Television, TeleTubbies, and Telemarketing

Kathryn and I have spent the past few days in Charleston, SC celebrating our one year anniversary/Spring Break. One of my favorite parts about vacation is the all-you-can-watch-cable television in the hotel room. We have rabbit ears on our television at home. With aluminum foil crunched up on the ends. We get 2 channels. And one of them is a bit fuzzy. So endless channels of television is a treat for us.

After the initial first sitting of media-ized gluttony, I began to think about how absolutely terrible a number of shows are that were a regular part of my upbringing. For example - I remember regularly watching The Munsters and the Adam's Family reruns growing up. Looking back, I can't help but be puzzled by the decisions of television executive programmers. Who thought that a sitcom based on the domestic issues of a haunted, monster nuclear family was a good idea? And who was it that came along and said - that is such a good idea, let's create another show like that, only this time it will involve some members from the extended family - Uncle Fester, Cousin It, etc. The more puzzling question may be - why did we watch these shows? How were they at all relatable?

And who came along and thought that Golden Girls was a good idea? Who said - Let's make a show about the sex lives of four single senior citizen women? Yep, I watched that show too. And why in the world could Zach Morris stop time? We haven't made nearly as big of a deal with that as we should. That is absolutely crazy. Stopping time? So Zach Morris has supernatural powers??? Seriously.

Who's The Boss? Pushing the gender roles with this one. How does a tough New York Italian go from playing professional baseball to working as a live-in housekeeper? Not buying the premise. Who's the Boss also capitalized on the sexual escapades of a senior citizen woman, Mona, who was Angela's (Judith Light) mother. I just don't get it.

Full House. Ever gone back and seen those reruns. Sheesh. 3 single grown men living together in an enormous house in San Francisco raising 3 girls together. The plot was simple: Put a relatively normal though neurotic clean freak (Danny Tanner) together with a wild, out of work very bad comedian (Uncle Joey) mixed with a babe-chasin, long-haired, rock and roll wanna-be (Uncle Jesse) and let the hilarity ensue. Terrible, unbearable acting. Predictable, serious moral lesson moment at the end accompanied by orchestra. The producers cast two people for one part.

So many bad shows.