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Earliest TV Watching Memories

S

Stanislav

Here's one to stir up the cobwebs in yer brain cells.....what's the earliest memory you have of watching TV? How far back can you go to recall watching a specific show at a very young age?

I have a few memories that go back to the 3-5 year old range. For some odd reason, the earliest memory I have (pre-school age) is watching the syndicated British drama "Ivanhoe" with my grandmother. (I became enamored of the theme song, which to this day will stick in my brain for hours if I happen to think of it.) The show was originally broadcast (syndicated) in 1958-59 -- as I was born in '58, I don't think I was precocious enough to recall watching it first-run -- probably a repeat from maybe '61-63 or so.

I also remember watching the JFK news coverage in November 1963. I was too young to fully understand what was happening, but I knew that the President had been killed and that my family was very upset by it. I do recall watching the funeral on TV, and later drove my mother nuts as I would march around with my toy drum imitating the drummers in the cortege. (Needless to say, she did NOT want to be reminded of the funeral.....)

I remember watching some of either the '63 or '64 World Series with my grandfather. It had to be one of those two years, because I remember he was very pissed that the Yankees lost, seeing as he had placed a sizeable bet on them!

Finally, not my memory but my mother's.....she says that even pre-Kindergarten, I would get up early in the morning and actually WATCH the test pattern! (Maybe it was a form of self-hypnosis....I dunno). Then she says I would continue watching CBS' "Sunrise Semester," which she took as evidence of my alleged superior early intellect. (In reality, I probably didn't understand a word of what was going on, and was just fascinated by any pictures on that big black-and-white box. Besides, at that hour in those days, it was pretty much either "Sunrise Semester" or the farm report, neither of which you would think would hold the attention of a pre-schooler!)
 
> Here's one to stir up the cobwebs in yer brain
> cells.....what's the earliest memory you have of watching
> TV? How far back can you go to recall watching a specific
> show at a very young age?
>
> I have a few memories that go back to the 3-5 year old
> range. For some odd reason, the earliest memory I have
> (pre-school age) is watching the syndicated British drama
> "Ivanhoe" with my grandmother. (I became enamored of the
> theme song, which to this day will stick in my brain for
> hours if I happen to think of it.) The show was originally
> broadcast (syndicated) in 1958-59 -- as I was born in '58, I
> don't think I was precocious enough to recall watching it
> first-run -- probably a repeat from maybe '61-63 or so.
>
> I also remember watching the JFK news coverage in November
> 1963. I was too young to fully understand what was
> happening, but I knew that the President had been killed and
> that my family was very upset by it. I do recall watching
> the funeral on TV, and later drove my mother nuts as I would
> march around with my toy drum imitating the drummers in the
> cortege. (Needless to say, she did NOT want to be reminded
> of the funeral.....)
>
> I remember watching some of either the '63 or '64 World
> Series with my grandfather. It had to be one of those two
> years, because I remember he was very pissed that the
> Yankees lost, seeing as he had placed a sizeable bet on
> them!
>
> Finally, not my memory but my mother's.....she says that
> even pre-Kindergarten, I would get up early in the morning
> and actually WATCH the test pattern! (Maybe it was a form of
> self-hypnosis....I dunno). Then she says I would continue
> watching CBS' "Sunrise Semester," which she took as evidence
> of my alleged superior early intellect. (In reality, I
> probably didn't understand a word of what was going on, and
> was just fascinated by any pictures on that big
> black-and-white box. Besides, at that hour in those days,
> it was pretty much either "Sunrise Semester" or the farm
> report, neither of which you would think would hold the
> attention of a pre-schooler!)
>
That explains your knowledge of JFK. I too recall watching TV as early as 5 years old which would have been 1970. We always watched the today show in the morning, but then what else was there for morning news. I always hated it as a kid when a station went off the air. The test patterns were always noisy, and drove me nuts. It's funny, now that i'm older, I wish stations would sign-off at night, it's better then the infomercial crap that's on nowadays. If I had a station, those infomercial jerks could keep their money, I'd run reruns of decent shows none of today's crap and sign-off at night. My how times change.
 
> Here's one to stir up the cobwebs in yer brain
> cells.....what's the earliest memory you have of watching
> TV? How far back can you go to recall watching a specific
> show at a very young age?
>
> I have a few memories that go back to the 3-5 year old
> range. For some odd reason, the earliest memory I have
> (pre-school age) is watching the syndicated British drama
> "Ivanhoe" with my grandmother. (I became enamored of the
> theme song, which to this day will stick in my brain for
> hours if I happen to think of it.) The show was originally
> broadcast (syndicated) in 1958-59 -- as I was born in '58, I
> don't think I was precocious enough to recall watching it
> first-run -- probably a repeat from maybe '61-63 or so.
>
> I also remember watching the JFK news coverage in November
> 1963. I was too young to fully understand what was
> happening, but I knew that the President had been killed and
> that my family was very upset by it. I do recall watching
> the funeral on TV, and later drove my mother nuts as I would
> march around with my toy drum imitating the drummers in the
> cortege. (Needless to say, she did NOT want to be reminded
> of the funeral.....)
>
> I remember watching some of either the '63 or '64 World
> Series with my grandfather. It had to be one of those two
> years, because I remember he was very pissed that the
> Yankees lost, seeing as he had placed a sizeable bet on
> them!
>
> Finally, not my memory but my mother's.....she says that
> even pre-Kindergarten, I would get up early in the morning
> and actually WATCH the test pattern! (Maybe it was a form of
> self-hypnosis....I dunno). Then she says I would continue
> watching CBS' "Sunrise Semester," which she took as evidence
> of my alleged superior early intellect. (In reality, I
> probably didn't understand a word of what was going on, and
> was just fascinated by any pictures on that big
> black-and-white box. Besides, at that hour in those days,
> it was pretty much either "Sunrise Semester" or the farm
> report, neither of which you would think would hold the
> attention of a pre-schooler!)
>
My earliest memories of TV-watching goes back to least 1961-62
when I was maybe 4 years old. I somewhat remember watching a
soap opera in the afternoon on the local NBC station called
'From These Roots' having no idea what it was about. other
shows included 'National Velvet' and 'International Showtime'
also on NBC, 'Frontier Circus' on CBS and Rocky and Bullwinkle.
 
> That explains your knowledge of JFK.

Well, not really -- remember, I was only 5! I knew he was the President, but that's about it. I have more direct memories of LBJ, seeing him make speeches with those glasses perched on his nose and that Texas drawl ("Mah fellow Amuricuns.....") But I've always been fascinated by JFK as well as the whole Kennedy clan - a real-life soap opera there. And I've read just about every book about the assassination, all the conspiracy theories, etc. Plus gotten to see the taped TV coverage of that weekend long after the fact.


> I always hated it as a kid
> when a station went off the air. The test patterns were
> always noisy, and drove me nuts.


We've lost a whole genre of programming -- the sign-on and sign-off routines. Remember all the different National Anthem films that stayions had? The sermonette? The Code of Good Practice seal? High Flight? The Indian Lord's Prayer?

> It's funny, now that i'm
> older, I wish stations would sign-off at night, it's better
> then the infomercial crap that's on nowadays. If I had a
> station, those infomercial jerks could keep their money, I'd
> run reruns of decent shows none of today's crap and sign-off
> at night.

They say that the day you become "old" is the first time you find yourself beginning a sentnece with, "You know, in MY day......" (Grin)
 
> > Here's one to stir up the cobwebs in yer brain
> > cells.....what's the earliest memory you have of watching
> > TV? How far back can you go to recall watching a specific
>
> > show at a very young age?
> >
We had an old RCA Victor-I think- Black and White job with all the controls hidden in a compartment on the top, near the back, which required my dragging a kitchen chair to the television so I could turn it on. That thing was HUGE, or so I thought until I saw an identical model in an antique store a couple of years back..

My earliest memories were watching Captain Kangaroo- I still have nightmares about Grandfather Clock- and "Buckskin Bill" a locally produced kiddie show on WAFB out of Baton Rouge, LA. Oh and Ed Sullivan, it was the only night my grandmother would stay up past 8!!
 
> > That explains your knowledge of JFK.
>
> Well, not really -- remember, I was only 5! I knew he was
> the President, but that's about it.

I remember the JFK funeral, as they closed the schools that day and it was on every channel. (I was 7 at the time; old enough to understand that something dreadfully serious had happened, but not quite old enough to really know what that something was. My mother says I didn't complain at all about the cartoons and all not being on, so I must have comprehended the gravity of the situation.)

My earliest memories of TV are of Los Angeles newscaster George Putnam, being forced to watch Lawrence Welk every Saturday night, Concentration during the summer/school holidays/home sick, Perry Mason, Ed Sullivan, Dennis the Menace, Candid Camera (although I didn't "get" most of the jokes, I remember laughing that people had been fooled into doing something dumb) and the prime-time cartoons Top Cat, The Alvin Show (especially Clyde Crashcup) and the Flintstones. I'd guess that would date me back to around 1961, so I would have been five years old.<P ID="signature">______________


</P>
 
All you young whippersnappers are making me feel
like a really old fogey with your 60's & 70's
memories. I grew up with Kukla, Fran, & Ollie,
Howdy Doody, Smilin' Ed McConnell/Andy's Gang,
Sid Caesar's Your Show Of Shows, Amos'n'Andy,
Life of Riley & more, mostly from the early 50's.
About the earliest I can remember is 1952. Now
pass the Geritol and put me out to pasture!!!


> > > That explains your knowledge of JFK.
> >
> > Well, not really -- remember, I was only 5! I knew he was
>
> > the President, but that's about it.
>
> I remember the JFK funeral, as they closed the schools that
> day and it was on every channel. (I was 7 at the time; old
> enough to understand that something dreadfully serious had
> happened, but not quite old enough to really know what that
> something was. My mother says I didn't complain at all
> about the cartoons and all not being on, so I must have
> comprehended the gravity of the situation.)
>
> My earliest memories of TV are of Los Angeles newscaster
> George Putnam, being forced to watch Lawrence Welk every
> Saturday night, Concentration during the summer/school
> holidays/home sick, Perry Mason, Ed Sullivan, Dennis the
> Menace, Candid Camera (although I didn't "get" most of the
> jokes, I remember laughing that people had been fooled into
> doing something dumb) and the prime-time cartoons Top Cat,
> The Alvin Show (especially Clyde Crashcup) and the
> Flintstones. I'd guess that would date me back to around
> 1961, so I would have been five years old.
>
 
Back in 1953-54, My dad was lurning to be a tv repair man, so we had 2 tvs in our household. We had a nice 12 or 16 inch Airking, (a tv set made by DuMont labs) and a 21 inch Muntz that a furniture store man gave my dad for free. He said, "if you can fix it, You can have it." It was a good set for my dad to lurn on. Anyhow, both tvs were in the livingroom, because that was where the airial was. So, we would sometimes watch the airking, and other times we would watch the Muntz. It didn't matter what program was on, we just randomly turned on one or the other. I was 2 years old in 1954, so I don't remember all the programs we would watch, but I do remember Bill Burns, and Hary Scot and I remember Buck rogers and Flash gorden after the late night news and I remember a priest saying "in the name of the Father, and of the Sun and of the Holy ghost amen" and then the National Anthem. I guess that was WDTV in Pittsburgh. My Mom tells me that she and my Grandma would stay up all night with me so I wouldn't cry when they put me in bed so as not to wake my Dad and my Grandpap because they had to go to work in the morning. This was in Grindstone Pa. and my Dad and my Grandfather were Coal miners. We moved to Flint Michigan when I was three in 1955, and took the Airking with us and left the Muntz back for my Grand parents.
 
I was born in 1971 so my earliest TV memories would had to have come in the mid 70's. The earliest TV memory I had was when I watched I Dream Of Jeannie on WOAI(before the name change to KMOL) in 1974. Also,whenever I got out of school in the afternoons,I watched The Brady Bunch,Bewitched,I Love Lucy,Family Affair,The Partridge Family,The Odd Couple,Hogan's Heroes,Star Trek,The Archies,My Three Sons,The Lucy Show,Gunsmoke,New Zoo Revue,Little Rascals,and The New Mickey Mouse Club. During holidays and summer vacations,I watched in the mornings and afternoons,The Price Is Right,Wheel Of Fortune,Young And The Restless,Search For Tomorrow,One Life To Live,General Hospital,Mike Douglas,and daytime reruns of Happy Days and All In The Family.
 
> All you young whippersnappers are making me feel
> like a really old fogey with your 60's & 70's
> memories. I grew up with Kukla, Fran, & Ollie,
> Howdy Doody, Smilin' Ed McConnell/Andy's Gang,
> Sid Caesar's Your Show Of Shows, Amos'n'Andy,
> Life of Riley & more, mostly from the early 50's.
> About the earliest I can remember is 1952. Now
> pass the Geritol and put me out to pasture!!!
> I am glad to know that there is another as old as I. I just posted another reply above. I was born in 1952.
 
My memories go back to about 1964-66..(7-9 years old)..Loved the old cartoon shows /hosts out of Cleveland such as WEWS-5's Captain Penny and KYW/WKYC-3's Barnaby and Woodrow. I also liked the NBC Game Shows like Jeopardy, You Don't Say! and Match Game, along with Snap Judgment, It Takes Two and Concentration..Also the Hanna-Barbera cartoons were aired early evenings on 5 (Huck Hound, Yogi Bear) As far as Prime Time, My favorite shows were Get Smart! and I Dream Of Jeannie along with Bewitched. I remenber specifically the 1965-66 "NBC Week" With Other Shows like My Mother The Car, Camp Runamuck (with Maureen McCormick and Dave Madden in early Roles) Hank and Please Don't Eat The Daisies..
 
My memories go back to about 1954 with shows like Howdy Doody, Circus Boy, The Big Top. I remember my mom watching Arthur Godfrey (he sat at a desk with black headsets on).

> My memories go back to about 1964-66..(7-9 years old)..Loved
> the old cartoon shows /hosts out of Cleveland such as
> WEWS-5's Captain Penny and KYW/WKYC-3's Barnaby and Woodrow.
> I also liked the NBC Game Shows like Jeopardy, You Don't
> Say! and Match Game, along with Snap Judgment, It Takes Two
> and Concentration..Also the Hanna-Barbera cartoons were
> aired early evenings on 5 (Huck Hound, Yogi Bear) As far as
> Prime Time, My favorite shows were Get Smart! and I Dream Of
> Jeannie along with Bewitched. I remenber specifically the
> 1965-66 "NBC Week" With Other Shows like My Mother The Car,
> Camp Runamuck (with Maureen McCormick and Dave Madden in
> early Roles) Hank and Please Don't Eat The Daisies..
>
 
For some reason I remember watching the commercials back then more than the shows itself. The earliest I can remember was watching a cigarette ad for True. For years I didn't remember the brand ( I dont smoke ) but do clearly remember watching a man and a woman wearing white walking into some space-age room and then comes this white cigarette with the announcer saying the future of smoking is here today. This would have been 1970 when I was 2.

A few years ago I stumbled onto this website and they had old cigarette commericals and presto..one from True. Other than the brand, it was almost exactly as I remembered it.

I also remember watching an ad ( this would be when I was 5...1973 ) on local Washington DC TV for the long defunct Marshall Hall Amusement Park. Scenes of the ship to take you there and shots of the many rides. I also remember begging my parents to go, which we did.

It was dump !! The merry-go-round didn't even have power connected to it !!

A tornado destoryed the roller coaster in 1977 and the park soon closed after that.

I also remember watching many of ads back inte early 70s for Farrels Ice Cream, The Red Barn, and Burger Chef ( "Burger Chef..and JEFF" ) and Sambos Restaurants. Never been to a Farrels but I do remember eating at Sambos, Burger Chef, and Red Barn back then.
 
> My memories go back to about 1954 with shows like Howdy
> Doody, Circus Boy, The Big Top. I remember my mom watching
> Arthur Godfrey (he sat at a desk with black headsets on).
>
> > My memories go back to about 1964-66..(7-9 years
> old)..Loved
> > the old cartoon shows /hosts out of Cleveland such as
> > WEWS-5's Captain Penny and KYW/WKYC-3's Barnaby and
> Woodrow.
> > I also liked the NBC Game Shows like Jeopardy, You Don't
> > Say! and Match Game, along with Snap Judgment, It Takes
> Two
> > and Concentration..Also the Hanna-Barbera cartoons were
> > aired early evenings on 5 (Huck Hound, Yogi Bear) As far
> as
> > Prime Time, My favorite shows were Get Smart! and I Dream
> Of
> > Jeannie along with Bewitched. I remenber specifically the
>
> > 1965-66 "NBC Week" With Other Shows like My Mother The
> Car,
> > Camp Runamuck (with Maureen McCormick and Dave Madden in
> > early Roles) Hank and Please Don't Eat The Daisies..
> >
>
The Mickey Mouse Club, Captain Kangaroo, and two local shows on
WFMY/2 Greensboro, NC: The Old Rebel and Pecos Pete and a morning
talk show called Second Breakfast, which followed Captain Kangaroo.
That show always opened with a shot of a coffee pot and cup, and I
always had to take a coffee cup (empty, I think) to the TV when it
came on. My strongest memories of primetime in the late '50s are
of You Bet Your Life and The Millionaire (I can still see Marvin
Miller as Michael Anthony, seated behind a desk and explaining the
setup of John Beresford Tipton's giving away a million dollars to
people he had never met).

Oh, yes, Bess Myerson modeling the mink coat on The Big Payoff,
and Bill Cullen's version of The Price Is Right.
 
Mine go back to around age 3-4 (1969-1970) including Romper Room and Bozo on the original WHDH in Boston, Major Mudd on the original WNAC (God I feel old just typing that!) and the syndicated version of Lassie (which came on just before Ed Sullivan.) Sesame Street is also in the mix somewhere. I also remember watching the Brady Bunch back when WNAC was still an ABC affiliate, so that places it pre March 1972. The other thing I remember is Smokey the Bear and Snuffy Smith cartoons on WTEV (now WLNE) from New Bedford.
 
Re:Red Barn Memories

>> I also remember watching many of ads back inte early 70s for
> Farrels Ice Cream, The Red Barn, and Burger Chef ( "Burger
> Chef..and JEFF" ) and Sambos Restaurants. Never been to a
> Farrels but I do remember eating at Sambos, Burger Chef, and
> Red Barn back then.
>

There is a neat "tribute" site about Red Barn..

http://www.barnbuster.net/index.html

Everything you always wanted to know about Red Barn Restaurants..
 
Re:Red Barn Memories

> >> I also remember watching many of ads back inte early 70s
> for
> > Farrels Ice Cream, The Red Barn, and Burger Chef ( "Burger
>
> > Chef..and JEFF" ) and Sambos Restaurants. Never been to a
>
> > Farrels but I do remember eating at Sambos, Burger Chef,
> and
> > Red Barn back then.
> >
>
> There is a neat "tribute" site about Red Barn..
>
> http://www.barnbuster.net/index.html
>
> Everything you always wanted to know about Red Barn
> Restaurants..
>
"Burger Chef, You're Incrediburgible!"
I go a little further back than that (mid 60's is the earliest I can remember)
Most of the shows I remember from that time were on CBS...I'm not sure of the absolute earliest show I can remember seeing, but the old b/w "Gunsmoke" from Saturday nights might be close, or all the CBS soaps. Here's a weird question...How many people learned the days of the week, in part, by what was on TV on what night? (Andy Griffith on Monday, Red Skelton on Tuesday, Beverly Hillbillies on Wednesday, etc.)
Somebody mentioned being able to remember the 63 or 64 World Series...I can remember the 65 series and thinking what a weird name the Minnesota Twins was.
Even if I don't remember stuff, I must have been paying attention...
My mom and dad swore up and down that once when I was maybe not even 2 years old, when they were tucking me in bed, they said "Good Night, David", and I responded, "Good Night, Chet!"
This may be off topic, but what was some stuff that freaked you out on TV as a kid? Most common answer is the good old Screen Gems S From Heck, but I was old enough when that was first used that it never bugged me, I guess. The scariest thing I remember was the old commercial for Dutch Masters cigars where the guys on the box sang (worst part was when they hummed their pitch...I dang near soiled myself on that one!)
(Scariest thing on TV now: Any news show that takes Ted Kennedy seriously.)
Finally, I noticed that some of the posts on this question go back to the early 50s...Were some of these maybe the first thing you saw when Dad brought your first TV home? On the same thought, what was the first show you ever saw in color? (I think mine was "Lassie")...
OK, enough rambling for one day...
 
Tim I'm Surprised

Mentioning about restaurants and kid shows originating from Cleveland in the 60's, I would have thought you would have made a mention of Barnaby with his ukelele singing "McDonald's Restaurants are the best e-i-e-i-o". Usually you are on the ball about this kind of thing Tim.
 
> Here's one to stir up the cobwebs in yer brain
> cells.....what's the earliest memory you have of watching
> TV? How far back can you go to recall watching a specific
> show at a very young age?
>
> I have a few memories that go back to the 3-5 year old
> range. For some odd reason, the earliest memory I have
> (pre-school age) is watching the syndicated British drama
> "Ivanhoe" with my grandmother. (I became enamored of the
> theme song, which to this day will stick in my brain for
> hours if I happen to think of it.) The show was originally
> broadcast (syndicated) in 1958-59 -- as I was born in '58, I
> don't think I was precocious enough to recall watching it
> first-run -- probably a repeat from maybe '61-63 or so.
>
> I also remember watching the JFK news coverage in November
> 1963. I was too young to fully understand what was
> happening, but I knew that the President had been killed and
> that my family was very upset by it. I do recall watching
> the funeral on TV, and later drove my mother nuts as I would
> march around with my toy drum imitating the drummers in the
> cortege. (Needless to say, she did NOT want to be reminded
> of the funeral.....)
>
> I remember watching some of either the '63 or '64 World
> Series with my grandfather. It had to be one of those two
> years, because I remember he was very pissed that the
> Yankees lost, seeing as he had placed a sizeable bet on
> them!
>
> Finally, not my memory but my mother's.....she says that
> even pre-Kindergarten, I would get up early in the morning
> and actually WATCH the test pattern! (Maybe it was a form of
> self-hypnosis....I dunno). Then she says I would continue
> watching CBS' "Sunrise Semester," which she took as evidence
> of my alleged superior early intellect. (In reality, I
> probably didn't understand a word of what was going on, and
> was just fascinated by any pictures on that big
> black-and-white box. Besides, at that hour in those days,
> it was pretty much either "Sunrise Semester" or the farm
> report, neither of which you would think would hold the
> attention of a pre-schooler!)
>
Here's a few of my earliest memories in front of the 'tube(I was born in '66, BTW):
animated Superman shows
Adventures of Superman
Star Trek
Seseme Street
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
Romper Room
Brakeman Bill & Crazy Donkey(KTNT-11, which would become KSTW-11)
Gilligan's Island reruns
Batman reruns("Holy syndication, Batman!")
Bonanza(the last three or four seasons on NBC)
JP Patches(KIRO-7)
All In the Family
M*A*S*H
Mego toy commericals(hence my screen name)
GI Joe commericials("Get it done, GI Joe")
HR Puff 'n' Stuff
Lindsville

<P ID="signature">______________
"I look out for me and mine."-Capt. Malcom "Mal" Reynolds in Serenity</P><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by MegoMan on 04/03/06 11:08 PM.</FONT></P>
 
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