I recently read an article online from cracked.com (http://www.cracked.com/article_16503_5-most-ridiculously-unfair-kids-game-shows.html) that talked about the
5-worst kid TV games shows. My memories flooded back, as I viewed the different
clips of TV shows and it made me think of my childhood TV shows. So i have
decided to dedicate this post to all the memories of childhood TV, and some
epic clips from the respective television shows.
Growing up in an upper-middle class family, I was fortunate to have TV
privileges, yet my parents were conservative with the time they let me
spend in front of the screen. The rule was that when the clock struck 5 O'clock
PM, the box could be turned on for an hour of television viewing. With such
conservative parents (not in a political sense), my world was different than
other at the same age. When visiting friends houses after school, its amazed me
that they were allowed to watch television to the most part, whenever they
wanted. In our society this is a serious problem. Even today, it is getting out
of hand. My 5 year old cousin is put in front of the television when he misbehaves
to “cool” him down, Sure putting on the TV could be the solution the odd time,
but what happened to time outs on the stairs. Back in my day my parents would
just send me to my bedroom, and I would just relax, and read and book or do
other child-like things. But I digress, maybe my childhood was the abnormal
one, and everyone else was normal. My one-hour of television restriction has
most likely benefited me, as it was the base to the very active lifestyle I
currently live.
The first childhood show I would like to start off with is
The Magic School Bus. The adventures of Ms. Frizzle’s classes
they discovered science with their big yellow school bus. This cartoon sparked
my interest in science, and provided me with useful information that helped me
understand more about the world we live one.
From trips into the human body, to
discovering the difference between red and white blood cells, and their purpose
in the body, this show has compelled me to ask questions and realize there was
much more in the world, than what happened in my day.
A show that I rarely watched (as I
didn’t watch TV at the same time it was often aired) was Art Attack, with
British actor Neil Buchanan. His shows really proved that you could do anything with
art. I may not have been an arts and craft person, but his simple and pure
ingenuity, created amazing pieces. And of course once a show he would create a
giant piece of art, with random objects, it was truly brilliant some of the
images he was able to conjure in his head, and his ability to bring them to
life.
Another television short series
was one creed on the all-popular TVO, the show Pingu. The happy go lucky
claymation penguin with his adventure and antics. Thinking back it was a lot of
childish versions on Seinfeld. Except stocky Costanza was replaced by an oddly
squawking penguin. Nothing really happened, as is true to Seinfeld, but it was
funny none the less. Pingu and his friends’ adventures were definitely a
highlight to my day, and thus made my list.
I cannot leave out the classic “Where
in the World is Carmen Sandiego”, although I just
have brief memories of the show, they intrigued me, what was quite possible the
first game show I watched as a child. The PBS game show tested the geographical
minds of kids, through a maze of different challenges, in pursue of cracking
the case against finding where exactly “Carmen Sadiego” was. The actual show
was somewhat lame, but looking back at it now, it gives me some good chuckles.
These are the majority of shows that I watched when
I was young, and while it may seem like a silly thing to rant about, if you
think about it, and then watch back those very same clips you remember so much
after not remembering it for a long period of time. Feel free to post up your favorites growing up, or just watch the clips and let the memories flow.
Have an awesome week NS
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