What to Watch

We have a lot of choices of what to watch.

I remember when I was younger (wow, I sound old). There were four channels: ABC, NBC, CBS, and KQED. Turning to any of the other channels on the dial (that we had to turn to change channels) would only elicit a fuzzy snow, accompanied by an inexplicable hissing noise.

We now have hundreds, HUNDREDS! of channels from which to choose.

And I have some recommendations as to what you should, and should not, watch.

Watch awards shows, but only pay attention when people who win seem genuinely, truly surprised that they won. If you sense actual humility, pay attention. It's lovely. Heartwarming. It will bring a tear to your eye.

Watch the very last story on the national news. It's always about someone who has done something wonderful for someone else. It's never, ever about politics.

Watch BBC television. Specifically cop/mystery shows. The Brits are not afraid to kill off main characters without a second thought. The writing is top notch, the actors are fantastic but largely unknown (to us), and the stories are thought-provoking and intriguing. You will not find CSI London on BBC TV. The Brits are also not opposed to a limited story. If all they have is a spectacular one or two-season arc, they will end it after one or two seasons, future profits be damned. Marcella, Dr. Foster, The Five as examples.

Also watch BBC comedies. Anything by Phoebe-Waller Bridge should be must-see TV if you appreciate brilliant, ground-breaking writing. Additional bonus: I have yet to hear a laugh-track on any British-born show. Ever. They don't need one. What's funny is funny. You shouldn't have to be nudged to laugh.

Conversely, here's what you probably should not watch: anything you fondly remember from your youth. The Brady Bunch does not hold up. It breaks my heart to say that. And don't think that me saying that means I won't watch it. I absolutely will. But it does not hold up and I'm always just a teeny bit ashamed of myself after I watch it. Along the same lines, don't revisit The Love Boat, Dallas, Melrose Place, Family Ties, The Cosby Show (for so, so many reasons), or The Facts of Life. Just don't. You'll be so disappointed that the people who filled your youth were in fact such awful, terrible over-actors. Do not rewatch any ABC After School Special. Kristy McNichol was not all she was cracked up to be. And Rick Springfield was WAAAAY too old to be in one of those, by the way, and we all knew it.

I think perhaps the exception to the rule of what NOT to revisit might be cartoons. Bug Bunny never gets old. Morocco Mole and Secret Squirrel will still make you smile. You'll sing along with the Speed Racer theme song (Go Speed Racer, Go!) and you'll still want to be Trixie or Racer X. No matter how hard you try, you will not be able to figure out why six-year-old Spritle had a pet chimpanzee and why your parents would not consider getting you one.

And as you reminisce, you'll be amazed at the constructs of some of your most beloved childhood cartoons, and wonder how anyone came up with the ideas for them in the first place. A few examples:

1. A penguin and a walrus are problem-solving together. When they can't figure something out, they consult a human being, Professor Whoopee, who usually has to search an overstuffed closet, the contents of which always fall out when he opens the door, for some prop to help him explain the answer.
Who pitched that idea? More importantly, who listened to the pitch and thought, "Wow, that's a GREAT idea!" I mean, it actually was a great idea, but who actually recognized that it was a great idea? I know I wouldn't have if I were a TV exec in the 1960's.

2. A pop group consisting of four anthropomorphic animals (Bingo, Fleegle, Drooper and Snorky) host a variety of cartoons, songs and skits.
I took that right off of Wikipedia. Bonus points to you if you can sing the entire theme song.
Sorry. That'll eat at you all day until you finally google it.

3. H.R. Pufnstuf is the story of Jimmy, a boy with a talking golden flute, whose adventure begins when he climbs into an abandoned sailboat on the shore of a lake. But it is Witchiepoo’s trick to capture the boy to get his magic flute.  He and the flute are rescued by a kindly dragon named H.R. Pufnstuf on Living Island where almost everything talks.  All would be happy, – what with dancing trees, singing frogs and a lollipop that owns a candy store– if it wasn’t for that mean ol’ Witchiepoo who keeps coming after the flute.

Honestly, while I can, in fact, sing you the entire theme song from HR Puffnstuf, I would not have remembered any of the actual plot. But now that I am reminded of Jimmy and the golden flute, I can  hear the voice of the flute in my head--quite annoying and high-pitched as I recall. But probably not something that bothered me when I was four.
I was thinking that, again, this is just a weird pitch to make for a children's show but now that I'm re-reading it, it sounds suspiciously close to the Wizard of Oz. Did Sid and Marty Kroft ever get sued?

I got a little off on a tangent there, sorry. And I'm realizing that there's no reason why I should be recommending what you watch or don't watch on television. We each like what we like. What entertains me might horrify you (I will watch anything with Timothy Olyphant, even if he kills copious numbers of people violently). What thrills you might bore me (never, ever going to watch any iteration of The Bachelor).

I'm going to finish this off with a recommendation, even though I just said there's no reason I should be doing this. But I'm doubling down on my very first suggestion in this post.
The Golden Globes are this weekend. (Don't watch the red carpet crap. People are mean.)
But watch the acceptance speeches. This is the first awards show of the season (I think) and some of the people who win will be genuinely surprised and give rambling, funny, humble, grateful acceptance speeches.
Watch that.
It never gets old. And it always holds up.