Television tagged with 70s

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time of traditions, and for kids of the past few decades, one of the most beloved of them, besides the behemoth meal, is curling up in front of the television to watch the classic animated special, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Created by master illustrator Charles M. Schulz and filled with all of his colorful Peanuts characters, this seasonal cartoon has delighted kids for over 35 years.

ABC Afterschool Special

16 Comments

Learning can be fun! At least, that was the ABC Network’s stance when it came to programming for children and teens. With its series of after school specials, ABC managed to deliver some worthwhile lessons and coin a phrase at the same time. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the TV movies taught us all a valuable lesson about pretty much everything, from proper nutrition to the dangers of drug and alcohol.

Alvin and the Chipmunks

4 Comments

When Ross Bagdasarian changed his name to David Seville, sped up his recorded voice, and released the single, “The Chipmunk Song,” he never could have fathomed the enormous popularity that would follow. Over a half-century later, his trio of Chipmunks – Alvin, Simon and Theodore – are still going strong, appearing in feature films and delighting young audiences with their squeaky voices and irrepressible charm. Let’s take a look back.

Ark II

1 Comment

When the Saturday morning series Ark II debuted in 1976, it bore little more than a slight resemblance to its biblical counterpart. Sure, there was a post-apocalyptic world and a small group of survivors determined to repopulate the earth. And yes, they had an Ark of sorts, alhtough this one was a tad more advanced than its gopher-wood constructed ancestor. It was more of a high-tech Land Rover on steroids. Missing, however, were the countless pairs of animals - although to their credit, they did have a monkey. Regardless, Ark II made enough of an impression on young tykes in the 70s to stick around for a few years on television, then live on in their collective memories for decades beyond.

Battle of the Network Stars

5 Comments

Remember back when there were only three major networks on TV? It seems so long ago. There were ABC, NBC and CBS and each network fought vigorously for their slice of the pie. And while viewers might not have been privy to the cutthroat nature of the business behind the scenes, they were at least able to get a glimpse of their favorite stars try to best each other on The Battle of the Network Stars.

Best Brady Vacation?

7 Comments

Today, we try to answer one of the less profound, but strangely intriguing pop culture questions of the day. And although it could be a little exclusionary for some, we suspect that there are enough hardcore fans out there to weigh in on the topic. Today’s odd little face-off asks the question – which was [...]

Big Blue Marble

BJ and the Bear

1 Comment

After years of being reminded that a dog is man's best friend, we learned in the 70s that primates make pretty good pals as well, especially when one is driving a truck. First, we saw Clint Eastwood traveling the nation's highways with his sidekick orangutan in two successful movies, Every Which Way But Loose, and the follow-up, Every Which Way You Can. Then, as network executives began to see the potential of such an interspecies pairing, we were treated to a lighthearted weekly series called BJ and the Bear.

Candid Camera

Captain Kangaroo

3 Comments

Every morning, he opened the door to his Treasure House and invited kids to share an easygoing hour of laughter and learning. He wore a jacket with giant pockets, and thus came his name, Captain Kangaroo. He had the longest running children’s program in network television history. (Only Public TV’s Sesame Street can beat the record.) Let's take a look back at this beloved show.