# Vintage shows I wish they'd air instead of reality shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 19, 2008, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204 "2008-01-19T23:53:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/41 "2008-01-20T15:30:46Z")
[QUOTE=Scuba\_Ben] Anything from the 1930s that anybody remembers. [/QUOTE] The Felix the Cat screen test? Hitler opening the 1936 Olympics? Live boxing matches from Madison Square Garden, broadcast over a whopping 10 mile radius? ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/42 "2008-01-20T15:44:52Z")
I’ll second The Monkees–Nickelodeon used to show it when I was coming home from school. I loved that show, and the music is classic too. [QUOTE=Koxinga] Live boxing matches from Madison Square Garden, broadcast over a whopping 10 mile radius? [/QUOTE] I’d watch 'em, if it were even possible to show them–did they even have recording capabilities back then? ---
**Author:** ![zenith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zenith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zenith)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/43 "2008-01-20T16:12:44Z")
Another vote for _Perry Mason_ and _Alfred Hitchcock Presents_. I’d like to add the original _Kolchak, The Night Stalker_. I happen to be lucky enough to have a PBS channel that plays _One Foot In The Grave_, but would like to see them bring back _Allo, Allo_ ,as well. ---
**Author:** ![supervenusfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@supervenusfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supervenusfreak)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/44 "2008-01-20T16:24:57Z")
[QUOTE=jali] I’ll second “Cop Rock”! …That show from Alaska - I can’t recall the name. Doctor in a small town. [/QUOTE] That would be **Northern Exposure**. I’d like to add **Wonderfalls** to the list. ---
**Author:** ![Stringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Stringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringer)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/45 "2008-01-20T17:58:46Z")
The Larry Sanders Show. Even more pressing since only the first season is on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/46 "2008-01-20T18:33:27Z")
Off-topic a little, but I’ve been watching some TV series instantly on Netflix, like Kolshack that someone mentioned above. If you have broadband and a Netflix account, you can watch some of these. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/47 "2008-01-20T18:38:31Z")
CPO Sharkey ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/48 "2008-01-20T23:24:40Z")
[**Open All Night**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081913/) [**Hot L Baltimore**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072512/) [**Threat Matrix**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364888/) ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/49 "2008-01-20T23:35:08Z")
The original miniseries, _Rich Man Poor Man,_ with Nick Nolte and Peter Strauss as two brothers and Ed Asner as their father, whose lives take dramatically different paths. The show contains deep moral messages about following one’s dreams and the corruption of power. And has a lot of really memorable characters. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/50 "2008-01-20T23:49:10Z")
For a little variety, I wouldn’t mind seeing _The Midnight Special_. ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/51 "2008-01-21T00:45:42Z")
I’d go for: [The Man and the Challenge](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0131178/) [Peter Gunn](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051301/) [The Ernie Kovacs Show](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044262/) along with a boatload of the shows already mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/52 "2008-01-21T01:04:17Z")
You guys have such great memories…so many of these shows I’d forgotten about. So many were so very good…or just fun. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/53 "2008-01-21T01:14:49Z")
how about some shows from the UK? _ **Black Books** _ or _ **Spaced** _ (STILL waiting for the DVD in the US) ?? ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/54 "2008-01-21T01:20:15Z")
What, **The Young Ones** , **One Foot in the Grave** , **Doctor Who** , and **Hamish Macbeth** don’t count? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/55 "2008-01-21T01:26:11Z")
I want to see the mini-series of yore return. Let’s run **Roots, Shogun, The Thorn Birds, Lonesome Dove, The Stand** and all the other good, long (at least six hours long) mini-series, the ones that did justice to the book. I heard a rumor TNT did a four hour mini-series of _Mists of Aval_on a few years back…but I’m sure that’s just a rumor. (Yes, I know **Roots** is on TVOne right this very minute and Sci-Fi Channel airs \*\*The Stand \*\* every one in awhile.) ---
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/56 "2008-01-21T01:28:44Z")
Surely I’m not the only one who’d be happy to see episodes of **Beverly Hills 90210** and **Melrose Place** re-aired? ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/57 "2008-01-21T01:30:26Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] \ I heard a rumor TNT did a four hour mini-series of _Mists of Aval_on a few years back…but I’m sure that’s just a rumor. \ [/QUOTE] [It is a mini-series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mists_of_Avalon_%28TV_miniseries%29). ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/58 "2008-01-21T01:39:39Z")
[QUOTE=Zabali\_Clawbane] [It is a mini-series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mists_of_Avalon_%28TV_miniseries%29). [/QUOTE] I know. I saw it. I watched it with my SILs. They came over both nights and we ate caviar and crackers and sipped wine. I had turned them on to the book and they were as eager for the mini-series as I was. I taped it while I was watching so I could keep it. When it was over I said, “Well, shit” and rewound the tape. A friend of mine at work and I hugged each other in despair the next day. I’m treating it like **Star Trek V** or **Highlander III** …it never happened. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/59 "2008-01-21T01:42:36Z")
Ok, my suggestions: **It’s About Time, The Flip Wilson Show, the Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Wonderful World of Disney, Welcome Back Kotter** ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204/60 "2008-01-21T01:42:48Z")
(ETA: Replying to **Ivylass** ) Ah, gotcha. I haven’t seen it. Is it really that bad? It strays from the plot/spirit of the book that much?! :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vintage-shows-i-wish-theyd-air-instead-of-reality-shows/434204.md?page=4)