Top Tuesdays: Top TV shows that aired before 1975.

Not including Star Trek. These are more feel good, slapstick, sit-coms that have been re-running for ever.

7. McHale's Navy.

 

This is a funny show about a group of Navy men during World War Two. Not only is this a funny show, it has Tim Conway in it as well! Tim Conway is one of my favorite funny people. He's hilarious.

6. The Partridge Family.

 

This is a show about the musical Partridge family and their goofy manager Reubin. This is a fun show... and if I were alive back when it aired, I would surely be one of the girls who had a crush on Keith Partridge (David Cassidy. The farthest right in the back row). Although Danny (the redhead) is probably tied with Keith as my favorite character.

5. Gidget.

 

Gidget, which only ran for one season (sadly) was a sitcom that starred Sally Field as the surfing-loving, freshman, Frances - or, Gidget, as everyone calls her.
She is the second daughter of a single professor. Her older sister is married to a psychologist.
This is a very cute, fun show. Gidget is always full of surprises and likes to push her limits. She always has a plan (and it usually gets her in trouble). Her father, sister, brother in-law, and friend Larue are great supporting characters.

4. The Monkees.

 

England had The Beatles, and America had The Monkees. The Monkees were (I believe) a made-for-TV-band. They were thrown together to create a musical sitcom about four guys who live together and are trying to get famous.
I love this show. Some of you may be going "WHAT?! HOW can she like the Monkees? She's a Beatles fan! The Monkees just look like Americanized Beatles!" It's perfectly fine for me to like The Monkees because they and The Beatles weren't enemies. John Lennon even said that he never missed one of their shows. So ha.
Anyway, The Monkees show is right up my alley because it's all slapstick humor, which I love.
Micky (top left) is the actor of the group. In the show he's always quoting someone or pretending to be someone or talking in a weird voice. Actually, he reminds me a lot of me. In real like, Micky Dolenz is a very funny man (and a Trekkie, I believe. Though I can't find any real evidence... Some things that he's said, however, have made me think that he's at least a sci-fi fan. Who else would talk about Spock and parallel universes?)
Peter (bottom left) is the dumb, cute one in the show. I'm fascinated with his hair. He shakes his head, and his hair shakes with it (in straight lines - like the ladies on TV that advertise shampoo). It's really quite amazing to watch.
Davy (bottom right) is the British one of the group. He comes from England. He's kind of the level-headed, smart one. Davy Jones in real life is no longer alive. He died last year, sadly.
Mike (top left) is my favorite character. He's from Texas. He's super tall, the 'dad' of the group (he watches out for the others), ALWAYS wears his green hat, and usually always has a grumpy look on his face.
Here's proof:

 

3. Get Smart.

 

 

A hilarious detective show about Agents 86 and 99. This is a great show, and it's tied with The Monkees. While The Monkees is music+slapstick=two of Abbey's favorite things, Get Smart is spys+slapstick=two of Abbey's favorite things.

2. The Andy Griffith Show.

 

I've been watching this show about as long as I can remember. My grandparents would watch it in  Minnesota and I would watch along with them. I love this show. It's about sheriff Andy Taylor, deputy Barney Fife, and Andy's family Aunt Bee and son Opie. They live in a small town and Andy is the sheriff, sorting out all sorts of problems. It's a great, very clean, moral show.

And number one is.....

1. Leave it to Beaver, starring Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow, and Jerry Mathers as The Beaver.

 

How can you not love this show? It's like the stereotypical American sit-com. I mean, everyone knows that if your mom is like June Cleaver, it means that your mom is practically perfect in almost every way.
This, along with Andy Griffith, is one of the best TV shows you will ever find.

And there you have it! There are more I could mention... such as Alfred Hitchcock, The Twilight Zone, I Love Lucy, Burns and Allen, The Jack Benny Program.... and more. But, I haven't seen sufficient episodes of those to add them to the list. Well, I could add Jack Benny and Burns and Allen to the list, but it's getting too late already and I must go to bed! Perhaps I shall talk about them some other night.

"Say goodnight, Gracie."
"Goodnight Gracie."

Caught up!

I realised last night after I had turned off my computer that I forgot to do a Top Tuesdays.... Sorry 'bout that. I'll make up for it next Tuesday.

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I've been hurriedly writing writing writing tonight! The weekend at the Hot Springs got me behind on my Camp NaNoWriMo progress but I finally buckled down and caught up tonight.

I reached my climax today and am hoping I can find 9,882 words of denouement somewhere.... I have a few things planned.

Since I haven't been the most motivated writer the past few days (hence the need to get caught up) I came up with a way to get myself motivated today. I told myself that if I wrote 1,000 words in half an hour, I could watch one episode of Get Smart (which are also half an hour long).
Get Smart is a spy TV show that was on during the '60's (and also a movie in 2008 starring different people than in the TV show).
My friend Jen first told me about the show... but I really had no clue what she was talking about. Just that it was a super funny slapstick spy show with a girl named 99.
Then Miss Jack Baillot started posting about the show on her blog and I thought, "hey, why not check it out?" So a few months ago I watched the first episode and loved it. I think I watched one or two other episode after that... And haven't watched any since.

 

 

Maxwell Smart, the main character, with his shoe phone - my favorite gadget from the show.

 

Last night I re-watched the first episode. Today, after I wrote 1,000 words, I watched the second episode. Then 1,000 more words and the third episode... Then 500ish more words and I was all caught up! My word count is now 40,118.

What's the consequence of watching Get Smart? This snippet from my novel that I wrote tonight:

 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. If I were you, I would put the weapon down on the ground,” the man said coolly.

“Why?” Varina asked suspiciously.

“Oh… because you’re surrounded,” the man said casually, picking at one of his fingernails. The surrounding trees and bushes rustled and out popped men, all dressed in black - like the man in front of Daniel, Varina, and the Big Boss – and carrying guns surrounding the trio. They were surrounded!

Daniel groaned. “Oh no, not the old hide your secret agents in the woods and send one out before unveiling them all trick! That’s the second time I’ve fallen for that this month!”

Varina stared at Daniel. “No more Get Smart re-runs for you,” she said.

In all its unedited glory!

While writing tonight, I have been listening to my Music to Spy By CD from the International Spy Museum. I love that CD... It's great. Especially when writing a spy novel.

Now I'm going to go watch some Trek Nation clips.

But before I go, I shall leave you with this:

 

 

 

Max and 99.

 

Live long and prosper!