1960... it was the end of one era, the beginning of another. I was 5 years old, I'd just started school, my world was about to expand dramatically, and television was having an impact on society - there was a whole other world out there... it was wondrous...
It was the start of the "Golden Era of Television". We were influenced greatly by America and programmes were a 'mixed bag' - from the 'perfect', cutesy, American families the likes of Father Knows Best, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and Leave it to Beaver, the zaniness of Lucille Ball and Phyllis Diller to the larrikan Aussie humour of Graham Kennedy and Bert Newton... they were worlds apart - but we were eager for entertainment and we lapped it all up hungrily.
In January 1960 the "logies" were in their second year and people couldn't wait to vote for their favourite shows. Here's some of the winners (ironic that the awards were yet to be televised!!!)
Program Of The Year: 77 Sunset Strip
(I would start to enjoy this as I moved towards my teens and that unchartered territory called sexuality!!!)
6 o’clock rock with Johnny O’Keefe and Bandstand with Brian Henderson were the popular music shows, and people couldn't get enough...
But I was only 5 at the time, so here are just a few of the shows that I loved...
Circus Boy - I loved all the antics of the circus animals - and I had a crush on Corky (later we'd know him as Mickey Dolenz from The Monkees - yep, an even bigger crush then!!!)...
Mr. Squiggle - I was amazed at what could be drawn with Mr. Squiggle's pencil nose... I could have watched him all day!!!
Lassie - what more can I say... you needed a 'hankie' to watch the movies, and you dreamt about having a loyal mate like Lassie and going on many an adventure!!!!
Adventures of Rin-tin-tin - of course, American 'westerns' were really big - Gunsmoke, Sugarfoot, Rawhide - the list goes on... so "Rin-tin-tin" was going to be a big hit - another incredible dog... I loved "Rinny"...
This is only similar to the outfit I had (very patriotic American hey)... mine was green with yellow 'trim' (obviously made for the Australian market!!) - sorry, there's no photo of me wearing it... cameras and film weren't something you always had on hand in those days - well, not if you were working class anyway!!!!
Of course, news was popular - we got to see what was happening in the world- there was so much happening politically - but I wasn't old enough to understand the changes that were taking place just yet... I was just enjoying being a child - and who wouldn't... me mum was the head cashier at Luna Park and the Palais Theatre... the things I got to do and see - it was a wonderful time - it was a great life for a child!!!!
but my world was expanding and the best was yet to come...
it was the beginning of the 60s - there was change in the air - and I was starting to learn and grow... this decade was going to hold rich and fertile learning experiences for all...
to be continued.....
2 comments:
Well as the guy on the Cadbury chocolate ad said- "Why is it so?"
A question common also to 'The Curiosity Show ( another 70's fave of mine..)
But what I'm getting to in my obscure way is that some fifteen years later I too was watching Lassie and weeping, and wondering why my Sally-dog didn't entwine me in as many adventures (but gosh she was fun in the pool!)
I sang along with Mr Doobie on Romper Room (which in my twenties had entirely new connotations!) and always thought Miz Jane seemed to want a little vibratto from Mr Squiggle!
Alongside all of this were so many re-runs of 'Happy Days' and the 'Brady Brunch' that I could, and still can- quote verbatim.
It would be too easy to say that kids don't have that now; that the Broadcast Gods have fucked it all up...
Yet how many kids have spent ten years with 'The Simpsons' or 'Southpark' and how much more subversive are those shows?
So be it; in all the crazy world of the Y (or are we now up to Z) generation...some things always stay the same...
oh and P.S.
I had a 'wonder-woman' outfit that included a really bad black string wig!
sailorlily
that was quick Sailor Lily... you commented while I was still fixing up post...
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