn.
CHIPS – LAPD Motorcycle cop show with Erik Estrada and the other bloke. They rocked, and many mates rode together on their choppers with cards in the spokes.
Magnum – Tom Selleck as Magnum PI. A detective series on Hawaii with ferraris, Higgins and his dobermans Zeus and Apollo. One of the greats.
The Fall Guy – Lee Majors as a stunt-man turned bounty-hunter. And though he’s not the kind to kiss or tell, he’s been seen with ladies. It’s true they hide his body in the hay. A-hey-hey. He might fall from tall building, or trash a brand new car, ‘cos he’s the unknown stuntman that made Eastwood such a star.
Airwolf – Stealth helicopter series with Jan Michael-Vincent and Ernest Borgnine. This was better than Blue Thunder, as proved in Log in The Creek Episode 5
BJ and The Bear – Only I remember this it would seem. The adventures of a long-distance lorry driver and his chimpanzee side-kick. My cat is called BJ in honour of this show.
Buck Rogers – Gil Gerard and his paunch, stuffed into a white silk jumpsuit. He would foil space-villains with the assistance of Twiki (biddy-biddy-biddy) and a woman.
---
These shows rocked, and there is nothing like them on today. Where are the action series aimed at kids? You are not learning the difference between right & wrong with action heroes. I think if we still had episodic, hour-long action shows then this world would be a better place altogether.
TV for kids is rubbish these days.
Those 20+ will remember when I start to talk, and those of you that don’t remember owe it to yourself to try and watch the DVDs so you’ll understand.
There are no action series for kids anymore. And this is why you are now a generation of delinquents and slack-jawed tv babies.
When I were a lad, many hours would be spent playing outside with my mates, we didn’t have computer games back then you see. Oh no, we made our own fun up.
And we had class tv shows to base our fantasy play on.
I’m going to throw a few names out and see who goes “Oh yeah! I forgot about that!”.
Knight Rider – David Hasslehoff, a talking car and Hasslehoff also playing evil twin Hasslehoff. This was a class show, with his car foiling crimes and him generally standing about looking manly and white-afro.
Manimal – Simon McCorkindale was a bloke that had the ability to morph into animals when needed. This usually entailed him turning into a chicken or ferret or equally useless animal. Used a lot of stock footage of nature programmes.
Automan – The only bit I remember is his car that turned right-angles at 120mph.
Tales of The Golden Monkey – a 1940s thing with a bloke in a seaplane searching for treasure, usually getting into adventures utilising a seaplane.
Monkey – Monkey, Pigsy, Tripitaka and Sandy. Chinese kung-fu series with Monkey flying on a pink cloud and using his stick in mad ways. Tripitake was a boy. Or a girl? I could never tell. This programme ruled and survives to this day.
The A-Team – If I need to tell you about this, you are a newborn.
CHIPS – LAPD Motorcycle cop show with Erik Estrada and the other bloke. They rocked, and many mates rode together on their choppers with cards in the spokes.
Magnum – Tom Selleck as Magnum PI. A detective series on Hawaii with ferraris, Higgins and his dobermans Zeus and Apollo. One of the greats.
The Fall Guy – Lee Majors as a stunt-man turned bounty-hunter. And though he’s not the kind to kiss or tell, he’s been seen with ladies. It’s true they hide his body in the hay. A-hey-hey. He might fall from tall building, or trash a brand new car, ‘cos he’s the unknown stuntman that made Eastwood such a star.
Airwolf – Stealth helicopter series with Jan Michael-Vincent and Ernest Borgnine. This was better than Blue Thunder, as proved in Log in The Creek Episode 5
BJ and The Bear – Only I remember this it would seem. The adventures of a long-distance lorry driver and his chimpanzee side-kick. My cat is called BJ in honour of this show.
Buck Rogers – Gil Gerard and his paunch, stuffed into a white silk jumpsuit. He would foil space-villains with the assistance of Twiki (biddy-biddy-biddy) and a woman.
---
These shows rocked, and there is nothing like them on today. Where are the action series aimed at kids? You are not learning the difference between right & wrong with action heroes. I think if we still had episodic, hour-long action shows then this world would be a better place altogether.
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Me and mate were talking after watching little kids play Jerry Springer outside my place, and we came to a startling realisation.
TV for kids is rubbish these days.
Those 20+ will remember when I start to talk, and those of you that don’t remember owe it to yourself to try and watch the DVDs so you’ll understand.
There are no action series for kids anymore. And this is why you are now a generation of delinquents and slack-jawed tv babies.
When I were a lad, many hours would be spent playing outside with my mates, we didn’t have computer games back then you see. Oh no, we made our own fun up.
And we had class tv shows to base our fantasy play on.
I’m going to throw a few names out and see who goes “Oh yeah! I forgot about that!”.
Knight Rider – David Hasslehoff, a talking car and Hasslehoff also playing evil twin Hasslehoff. This was a class show, with his car foiling crimes and him generally standing about looking manly and white-afro.
Manimal – Simon McCorkindale was a bloke that had the ability to morph into animals when needed. This usually entailed him turning into a chicken or ferret or equally useless animal. Used a lot of stock footage of nature programmes.
Automan – The only bit I remember is his car that turned right-angles at 120mph.
Tales of The Golden Monkey – a 1940s thing with a bloke in a seaplane searching for treasure, usually getting into adventures utilising a seaplane.
Monkey – Monkey, Pigsy, Tripitaka and Sandy. Chinese kung-fu series with Monkey flying on a pink cloud and using his stick in mad ways. Tripitake was a boy. Or a girl? I could never tell. This programme ruled and survives to this day.
The A-Team – If I need to tell you about this, you are a newborn.
CHIPS – LAPD Motorcycle cop show with Erik Estrada and the other bloke. They rocked, and many mates rode together on their choppers with cards in the spokes.
Magnum – Tom Selleck as Magnum PI. A detective series on Hawaii with ferraris, Higgins and his dobermans Zeus and Apollo. One of the greats.
The Fall Guy – Lee Majors as a stunt-man turned bounty-hunter. And though he’s not the kind to kiss or tell, he’s been seen with ladies. It’s true they hide his body in the hay. A-hey-hey. He might fall from tall building, or trash a brand new car, ‘cos he’s the unknown stuntman that made Eastwood such a star.
Airwolf – Stealth helicopter series with Jan Michael-Vincent and Ernest Borgnine. This was better than Blue Thunder, as proved in Log in The Creek Episode 5
BJ and The Bear – Only I remember this it would seem. The adventures of a long-distance lorry driver and his chimpanzee side-kick. My cat is called BJ in honour of this show.
Buck Rogers – Gil Gerard and his paunch, stuffed into a white silk jumpsuit. He would foil space-villains with the assistance of Twiki (biddy-biddy-biddy) and a woman.
---
These shows rocked, and there is nothing like them on today. Where are the action series aimed at kids? You are not learning the difference between right & wrong with action heroes. I think if we still had episodic, hour-long action shows then this world would be a better place altogether.
TV for kids is rubbish these days.
Those 20+ will remember when I start to talk, and those of you that don’t remember owe it to yourself to try and watch the DVDs so you’ll understand.
There are no action series for kids anymore. And this is why you are now a generation of delinquents and slack-jawed tv babies.
When I were a lad, many hours would be spent playing outside with my mates, we didn’t have computer games back then you see. Oh no, we made our own fun up.
And we had class tv shows to base our fantasy play on.
I’m going to throw a few names out and see who goes “Oh yeah! I forgot about that!”.
Knight Rider – David Hasslehoff, a talking car and Hasslehoff also playing evil twin Hasslehoff. This was a class show, with his car foiling crimes and him generally standing about looking manly and white-afro.
Manimal – Simon McCorkindale was a bloke that had the ability to morph into animals when needed. This usually entailed him turning into a chicken or ferret or equally useless animal. Used a lot of stock footage of nature programmes.
Automan – The only bit I remember is his car that turned right-angles at 120mph.
Tales of The Golden Monkey – a 1940s thing with a bloke in a seaplane searching for treasure, usually getting into adventures utilising a seaplane.
Monkey – Monkey, Pigsy, Tripitaka and Sandy. Chinese kung-fu series with Monkey flying on a pink cloud and using his stick in mad ways. Tripitake was a boy. Or a girl? I could never tell. This programme ruled and survives to this day.
The A-Team – If I need to tell you about this, you are a newborn.
CHIPS – LAPD Motorcycle cop show with Erik Estrada and the other bloke. They rocked, and many mates rode together on their choppers with cards in the spokes.
Magnum – Tom Selleck as Magnum PI. A detective series on Hawaii with ferraris, Higgins and his dobermans Zeus and Apollo. One of the greats.
The Fall Guy – Lee Majors as a stunt-man turned bounty-hunter. And though he’s not the kind to kiss or tell, he’s been seen with ladies. It’s true they hide his body in the hay. A-hey-hey. He might fall from tall building, or trash a brand new car, ‘cos he’s the unknown stuntman that made Eastwood such a star.
Airwolf – Stealth helicopter series with Jan Michael-Vincent and Ernest Borgnine. This was better than Blue Thunder, as proved in Log in The Creek Episode 5
BJ and The Bear – Only I remember this it would seem. The adventures of a long-distance lorry driver and his chimpanzee side-kick. My cat is called BJ in honour of this show.
Buck Rogers – Gil Gerard and his paunch, stuffed into a white silk jumpsuit. He would foil space-villains with the assistance of Twiki (biddy-biddy-biddy) and a woman.
---
These shows rocked, and there is nothing like them on today. Where are the action series aimed at kids? You are not learning the difference between right & wrong with action heroes. I think if we still had episodic, hour-long action shows then this world would be a better place altogether.
This is from a website devoted to BJ and The Bear.
Greg "My Two Dads" Evigan played Bj and Sam played The Bear:
----
Billy Joe McKay (Evigan) is a Vietnam veteran, who survived prison camp, and has since returned to civilian life with a yearning for freedom. He has chosen the life of a freewheeling, open-plains-riding trucker. As an anti-establishment, independent thinker, BJ (you guessed it) finds himself in all manner of scrapes and hokum - quite often at extremely high speeds. He will haul anything for a price. If that wasn't enough- add in BJ's travelling companion, The Bear (Sam the chimp)- a chimpanzee with human-like reactions. The Bear, named after Alabama football coach Bear Bryant, saved BJ's life in Vietnam.
The pair find themselves transporting cargoes such as a truckload of beautiful girls, lady scientists carrying vials of deadly germ-warfare virus and in many other interesting and varied situations. BJ's encounters with Sheriff Lobo (Claude Atkins) proved so popular that Lobo was turned into his own series- The Misadventures of Sherriff Lobo, which ran for 37 episodes from 1979
---
Sherriff Lobo?
A chimp sidekick?
Vietnam Vet turned long distance lorry driver?
This was the best series ever made.
Greg "My Two Dads" Evigan played Bj and Sam played The Bear:
----
Billy Joe McKay (Evigan) is a Vietnam veteran, who survived prison camp, and has since returned to civilian life with a yearning for freedom. He has chosen the life of a freewheeling, open-plains-riding trucker. As an anti-establishment, independent thinker, BJ (you guessed it) finds himself in all manner of scrapes and hokum - quite often at extremely high speeds. He will haul anything for a price. If that wasn't enough- add in BJ's travelling companion, The Bear (Sam the chimp)- a chimpanzee with human-like reactions. The Bear, named after Alabama football coach Bear Bryant, saved BJ's life in Vietnam.
The pair find themselves transporting cargoes such as a truckload of beautiful girls, lady scientists carrying vials of deadly germ-warfare virus and in many other interesting and varied situations. BJ's encounters with Sheriff Lobo (Claude Atkins) proved so popular that Lobo was turned into his own series- The Misadventures of Sherriff Lobo, which ran for 37 episodes from 1979
---
Sherriff Lobo?
A chimp sidekick?
Vietnam Vet turned long distance lorry driver?
This was the best series ever made.
I don't think The A-Team was a kids show, but a classic anyway. Modern kid's shows seem to do quite well, Pokemon (although hated by everyone) seems to have made a healthy profit, When I think of old tv shows, I seem to think of the REALLY old ones, like the clangers, don't ask me why.
I'm hoping that someone with a little imagination will recreate these wonders of television for the generations to come, maybe the future won't be so bad afterall......
I'm hoping that someone with a little imagination will recreate these wonders of television for the generations to come, maybe the future won't be so bad afterall......
Yeah, but where are the action series?
Where's the square jawed hero with a vehicle that does stuff?
Where is the animal sidekick?
There are no "Learn a lesson in 60 minutes and watch top tv action antics" anymore. It's all Pokemon and cartoons.
We had those, but even then they were better:
The Schmoo
Hong Kong Phooey
Top Cat
Captain Caveman
Penelope Pitstop
Battle of The Planets
Around the World in 80 Days
The Adventures of Dogtanian
You pesky kids don't stand a chance.
No wonder you all hang around shops and vandalise bus-stops, you got no action hero to learn you the ways of the good.
We had Monkey, Kane from Kung Fu, The Bionic Man..all good righteous people having adventures and solving mysteries.
This is why my generation will be wise and noble in leadership when we take the reins of power.
And this is good.
Where's the square jawed hero with a vehicle that does stuff?
Where is the animal sidekick?
There are no "Learn a lesson in 60 minutes and watch top tv action antics" anymore. It's all Pokemon and cartoons.
We had those, but even then they were better:
The Schmoo
Hong Kong Phooey
Top Cat
Captain Caveman
Penelope Pitstop
Battle of The Planets
Around the World in 80 Days
The Adventures of Dogtanian
You pesky kids don't stand a chance.
No wonder you all hang around shops and vandalise bus-stops, you got no action hero to learn you the ways of the good.
We had Monkey, Kane from Kung Fu, The Bionic Man..all good righteous people having adventures and solving mysteries.
This is why my generation will be wise and noble in leadership when we take the reins of power.
And this is good.
Good grief, Penfold! They were my favourites too!
Mind you, was there anyone who *didn't* like those shows?
I still remember being gutted when BBC pulled the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon, because some little snooty kids mum wrote in to Points of View and said that the big spider in one episode scared him.
Scared by a cartoon spider! I ask you!
That, for me, was the moment kids TV was ruined. Not generally, you understand, but in my particular memories/universe.
I used to get scared by the Daleks and that weird pointy-headed green dude who always appears in the end-credits of the original Star Trek series, but I never asked mummy to write in and tell them to stop it.
Stupid little wussy snooty ladyboy. Scared by a cartoon spider.
Mind you, was there anyone who *didn't* like those shows?
I still remember being gutted when BBC pulled the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon, because some little snooty kids mum wrote in to Points of View and said that the big spider in one episode scared him.
Scared by a cartoon spider! I ask you!
That, for me, was the moment kids TV was ruined. Not generally, you understand, but in my particular memories/universe.
I used to get scared by the Daleks and that weird pointy-headed green dude who always appears in the end-credits of the original Star Trek series, but I never asked mummy to write in and tell them to stop it.
Stupid little wussy snooty ladyboy. Scared by a cartoon spider.
Being 19, I don't quite fit into the 20+ category, but I'll claim that the 80s in general was the peak in kids TV, none of this Pokémon nonsense for our generation, no siree....
We had;
He-Man
Thundercats
M.A.S.K.
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors
Ghostbusters
Knight Rider
The A-Team
Centurions
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Captain Planet
Oh, I could go on forever.....
We had;
He-Man
Thundercats
M.A.S.K.
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors
Ghostbusters
Knight Rider
The A-Team
Centurions
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Captain Planet
Oh, I could go on forever.....
You may also be buying the many re-released 80's action t.v series on vhs & dvd like me, and it's just so amazing that things like The A-Team, Magnum and Miami Vice are still great (if only slightly aged).
My younger brother and sisters love The A-Team and they also can't get enough of Rainbow and The Persuaders!!
Nowadays there's no Mr.T style figure to guide children to drink milk, have respect for people, don't take drugs etc.
When i see some of the cartoons today i nearly weep (i suppose they're not that bad), but having seen all those great cartoons of the 70's & 80's like:
>insert list the length of a very long arm<
It's not just because we're older now either, the quality really is not very good at all.
And don't get me started on the so-called comedy programmes on today...
My younger brother and sisters love The A-Team and they also can't get enough of Rainbow and The Persuaders!!
Nowadays there's no Mr.T style figure to guide children to drink milk, have respect for people, don't take drugs etc.
When i see some of the cartoons today i nearly weep (i suppose they're not that bad), but having seen all those great cartoons of the 70's & 80's like:
>insert list the length of a very long arm<
It's not just because we're older now either, the quality really is not very good at all.
And don't get me started on the so-called comedy programmes on today...
Exactly.
We watched The A-Team and loved it.
And there was BA telling us to drink milk, and to not lie and stay in school and get education.
This was a tough hero, and he was saying "It's a good thing to learn kids!"
That's why he's a cult-hero now, he guided us through our childhoods.
They weren't overly moralising, they were damn good fun to watch but also non-violent and invariably said that good always triumphed and you could persevere through hard work and being honest.
Pokemon?
Train your pet to fight.
No thanks.
We watched The A-Team and loved it.
And there was BA telling us to drink milk, and to not lie and stay in school and get education.
This was a tough hero, and he was saying "It's a good thing to learn kids!"
That's why he's a cult-hero now, he guided us through our childhoods.
They weren't overly moralising, they were damn good fun to watch but also non-violent and invariably said that good always triumphed and you could persevere through hard work and being honest.
Pokemon?
Train your pet to fight.
No thanks.
As far as cartoons are concerned, things have got really bad, in my opinion.
Things like Mega Babies, Godzilla, Batman etc... all naff compared to things like Tom & Jerry (surely the greatest cartoons ever made?), Dastardly & Muttley, Danger Mouse, Wacky Races and Scooby Doo.
The characters are rough, the animation isn't smooth, and they all just seem generally rushed.
The best 'cartoon' I've seen recently is the CGI version of Starship Troopers - that is quite brilliant.
Things like Mega Babies, Godzilla, Batman etc... all naff compared to things like Tom & Jerry (surely the greatest cartoons ever made?), Dastardly & Muttley, Danger Mouse, Wacky Races and Scooby Doo.
The characters are rough, the animation isn't smooth, and they all just seem generally rushed.
The best 'cartoon' I've seen recently is the CGI version of Starship Troopers - that is quite brilliant.
Gimme Wile E Coyote, The Ant Hill Mob, Bod, Morph, Mr Ben, Dogtanian, Battle of The Planets etc any day.
And I just can't think of any kids programme like A-Team etc that teaches kids to respect others, not use violence as a solution and to work for what you believe in.
Mr T is a goddamn, bona-fide childhood hero of mine. When I heard he had cancer, I was gutted. and the rejoiced when he got better and said "Gonna take more than that to get The T".
He put his money from movies and tv into youth projects in his area and helps kids to get off drugs and stuff, even when he was undergoing chemotherapy.
He was always gruff and angry, but he helped the kids, taught them "Lying is bad little man, don't do that." or "Hey, stay in school and get smart like Mr T"
What a fantastic, real-life superhero
And I just can't think of any kids programme like A-Team etc that teaches kids to respect others, not use violence as a solution and to work for what you believe in.
Mr T is a goddamn, bona-fide childhood hero of mine. When I heard he had cancer, I was gutted. and the rejoiced when he got better and said "Gonna take more than that to get The T".
He put his money from movies and tv into youth projects in his area and helps kids to get off drugs and stuff, even when he was undergoing chemotherapy.
He was always gruff and angry, but he helped the kids, taught them "Lying is bad little man, don't do that." or "Hey, stay in school and get smart like Mr T"
What a fantastic, real-life superhero
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