# What Was A "TV Event" When You Were A Kid **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 30, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-a-tv-event-when-you-were-a-kid/580299 "2011-04-30T17:05:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-a-tv-event-when-you-were-a-kid/580299/81 "2011-05-02T20:27:14Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > I know this is slightly off-topic, but I wonder if last night’s events will be remembered by the younger generation as a TV event? Most of them were in bed, so not likely… ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-a-tv-event-when-you-were-a-kid/580299/82 "2011-05-02T20:36:46Z")
I would have replied before now, but I’ve been busy chasing kids off my lawn. Doesn’t anyone else remember when the country (the US) just about shut down on Tuesday evenings to watch the Milton Berle Show? That was a weekly event that almost defined a generation of TV watchers. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-a-tv-event-when-you-were-a-kid/580299/83 "2011-05-02T22:50:41Z")
I saw _Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_ on TV when I was quite young, probably three or so. It made quite an impression on me, especially the Augustus Gloop scene. Either it never aired on a free TV again, or I missed every other broadcast, but I didn’t see the full movie again (on HBO) until I was about 10 when I was fortunate enough to be home sick from school (quite legitimately sick) when it was aired during the morning. Wizard of Oz was old hat by then, I didn’t even run and hide during Wizard scenes by then, and Charlie Brown specials weren’t that special anymore. But that morning I got to see Willy Wonka again was the best sick day ever. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-a-tv-event-when-you-were-a-kid/580299/84 "2011-05-02T23:03:09Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Most of them were in bed, so not likely… Not in the Pacific Time Zone. The story broke around 7:40 p.m. PDT and Obama’s speech was on before 9 p.m. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-a-tv-event-when-you-were-a-kid/580299/85 "2011-05-03T10:10:03Z")
The TV premiere of the film **Airport** was pretty big as well. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-a-tv-event-when-you-were-a-kid/580299/86 "2011-05-03T13:51:30Z")
> [@Ronald\_C.Semone](#): > > I would have replied before now, but I’ve been busy chasing kids off my lawn. > > Doesn’t anyone else remember when the country (the US) just about shut down on Tuesday evenings to watch the Milton Berle Show? That was a weekly event that almost defined a generation of TV watchers. Of course, but that was a weekly event, like \*I Love Lucy \* and later, \*Twilight Zone. \*There were never any kids still playing outside when these shows came on. And we thought the shows would never be re-broadcast. No reruns then. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-a-tv-event-when-you-were-a-kid/580299/87 "2011-05-03T14:18:49Z")
How about The Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner show on Saturday mornings? When I heard that it was no longer on, I had to go lie down for a while. I remember when Gone With the Wind was going to be on, two hours one night and two hours the next, my mom made me go to bed and take a nap right after school so I could stay up late. A friend came to the door to ask me out to play, and when I told her why I couldn’t come, she looked at me like I had two heads. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-a-tv-event-when-you-were-a-kid/580299.md?page=4)