OT - does anyone remember when TV ended at midnight...

Old 03-30-2008, 01:07 PM
  # 1 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Eastern Time Zone
Posts: 1,011
OT - does anyone remember when TV ended at midnight...

it would end with a jet pilot flying through the clouds. The background was a man saying a poem or something...

I remember the middle of the poem as "time in its flight."

I remember the last line as "reach out and touch the face of God."


Does that jog anyone's memory??
sojourner is offline  
Old 03-30-2008, 01:11 PM
  # 2 (permalink)  
Member
 
sailorjohn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Baghdad
Posts: 2,822
Oh yeah! Remember the "local content", "Traffic Court" "Divorce Court"?
sailorjohn is offline  
Old 03-30-2008, 04:09 PM
  # 3 (permalink)  
Member
 
Bernadette's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Boston
Posts: 2,936
hey Sojourner--
Yes I totally remember that surreal poem! And then the snow fuzzing on...TV was over for the night!

I'm 41 - so I guess that was back in the late seventies/early eighties....

SailorJ, I never saw local content like traffic court or divorce court in Mass. where I grew up. That sounds crazy. How hilarious would it be to watch tapes of those programs today!!??

I try not to say "it was better back then..." cuz I know it makes me feel like an old fogey but I do feel that way!

Peace,
B.
Bernadette is offline  
Old 03-30-2008, 07:29 PM
  # 4 (permalink)  
Don't get undies in a bunch
 
best's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: South Shore MA
Posts: 7,120
As I remember...this may be it.


High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air. . . .

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

— John Gillespie Magee, Jr

And then you would hear the test signal and it would then change to the test pattern.

When the TV would turn off (the old one) as the tube would be cooling down, you would get the white dot in the middle for about 5 minutes.
and when color came out...

Last edited by best; 03-30-2008 at 07:48 PM.
best is offline  
Old 03-30-2008, 07:53 PM
  # 5 (permalink)  
Member
 
prodigal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Keepin' my side of the litterbox clean
Posts: 2,136
Okay, best, you're making me feel that arthritis in my thumb tonight!! And, yes, I remember the little white dot right in the center of the screen.

I remember it was such a big deal that NBC was the first "all-color" network. I remember the NBC peacock. I remember dad brining home our first color set. It was a Zenith or a Motorola, and it had legs, the speaker was on the left side of the box and the screen was on the right. I dunno ... probably a 20-inch screen.

Anyone who is game ... what was your favorite t.v. show of all time? What was your favorite show when you were little (before you started elementary school)?

My favorite all time t.v. show: Frasier

My favorite show when I was little: The Bugs Bunny Show; starring that Oscar-Winning Rabbit, Bugs Bunny. (I must admit I LOVE Daffy Duck - he was one ticked-off, sarcastic bird!)
prodigal is offline  
Old 03-30-2008, 07:55 PM
  # 6 (permalink)  
Member
 
prodigal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Keepin' my side of the litterbox clean
Posts: 2,136
Question!!

Does anyone here know why the sign-off screen saver had an Indian on it? There was the main circle, and at the top of it was this Indian. Significance??
prodigal is offline  
Old 03-30-2008, 08:02 PM
  # 7 (permalink)  
Don't get undies in a bunch
 
best's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: South Shore MA
Posts: 7,120
Indian head pennies. The indian standing outside the tobacco store.
Indians used a sign/symbol at the times may be why.
American Heritage and the Indain go hand in hand.

Here is what Wikipedia says...

Indian Head test card - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
best is offline  
Old 03-30-2008, 08:28 PM
  # 8 (permalink)  
Member
 
prodigal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Keepin' my side of the litterbox clean
Posts: 2,136
Thank you, best. Now I know more than I ever imagined I would need to know about the Indian head sign-off card. If it ever comes up on "Jeopardy!" ...
prodigal is offline  
Old 03-30-2008, 08:41 PM
  # 9 (permalink)  
Member
 
sailorjohn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Baghdad
Posts: 2,822
Originally Posted by Bernadette View Post
hey Sojourner--
Yes I totally remember that surreal poem! And then the snow fuzzing on...TV was over for the night!

I'm 41 - so I guess that was back in the late seventies/early eighties....

SailorJ, I never saw local content like traffic court or divorce court in Mass. where I grew up. That sounds crazy. How hilarious would it be to watch tapes of those programs today!!??

I try not to say "it was better back then..." cuz I know it makes me feel like an old fogey but I do feel that way!

Peace,
B.

Back in the day the local NBC affiliate was owned by the local newspaper, the Detroit News. Aside from the soaps there wasn't much programming, the locals would produce shows like traffic court. Same guys getting busted! They didn't have videotape back then, used another process call kinescope-I think-to record programming. It was definitely more original back then. Do you remember a cartoon named "Tom Terrific" used to air on Captain Kangaroo?
sailorjohn is offline  
Old 03-30-2008, 09:37 PM
  # 10 (permalink)  
Keepingmyjoy
 
keepingmyjoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: NY
Posts: 328
Wow...I remember the sign offs....guess I am getting older!

Prod...my all time fav show when young....Johnny Quest (the old ones), then Little House on the Prairie...

My fav show of all time--tough one. I would have to say I Love Lucy!
keepingmyjoy is offline  
Old 03-31-2008, 05:07 AM
  # 11 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 4,290
Yeah I remember the signoffs. This came up at home a little while ago. We were watching Poltergeist and my son and his friends asked about the screen going to fuzz. They couldn't believe that everything just went off at night.
Barbara52 is offline  
Old 03-31-2008, 06:49 AM
  # 12 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Eastern Time Zone
Posts: 1,011
TV going off at midnight and ending with such a fantastic poem was just one of the thousands of ways that the culture helped me, in an alcoholic home, grasp personal integrity.

I always, even as a youngster, was uncomfortable with Laugh-In. What did the Smothers Brothers gain with constantly pushing the envelope with unacceptable program content and challenging the FCC. We now have much more "realistic" content on TV, billboards, radio - but at what cost? I knew as a youngster that I needed to see integrity outside of my home because that was the only place I could get it -

I look around at the culture today and see how much is out there that blocks the messages of personal integrity. Where do children see those messages that teach them the better way to behave?
sojourner is offline  
Old 03-31-2008, 10:58 AM
  # 13 (permalink)  
Guest
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,826
Absolutely!!!!!!!!!

On the Canadian Stations the National Anthem would come on with the Canadian Flag flying and then something that looked like a dart board would be on the T.V fo rthe rest of the night until 6am.

Back in the days of balck and white T.V.

Ngaire
fluffyflea is offline  
Old 03-31-2008, 11:55 AM
  # 14 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 2,126
Cool

I'm with Earthworm.....although, for me, I remember the American flag and the US National Anthem playing and then ............. nada

But I'll tell ya folks.....I'm not mentioning my fave TV shows from when I was younger until I read some posts from some older folks.....most of the fave shows I've read on this thread.....heck, I was an adult when they were on air.....lolol


NoelleR
NoelleR is offline  
Old 03-31-2008, 01:18 PM
  # 15 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 633
Originally Posted by NoelleR View Post
I'm with Earthworm.....although, for me, I remember the American flag and the US National Anthem playing and then ............. nada

But I'll tell ya folks.....I'm not mentioning my fave TV shows from when I was younger until I read some posts from some older folks.....most of the fave shows I've read on this thread.....heck, I was an adult when they were on air.....lolol


NoelleR

This is the one I remember! the flag and anthem
hadenoughnow is offline  
Old 03-31-2008, 05:16 PM
  # 16 (permalink)  
Guest
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,826
YES!

Ngaire




Originally Posted by sailorjohn View Post
Back in the day the local NBC affiliate was owned by the local newspaper, the Detroit News. Aside from the soaps there wasn't much programming, the locals would produce shows like traffic court. Same guys getting busted! They didn't have videotape back then, used another process call kinescope-I think-to record programming. It was definitely more original back then. Do you remember a cartoon named "Tom Terrific" used to air on Captain Kangaroo?
fluffyflea is offline  
Old 03-31-2008, 05:19 PM
  # 17 (permalink)  
Guest
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,826
I don't know but when you find out let me know.

The wildest show we had on when I was a teenager was Happy Days.

Ngaire




Originally Posted by sojourner View Post
TV going off at midnight and ending with such a fantastic poem was just one of the thousands of ways that the culture helped me, in an alcoholic home, grasp personal integrity.

I always, even as a youngster, was uncomfortable with Laugh-In. What did the Smothers Brothers gain with constantly pushing the envelope with unacceptable program content and challenging the FCC. We now have much more "realistic" content on TV, billboards, radio - but at what cost? I knew as a youngster that I needed to see integrity outside of my home because that was the only place I could get it -

I look around at the culture today and see how much is out there that blocks the messages of personal integrity. Where do children see those messages that teach them the better way to behave?
fluffyflea is offline  
Old 03-31-2008, 07:52 PM
  # 18 (permalink)  
Wipe your paws elsewhere!
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,672
Yes, I remember that "going off the air" poem. It came on shortly after Rod Serling's "Night Gallery. Or was that "The Twilight Zone?"

OK, here is one of my favorite shows that many of the youngin's probably never heard of and certainly shows my age (48)--Lost in Space. That show scared the bejeebers out of me. "Danger, Will Robinson."

Another old fave of mine: The original Star Trek. Captain Kirk was my first boyfriend. Man, I thought he was soooo hot. Now when I see an old episode, I think to myself, WTF?
FormerDoormat is offline  
Old 03-31-2008, 08:02 PM
  # 19 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: phoenix arizona
Posts: 741
I wish t.v. still ended so I wouldn't get caught up watching something when I should be asleep. I missed out!
aztchr is offline  
Old 03-31-2008, 08:48 PM
  # 20 (permalink)  
Member
 
prodigal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Keepin' my side of the litterbox clean
Posts: 2,136
The ORIGINAL Twilight Zone. You can still see it from time to time on the SciFi Channel. Remember Wm. Shatner (aka "Captain James T. Kirk") in "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"??? That's where a gremlin (some guy in a really hokey zipped-up suit) was out on the wing of the plane trying to rip the propeller apart? Talk about scared!

I used to enjoy "The Alfred Hitchcock Show" and "The Outer Limits" as well. Then one night after watching a particularly weird episode, I went to bed and my dad (who was hiding in my closet) started howling.

I still watch some of the episodes of the black-and-white "Andy Griffith Show." I wonder if there is a small town somewhere that is really like Mayberry ...
prodigal is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:42 AM.