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Classic TV 101: The 1970s
Whenever necessary I will own up to my own personal biases. So in the interest of full disclosure I acknowledge that the 1970s is my favorite TV era. It’s certainly not the best or the most...
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Classic TV 101: The 1980s
The 1980s was the last true classic TV decade. Which is not to say that television hasn’t introduced many brilliant shows in the 20 years since – only that the medium, and our relationship to it – has...
View ArticleBreaking 1950s Conventions on Father Knows Best
There’s something remarkable about Father Knows Best. You can watch any dozen episodes and be entertained by the wholesome charms with which this 1950s sitcom is identified. And then you’ll discover a...
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One and Done: Seven Short-Lived Series Worth Remembering
Longevity isn’t always a measure of quality when it comes to television (see: Step by Step). That’s especially true over the past 5-10 years when shows like Wonderfalls and Freaks and Geeks and...
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Checking Into Comfort TV Hospital
Here’s another under-appreciated pleasure of classic television from the Comfort TV age: it makes places you’d never want to visit seem less terrible. I was in the hospital recently and found nothing...
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Friday on My Mind: Dragnet
NOTE: This post is part of Me-TV's Summer of Classic TV Blogathon hosted by the Classic TV Blog Association. Go to http://classic-tv-blog-assoc.blogspot.com to view more posts in this blogathon. You...
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Classic Retro TV Nights
For most people an evening spent watching old television shows is something that is settled for, when more exciting activities are too costly or unavailable. But for those of us who love this stuff,...
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Comfort TV Facebook Connections
When I was growing up in Skokie, Illinois, and I first started to watch television and become aware of actors and their roles, it was just a given that these famous people led very different lives...
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Five Television Moments That Should Have Been Better
The fall TV season is fast approaching, and there are moments many of us are already looking forward to experiencing. Some will surpass expectations but most will fall short, which has always been the...
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Emmys, Schmemmys
I’m in a very perturbed mood at the moment, which is not conducive to reflections on Comfort TV. However, it’s ideal for discussing the Emmy Awards. This year’s ceremony is approaching, and I am...
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Why We Still Miss Johnny Carson
Memory is a curious and unpredictable thing. I can recall few specific moments from 25 or 30 years ago, but I still hold on to an assortment of seemingly random recollections that are as vivid now as...
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The 7 Least Intimidating Comfort TV Villains
Being a villain back in the Comfort TV era was not an easy gig. It’s hard to create a genuine air of menace when television was less compliant about sadistic violence and provocative language. Plus,...
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Neat, Sweet, Groovy Songs: The Remarkable Story of Josie and the Pussycats
To the casual viewer of baby boom-era cartoons, Josie and the Pussycats was just one more Scooby-Doo facsimile to emerge from the Hanna-Barbera factory. But despite a fleeting 16-episode run the...
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Comfort TV Goes Back to the Future
It is in our nature to wonder about the future. What will we be able to do in 20 or 50 years that we can’t do now? How will society change? How will technology evolve? So it’s not surprising that...
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(Dis)Comfort TV #2: The Inspired Insanity of The Paul Lynde Halloween Special
Okay, change of plans.Originally I intended to recommend five Halloween-themed episodes of comfort TV, and save Halloween specials for next week. But then I watched The Paul Lynde Halloween Special,...
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(Dis)Comfort TV #3: Five Classic Comfort TV Halloween Episodes
And now, after our detour last week into the bizarre world of the Paul Lynde Halloween Special, here are five more traditional Halloween shows to enhance your holiday celebration. “Halloween”The...
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