Posted
on September 14, 2016
Sometimes
when I'm rhapsodizing over how wonderful it is to be alive today,
partly because of technology, I mention how good TV is these days,
compared to the Stone Ages of television (my childhood LOL).
And
when I talk about how limited our TV choices were, back then, and how
hokey many shows were, one show's name readily comes to my lips:
I
say, “Well, we watched shows like My Mother the Car!”
Actually,
I don't remember minding that show all that much, at the time. I
mean, I was 10, so what did I know? But the preposterous premise (by
which I mean the silly central idea of the show) is that a lawyer
shopping for a used car discovered a car that is the reincarnation of
his own mother! She speaks to him through the car's radio. I
mean...that does sound dumb, doesn't it?
 |
| Note that even bad shows that were instantly cancelled managed to sell merchandise! |
Back
when My Mother the Car debuted (on this date in 1965), most
shows filled an entire “season,” and this one was no different.
Even though the show was cancelled just a few weeks after its debut
on this date in 1965, after a bunch of horrible reviews and ridicule
were heaped upon it, there were 30 episodes made. And all 30 of them aired, taking the show into April of 1966.
The show may even
have gone into reruns.
These days My Mother the Car is rated the second worst show
ever, according to TV Guide, but it's still available as a
boxed DVD set and on hulu.com! Maybe it's so bad, it's good!
Another
TV show celebrating its anniversary today is The Waltons,
which premiered on this date in 1972. It was a big hit and ran for
nine seasons and had not one, not two, but SIX TV movie sequels! Even
though I watched My Mother the Car despite the fact that it
was hokey, I did not watch or even try The Waltons – and
yet I still managed to think it was hokey. But the main reason
I didn't try the show was that I was going to college and then moving
away to an apartment as I got a full-time job, and I just didn't have
access to TV most of those years.
 |
| At the end of every show, viewers would see an exterior shot of the Walton's house, and they would hear various cast members saying good night to each other. Just one of the reasons I assumed it was hokey-- despite the awards the show earned. |
The
last in my premiere-anniversary list for today is the show Mork
and Mindy, which had its debut on this date in 1978. This show
ALSO had a preposterous premise, but it was so good!
First,
the preposterous premise: Mork is an extraterrestrial from Ork (yes,
that's right, Mork is from Ork; you have a problem with that?) in an
egg-shaped spaceship. He has been sent to observe humans (and,
coincidentally again, just happens to look exactly like humans!), but
he doesn't fit in very well. Mindy is a human who teaches Mork about
Earth and Earthlings and even allows him to move into her
attic!Very silly, but Mork and Mindy starred Robin Williams, and he was sooooo delightful and different, the show was a huge hit in its first season. It even out-rated The Waltons (which was of course in one of its later seasons. But the network execs decided to move the show to another day to capitalize on its success and ended up making the show slip drastically in ratings. It lasted only four seasons, although it did go to syndication, DVDs, a comic strip, and even a Saturday morning cartoon! We can still watch Mork and Mindy on hulu (and maybe some other ways as well).
Mork
and Mindy also shot Robin Williams to instant stardom, but I'm
thinking that almost any show could have done that – he was pretty
darned brilliant!
 |
| "Na nu na nu" was what Mork said has he said goodbye. |
Of
course, I still relish TV of today way, way, way over television of
yesteryear. And one thing that makes it especially grand is that we
can still see the best shows (and even the worst shows) from
yesteryear, thanks to technology!
Also
on this date:
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Plan
ahead:
Check out my Pinterest boards for:
And
here are my Pinterest boards for:
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