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My Formative Years: Television Edition

Really?

You’re not actually expecting depth from me this month, are you?

I present you with …

My Formative Years: Television Edition

1. Diff’rent Strokes
2. Facts of Life
3. Beverly Hillbillies
4. Martha Quinn
5. Remote Control
6. Double Trouble
7. Growing Pains
8. Family Ties
9. Silver Spoons
10. Amitabh Bhachchan (*Major* props to the first non desi to explain this one without a Google search).

And you?  What TV shows were part of your formative years?

Posted by Faiqa on May 20, 2009 2:40 pmUncategorized56 comments  

56 Comments »

  1. shiny Said,

    May 20, 2009 @ 3:37 pm

    Wow. WOW. You mentioned “Double Trouble” so YOU get major points. Although I liked the show much better when they were in Des Moines instead of the second season when they took off to NYC to live with their aunt. I had a thing for the more straight-edge one, actually. Weird…

    “Remote Control” = awesome. “Inside Tina Yothers” FTW!

    And #10 is easy. Amitabh Bhachchan played Carlton in “Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” and earlier as Alfonso on “Silver Spoons.”

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @shiny, Huh. I liked the NYC one. And, yeah. Those roles were in fact Amitabh’s lesser known television appearances.

    [Reply]

  2. Kiefer and Emo Said,

    May 20, 2009 @ 4:03 pm

    I Love Lucy
    Tonight Show with Jack Paar
    The Flintstones
    The Twilight Zone (1959-1965?)
    Alfred Hitchcock Presents
    The Dick Van Dyke Show
    Gunsmoke
    Davy Crockett
    Johnny Quest
    Ed Sullivan Show

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @Kiefer and Emo, Davy Crockett had a television show? Wow. ;)

    [Reply]

  3. Avitable Said,

    May 20, 2009 @ 4:52 pm

    My feet itch.

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @Avitable, F.Y.I.? Not as cool if someone else does it to *you* first.

    [Reply]

    Avitable Reply:

    @Faiqa, I fixed it on mine, so I also fixed it on yours. The message it says when you submit a reply has been corrected for grammar and spelling.

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @Avitable, Thank you.

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @Faiqa, And you’re a dork for noticing. But, no, thank you. Really.

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @Avitable, Crap. Not @Faiqa. @Avitable. Damn. You’re so not going to let me hear the end of that.

    [Reply]

    Avitable Reply:

    @Faiqa, heh. That’s what you get for trying to be bitchy!

    [Reply]

  4. yasmine Said,

    May 20, 2009 @ 5:42 pm

    so, umm, my dad disconnected our cabletv when i was 8, and from then on all my siblings and i did was, uh, READ BOOKS. OBSESSIVELY. so much so that, in the years following, he would bemoan that supposedly ill-fated decision by sighing, ‘i’m starting to think all this reading is WORSE than watching tv all the time.’

    so, i don’t really have much to add in terms of a list of my own, except, of course, tv shows/cartoons like The Cosby Show and Family Ties and Knight Rider and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and He-Man and estuff. and we were allowed to watch dad-approved videos like Karate Kid and Back to the Future over and overrrr and over.

    also:
    ‘AMITABH BACHCHAN! AMITABH BACHCHAN!’
    (i hope you saw Slumdog Millionaire. that part made me laugh my ass off for minutes on end. in a crowded theater. and i laugh hella loudly. ;) )

    also#2:
    highfive to Shiny’s comment re. amitabh bachbach, which also made me laugh ;)

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @yasmine, Haha, I loved that part of Slumdog, too.

    [Reply]

  5. Girl/Woman Said,

    May 20, 2009 @ 7:10 pm

    Wow, the only one I can recognize is number 10…
    I guess that means that these are my formative years.

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @Girl/Woman, OK, wow. You suck. :)

    [Reply]

  6. HoosierGirl Said,

    May 20, 2009 @ 7:16 pm

    “Family Ties” and “Facts of Life” – 2 of my favorites. Interesting list.

    J.

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @HoosierGirl, I spent the majority of my childhood crushing in Alex P. Keaton.

    [Reply]

  7. Sybil Law Said,

    May 20, 2009 @ 7:59 pm

    Great list! I know all of those shows… and approve of most of them. (And Shiny beat me to the answer to number 10! Crud. :)

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @Sybil Law, Of course you know all of those shows… because we share in the awesomeness.

    [Reply]

  8. Sheila (Charm School Reject) Said,

    May 20, 2009 @ 8:18 pm

    Charles in Charge; Alf; Facts of Life; Growing Pains; Saved by the Bell; Family Matters; Full House; Mickey Mouse Club; Kids Incorporated; You Can’t Do That On Television; Smurfs; Snorks; David the Gnome; Land of the Lost; Captain Planet; Double Dare;

    Wow – I watched a lot of TV. AND if I had realized I was a republican when I was eight, I wouldn’t have been waking up at 5:00 a.m. to watch Captain freakin’ Planet. D’oh.

    I watched most of your shows on late night re-runs. ::ducks::

    A few of those were already in syndication though by the time I was old enough to appreciate them.

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @Sheila (Charm School Reject), Here’s something to think about: I *was* a Republican when I was 8.

    [Reply]

    Sheila (Charm School Reject) Reply:

    @Faiqa, I hear Alex P. Keaton pulled a lot of impressionable youths over to the bright side. I didn’t know what a Republican was when I was 8.

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @Sheila (Charm School Reject), Alex P. Keaton was a hottie, but no, I became a Republican the year that Ronald Reagan ran against Jimmy Carter. I was 4. We’re a very political family.

    [Reply]

    Sheila (Charm School Reject) Reply:

    @Faiqa, I had to get my politics on my own – and now I’m the one getting my parents into it. It’s really quite skewed and backwards but yay (!!!) for Ronald Reagan :)

    [Reply]

  9. SciFi Dad Said,

    May 20, 2009 @ 9:05 pm

    And now for a little deformation…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr-e3qGQ884

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @SciFi Dad, Hahaha. Wait. Not. Cool.

    [Reply]

  10. TheGoriWife Said,

    May 20, 2009 @ 10:18 pm

    Do I count as a non-desi for purposes of #10? Because Sholay was the 1st desi movie I ever watched many moons ago, and the husband still forces me to sing the Veeru parts of the motorcycle song.

    As for my list, it would have to include Punky Brewster, The A-Team, Knight Rider, Fraggle Rock and The Wonder Years.

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @TheGoriWife, I *knew* you were going to be the one to get #10!! :)

    [Reply]

  11. kapgar Said,

    May 20, 2009 @ 10:22 pm

    I’m with you on all but #10. But Martha Quinn wasn’t so much a show, was she?

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @kapgar, She hosted segments, right?

    [Reply]

  12. B.E. Earl Said,

    May 20, 2009 @ 11:06 pm

    Dukes of Hazzard
    The Love Boat
    Fantasy Island
    Dallas
    The Six Million Dollar Man
    The Bionic Woman
    Barney Miller
    M*A*S*H
    Any and all Bugs Bunny cartoons.

    Shit like that.

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @B.E. Earl, Welllcalm to Fahntahsy Island. I miss Ricardo Montalban. Sigh. I should have put that on my list. Oh, and Magnum P.I. I have no idea why *your* comment reminded me of that. I think it’s because you remind me of Tom Selleck? (sp?) Rawr.

    [Reply]

    B.E. Earl Reply:

    @Faiqa, Wow, your hormones ARE out of whack, aren’t they? ;)

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @B.E. Earl, What?!! Tom was HOT.

    [Reply]

    B.E. Earl Reply:

    @Faiqa, Yeah, but I remind you of him. Hence your hormones are out of whack. See? ;)

    [Reply]

  13. Kimberly Said,

    May 20, 2009 @ 11:54 pm

    Oh, good post. I loved Facts of Life and Different Strokes too, but didn’t like Different Strokes when Mrs. G left and I didn’t like Facts when they moved to Peakskill.
    I also liked Alice, The Cosby Show, Designing Women, Fame, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Who’s the Boss, and Brady Bunch reruns. Clearly, too much TV!

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @Kimberly, Oh yeah, I loved Who’s the Boss, too. And I watched all the other shows you mentioned. Too much TV?! And what were we supposed to do besides watch TV?! Read? Or play outside? Pffft!!! That would have made us communists.

    [Reply]

  14. Breigh Said,

    May 21, 2009 @ 12:45 am

    OMG I think I’ve seen more people in this post / comments that know Double Trouble than I have met in my entire life. Nobody ever knows what I’m talking about when I mention it!

    Mine would be:

    Facts of Life
    Silver Spoons
    Family Ties
    Little House on the Prairie
    You Can’t Do That on Television
    Double Trouble
    The Love Boat
    Fantasy Island
    Three’s Company

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @Breigh, You can’t do that on Television!! I completely forgot about that. I used to watch that, a lot, too.

    [Reply]

  15. golfwidow Said,

    May 21, 2009 @ 8:14 am

    Perfect Strangers. Don’t be ridiculous.

    Now we are so happy we do the dance of joy.

    And yes, I get Googled a lot because I once posted the whole Bibi Babka song to prove that I did, indeed, still know all the words.

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @golfwidow, Oh, yeaaaah, we used to watch that all the time. Balky & Cousin Lahrry Applayton. It always freaks me out when I see Bronson Pichot (wasn’t that his name?) and he doesn’t have that accent.

    [Reply]

  16. LeSombre Said,

    May 21, 2009 @ 8:19 am

    I Googled #10 and still can’t explain it. ;-)

    As for my shows:

    - Fanfan Dédé
    - Traboulidon
    - Les 100 tours de Centour
    - Les Oraliens
    - Pop Citrouille
    - Passe-Partout
    - Youhou
    - Bobino
    - Sol et Gobelet
    - Dukes of Hazzard
    - Knight Rider
    - Automan
    - Growing Pains
    - The Cosby Show

    I’m sure I’m forgetting many, and I removed all the animated series from the list. ;-)

    [Reply]

  17. Faiqa Said,

    May 21, 2009 @ 10:20 am

    Oh, I loved Traboulidon!! Remember that episode where that guy steals the Jag and rampages through a nearby village and decimates next year’s corn crop… wait. Are we talking about the same show?

    [Reply]

    LeSombre Reply:

    @Faiqa, Maaaaaybeee… ;-)

    [Reply]

  18. Kate Said,

    May 21, 2009 @ 10:21 am

    *Cosby Show
    *Family Ties
    *Growing Pains
    *Punky Brewster
    *Silver Spoons
    *Mr. Belvedere
    *Who’s the Boss?
    *Full House
    *Three’s Company
    *The Newlywed Game
    *Kate & Allie
    *Charles in Charge
    *The Hogan Family/Valerie’s Family
    *Tic-Tac-Dough
    *Classic Concentration
    *The A-Team
    *Sale of the Century

    Also, I loved Double Trouble! And It’s Your Move which was also on the USA Network around the same time.

    [Reply]

    Faiqa Reply:

    @Kate, Those were great shows, but I don’t remember “It’s Your Move”?

    [Reply]

    Kate Reply:

    @Faiqa, Old school Jason Bateman! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It‘s_Your_Move

    [Reply]

    shiny Reply:

    @Faiqa, You can take a look at my post from a year ago here: http://www.shinystakeout.com/2008/06/03/list-on-the-3s-shinys-top-7-jason-bateman-televisionfilm-roles/ Show lasted for a little bit less than half a season. Think of Jason Bateman’s Derek character from Silver Spoons in high school. And played by, well, Jason Bateman.

    [Reply]

  19. Slyde Said,

    May 22, 2009 @ 2:31 pm

    i used to love silver spoons….. erin grey.. yum!

    [Reply]

  20. Jason Said,

    May 22, 2009 @ 6:04 pm

    The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Three’s Company, The Waltons, Wonder Woman, Charlie’s Angels…to name a few….

    [Reply]

  21. futurowoman Said,

    May 24, 2009 @ 11:53 am

    so many, but here’s a handful, in no particular order…

    1) Barney Miller
    2) Welcome Back, Kotter
    3) Bionic Woman
    4) Electra Woman and DynaGirl
    5) Land of the Lost
    6) Happy Days
    7) The Brady Bunch (when they were first-run syndication) 8) Streets of San Francisco
    9) M*A*S*H
    10) Donnie and Marie, Sonny and Cher, etc variety shows
    and my fave to watch these days, 1970s Match Game!

    [Reply]

  22. futurowoman Said,

    May 24, 2009 @ 11:54 am

    omg, also Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Little House on the Prairie!

    [Reply]

  23. Coal Miner's Granddaughter Said,

    May 26, 2009 @ 8:07 pm

    Ahem.

    1) Star Trek (the classic)
    2) Knight Rider
    3) Doctor Who
    4) A-Team
    5) Electra-Woman and Dyna-Girl
    6) Wonder Woman
    7) Facts of Life 8) As much MTV as I could stand
    9) You Can’t Do That On Television
    10) TJ Hooker

    [Reply]

    Coal Miner's Granddaughter Reply:

    @Coal Miner’s Granddaughter, Oh and? Buck Rogers. :)

    [Reply]

  24. Mocha Dad Said,

    May 28, 2009 @ 9:27 pm

    All of these plus “Good Times,” “The Jeffersons,” and “What’s Happening?”

    [Reply]

  25. Faiqa Said,

    May 28, 2009 @ 9:30 pm

    I can’t believe I forgot Welcome Back, Kotter, The Jeffersons and A-Team!!!

    [Reply]

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