# What tv show that's off the air do you miss the most? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2014, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-show-thats-off-the-air-do-you-miss-the-most/684267 "2014-03-22T05:47:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-show-thats-off-the-air-do-you-miss-the-most/684267/141 "2014-04-01T14:06:16Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > This is one area where newfangled devices like recorders and the Internet have destroyed the childhood experience. I remember running home as fast as I could every day to watch it (_Dark Shadows_), because my school a half mile away let out about 10 or 15 minutes before it started. Dark Shadows did the same thing other soap operas did; see if this rings a bell: Monday - the first half of the episode re-caps all of last week (which wasn’t much, as you’ll see). The second half gives you 10 minutes of real story-propelling “plot.” Tuesday through Thursday - not much happens. Friday - the first half of the episode re-caps this week (which wasn’t much). The second half gives you 10 minutes of real story-propelling “plot.” This is where the new monster or the threatening situation (this will all be next week’s “story”) is introduced, to sucker you into tuning in next week. Rinse and repeat. Did I miss anything? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-show-thats-off-the-air-do-you-miss-the-most/684267/142 "2014-04-01T14:56:24Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > This is one area where newfangled devices like recorders and the Internet have destroyed the childhood experience. I remember running home as fast as I could every day to watch it (_Dark Shadows_), because my school a half mile away let out about 10 or 15 minutes before it started. Oh, God, yes! Newfangled devices and the abhorrent practice of going directly from one show into another without so much as a station break! I remember watching _ **Tom Jones** _ at a friend’s house at 8:00 on Friday nights back in 1966, and then jumping on my bike to get home in time for _ **The Avengers** _ at 9:00. It was about a five-minute trip at top speed, but I made it every time. In _ **MAD Magazine** _, they once had an article on the art of how to watch TV; if you did things right in the gap between shows, you could go to the kitchen, make two baloney-and-cheese sandwiches, pour a glass of milk, and get back to your armchair in time for the next teaser. Now you don’t even have time for a quick toilet break! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Zyanthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Zyanthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyanthia)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-show-thats-off-the-air-do-you-miss-the-most/684267/143 "2014-04-01T16:49:29Z")
I miss watching Elliot, Hardison, and Parker. I was so hoping they were making a Leverage International version with the ending shown in “The Long Goodbye Job”. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-show-thats-off-the-air-do-you-miss-the-most/684267/144 "2014-04-01T19:46:09Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > This is one area where newfangled devices like recorders and the Internet have destroyed the childhood experience. I remember running home as fast as I could every day to watch it (_Dark Shadows_), because my school a half mile away let out about 10 or 15 minutes before it started. I only had two blocks to walk to my grandmother’s house, so I didn’t have to run. It was a perfect show for after school. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-show-thats-off-the-air-do-you-miss-the-most/684267/145 "2014-04-01T20:39:58Z")
“Life” with Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi. MST3K Firefly ---
**Author:** ![will567](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/51bf81/32.png) [@will567](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/will567)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-show-thats-off-the-air-do-you-miss-the-most/684267/146 "2014-04-01T21:14:00Z")
The Prisoner, with Patrick McGoohan. “I am not a number, I am a free man.” Loved that show when I was a kid, many moons ago. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-show-thats-off-the-air-do-you-miss-the-most/684267/147 "2014-04-01T21:46:14Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > It has dawned on me that I would prefer that [The Joy of Painting](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ross) still be on. Happy little trees. It still is, at least where I live (Toronto/Buffalo region). I stumbled upon it one afternoon a few months ago and said “Oh, wow, is that mellow dude still at it?!?” It took me a few minutes to realize that the reason he hadn’t aged a day was because the videotape was about thirty years old… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-show-thats-off-the-air-do-you-miss-the-most/684267/148 "2014-04-01T21:50:13Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > “Life” with Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi. Loved this show; just re-watched the dvds a few weeks ago. It’s one of those that I just knew wasn’t going to last, though, like starting to watch something on FOX. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-show-thats-off-the-air-do-you-miss-the-most/684267/149 "2014-04-02T04:10:24Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > It still is, at least where I live (Toronto/Buffalo region). I stumbled upon it one afternoon a few months ago and said “Oh, wow, is that mellow dude still at it?!?” > > It took me a few minutes to realize that the reason he hadn’t aged a day was because the videotape was about thirty years old… :smack: I’ve heard rumors that it’s on youtube, too. Haven’t checked. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-show-thats-off-the-air-do-you-miss-the-most/684267.md?page=7)