A few years ago society moved out of the television age and into the computer/streaming age. Our television set was replaced by a large, adjustable monitor either on the wall or on a cabinet; tilt it up, down, sideways. Geez. It’s connected to the cable box and the DVD/Blue Ray player. In addition to the basic cable package, we purchased the expanded sports package, plus we pay for streaming services: Disney+, Paramount+, and Peacock.
What to watch? That is the question. Check the Guide. Or check On Demand to find things to watch that you are charged extra for, because the bill isn’t high enough. Growing up in the 1960s meant a few interesting things: Our television had two antennae that you would move around until the picture was clear. There were only seven channels: 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 [at least in NYC]. All channels ceased broadcasting at midnight every day. The only network that broadcast in color was NBC because you paid extra for a color television.
Shows today are all broadcast in color and high definition on a computer monitor – minus the “rabbit ears.” (LOL!) Only two shows are still around from the 1960s though I different formats: “60 Minutes” (premiered on 9/24/68) and “Sesame Street” (premiered on 11/10/69), although “Sesame Street” is now 30 minutes instead of the original 60, but the stop watch is still ticking on “60 Minutes.”
Children’s television shows have changed a lot, from Romper Room and the Magic Mirror to Sharon, Lois and Bram with The Elephant Show. Situation comedies consisted of Mr. Ed, The Talking Horse, and The Addams Family, among others; dramas such as Dragnet and Gunsmoke, and variety shows like American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show provided a good assortment of entertainment.
Yet we all knew that the “new” television season started around Labor Day, sort of like school, and ended in June, also like school. During July and August you got reruns, in case you missed an episode the first time. But you knew when the new season was starting when NBC ran the first episode of the season for “Bonanza.” This episode was aired with no commercial breaks so that the last five minutes (give or take) could be devoted to a commercial introducing the new fall line of Chevrolets.
Every Sunday evening at 7:30pm NBC would broadcast “The Wonderful World of Color,” a Disney show, with Tinkerbell in the opening scene tapping the famous Cinderella castle with her wand. This famous show was deliberately aired that early for two reasons: 1) so that young children could watch before bedtime, and 2) so that the adults couldn’t watch “The Ed Sullivan Show” at 8pm or even “60 Minutes” at 7pm. “We have to watch Mickey Mouse!
Hence, by the late 1970s the Video Cassette Recorder became quite popular so that people could record one television program while watching another. These machines were quite the investment as you need some blank video cassettes as well as the bulky machine properly connected to your television. Today you can simply click on the desired show on the Guide and then click “Record;” this even works while you are asleep and the television is turned off. And you can program the DVR – digital video recorder – to keep the program on the Recorded List indefinitely.
The downside to all of this, if in fact there is one, is you can easily end up spending most of your day watching show after show after show, to the neglect of other tasks. In fact, many stations (networks?) frequently replay a lot of their shows. A personal example: the Science Channel often shows “How It’s Made” every Sunday, while the Smithsonian Channel takes us on a tour of “Aerial America” every weekend, alternating Saturdays or Sundays. Even sports are re-broadcast after the initial airing. The clue is to look for the world “New” when you search the Channel Guide for something to watch.
So you needn’t bother to record the game if you’re not able to see it live because the network will run it again right after the Post Game Show. Arranging your schedule around your viewing preferences is no longer necessary. Unless, like me, you prefer your sports live. I hate knowing the final score before a pitch is thrown or the puck is dropped. There are those who prefer knowing the score, as well as those who don’t care one way or the other. Whatever works.
Fortunately we are able to do both. And, since most New York Rangers games begin at 7pm, my DVR is always set to record my all-time favorite game show – “Jeopardy.” (Yes, I think Ken Jennings is an excellent host.) So do we have too many choices? Perhaps. We have to admit how easy it is to become a part of the couch/recliner while we channel surf over 100 channels, and that’s not including over a dozen music channels, with everything from classical to swing to jazz to rock and roll, etc. etc. etc. And don’t forget the DVR as well as your DVD/Blue Ray disc collection. Fun stuff. However, don’t forget to eat. And go to work and/or school.
Enjoy!
