Sean Kennedy's Top 5 Childhood Television Memories

Thursday April 26, 2018

 

Back in my day watching TV was a much simpler affair.  We only had three (yes, three!) television stations in Western Australia, and what was mainly shown was repeats.  Therefore I have an affinity for a lot of shows that were made before my time, but thanks to a lack of stations and a lack of programming were shown on endless loops.

 

5.  LOST IN SPACE

Even as a kid I hated Will Robinson.  I always tended to side with Dr Smith and Penny because they always seemed to be the odd ones out in their family, the misfits who suddenly had the misfortune of being stuck in space with a bunch of arseholes who thought they were much better than them.

 

4.  LAND OF THE LOST

People sure got lost in television narrative dramas in those days.  This was basically Lost In Space, except Lost In An Anachronistic Historical Timeframe.  Even I thought it was a bit odd that the dad eventually got sucked back into his own time, leaving his kids behind, while his brother strangely was sucked in and left to look after his nephew and niece.

 

3.  THE BIONIC WOMAN/THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN

Because what kid didn't run around their back yard in slow motion doing the 'dnn-dnn-dnn' sound?  This is also where the running theme of seventies men with hairy chests began sinking into my consciousness and influencing future tastes.

 

2.  BUCK ROGERS

See above, for fabulous hairy chest related news.

 

1.  ARK II

For years people thought I was making this show up.  "It's like, this really cool show about an Asian woman, a Hispanic boy, a hot blonde (N.B. see note about hairy chests) and a chimpanzee are all scientists and travel around a post-apocalyptic landscape in a giant silver bus!"  But it exists!  And it was eventually released on DVD!  Reader, I bought the set.

 

So, what are your favourites?