Today's QOTD: October 21-23, 2010

October 21:  ‎"My name? Maynard G. Krebs. Oh, by the way, man, the "G" stands for Walter. You dig?" Maynard G. Krebs (Bob Denver: 1935-2005) from "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" (1959-1963).

October 22:  ‎"No thank you, Mrs. Cleaver. I really must be getting home. We're having squab this evening." - Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmond - b.1943), "Leave It To Beaver" First Season - 1957

October 23:  ‎"Like we say in the sewer, time and tide wait for no man. I know just how you feel because I went through the same thing two or three years ago when they laid me off from the sewer. I felt just like a fish out of water." - Ed Norton (Art Carney 1918-2003), "The Honeymooners" First Season - 1955

In the "Golden Age" of Television, life was much simpler than it is today.  Besides Dobie Gillis, The Cleavers and "Norton and Kramden," we watched programs like "Howdy Doody" and "Captain Kangaroo."  Color TV sets were not available in the late 50's and early 60's, and when they were (RCA, Zenith and Magnovox), they were EXPENSIVE!

However, the "Cold War" was in full force, and we practiced the "Duck and Cover" drills often.  How funny that seems today, for covering your head and ducking would not have saved you from an Atomic warhead and the aftermath.  You remember the Public Service Announcement from the Civil Defense, don't you?  It went something like this:  "On a nice summer day, you walk with your friends to the park.  Suddenly, there's a flash of light!  Oh no, it's an Atomic Bomb!  Be safe, remember: Duck and Cover!  It'll save your life!"

However, that was it!  Most of us had Moms that stayed home and had dinner waiting when Dad came home from work, and there were three (yes, THREE) networks:  NBC, CBS and ABC!  PBS didn't come about until the 1960's, and Sesame Street wasn't around until November 10, 1969, AFTER the Eagle had landed on the Moon (Apollo 11) on July 20, 1969.

Don't you wish you could turn back time and watch "My Three Sons," "I Spy," "Julia," and "The Man From U.N.C.L.E?"  (David McCallum can now be seen as "Ducky" on NCIS!  Have we all aged THAT much?  I remember when he was quite dapper and young!)  Here's some more memories:

• "I Like Ike"
• "77 Sunset Strip"  ("Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb!" sung by Connie Stevens - b.1938)
• "Hawaii Five-O" (The ORIGINAL Series!  "Book-em, Dano!" The Ventures theme song - WOW!)
• "The Monkeys"  (The "Pre-Fab" Four)
• "Batman"  (That's . . . right, . . . .Robin!)
• "Star Trek" (The Original - "He's Dead, Jim!" or "I'm a Doctor, not a Mechanic!")
• "The Time Tunnel"
•  "Land of the Giants"
• "Lost in Space!"  (Danger, Will Robinson!)
• "My Mother, the Car!"
• "Get Smart"  ("Would you believe . . . ")
• "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea"
• "Bonanza!"
• "The High Chaparral"
• "Rowen and Martin's Laugh-In" (Sock it to ME!)

And many, many more.  Most importantly, we spent time as a family and we saved Saturday nights for the NBC "Saturday Night at the Movies" and Sunday Nights were "The Ed Sullivan Show" on CBS (or "Toast of the Town" - depending on your age and when you first watched Ed Sullivan's Variety Show).

Wouldn't you like to turn back the clock just for one day?

Here's to a simpler life for all of us - hoping that it's just around the corner; may we find a way to work as a Nation and make it happen!

Think about it . . .

Yogi: 10/23/2010 4:37PM CDT