Some of us have grown up with many TV channels around us. Those around the twenties probably wouldnt recollect the stuff im writing about. However those around the 30s or so would recollect (if grown up in India or Bombay to be more specific).
I remember those days when we had a Black and White television in the house. I can sort of remember it probably had 4 knobs. 1 must have been on and off (with volume function). 2nd maybe brightness, 3rd contrast and 4th tuning or something. Anyone else remembers the B/W television set of theirs? I even recollect the brand, it was an NEC.
The next television was probably a HITACHI - a colour one. That was with a bit more fancier than its predecessor. I remember queing up in the evening in front of the television to watch Chayageet and Chitrahaar (music videos of old hindi films). The 6pm or so started with that traditional introduction of the Doordarshan logo. The earlier days also showed us some cartoon in the form of Fireball XL5 (dont know if anyone recollects that one). It used to be in Black and white but i remember watching every single of it.
Over the next few years I remember serials like Buniyaad, Hum Log, Ramayan, Mahabharat, Vikram aur betaal, amongst stuff for kids - i remember HE-MAN and the masters of the Universe. Does anyone remember that one. Skeletor, Man at arms, Evelyn, Orko, etc. Loved those days. We were so contect with watching just one channel. Demands were far and few. This day today - i was trying to look for something that my kids could watch - skimmed through atleast 6-8 kiddie channels but couldnt find anything that interesting. Spoilt for choice i guess.
When Ramayan was on television - i remember the roads being empty. The effect it had on the masses was huge. Same was with the Mahabharat serial that followed.
I also recollect my masis used to record stuff on demand in singapore. We used to get Video casettes full of cartoons. I loved PEANUTS cartoons, especially the 30 minute ones during christmas. I recollect something called Playback 86 or something - 2 hrs special on music videos that topped the chart. Those cassettes were valued at the price of Gold. We must have watched them atleast 15 times over. Hey did i forget to mention WWF - now known as WWE, we were hooked on to it since we were kids. We means me and my brother. From the days of the Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Perfect Warrier, Machoman Randy Savage and tons more. Anyone watched those guys or were we the only dumb ones.
I guess in around 1990s, or 1991s, thanks to Rajiv Gandhi, the economy was opened up and the first foreign broadcast by STAR TELEVISION was allowed. It was 1 hrs a day to begin with. Remember Bart simpson cartoons, Music videos that was beamed on it. I loved the MTV when it started. Those who watched it then would think that V and MTV are a bunch of crap. VJ's like NONIE, Woo Man were awsome. gone are those days. NO HINDI MUSIC was there on it. Enuff of this now.
Just felt like sharing this with you people. Dont know if i made sense. But am i supposed to?
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7 comments:
Hey, used to watch all of those. What about 'Isi Bahane', 'Yeh jo hai zindagi', these were some of my faves. Don't remember the B&W but the colour Sony which my dad surprisingly bought via someone coming in from Dubai (was it?) but we were amongst the first in our neighbourhood with that. Remember Giant Robot? Heheh I actually watched that too. And yes He-Man was religiously followed by all of us!
Loved 'Fraggle Rock' - whenever I watched it, wanted to be a Fraggle myself and live in those caves with 'em. I actually hv the title track still with me on mp3.
And we thought VJ Danny was soooo cool!
Don't know whether you were into this but remember those peppermint cigarettes & the rose mints? We were all crazy abt those. Also those popsicles in kala khatta, lemon, orange, what have you. I was in a lasting love affair with the 'Double Decker' chocolate bar when it was launched. Was actually blue when it faded away.
Later, i got hooked onto 'Cosmos' & 'Danger Bay'. Also, the Tv series of Sherlock Holmes & Hercule Poirot.
Nice reminiscing...
Oh, except for the WWF bit : ) Simply can't stand it.
Forgot the Grammies! Caught it so religiously then, right down to recording all of it & the music vids.
Hey anonymous
The strange this is that i know who anonymous is. But ill carry on refering to you here as anonymous. Yes Giant robot, fraggle rock were some of my favourites too. Also Yeh jo hai zindagi too. I remember that very well, simply loved it. Yes Danny was quite cool too, but being a girl you probably recollect him more than i did. Do you recollect Xfiles, MASH, JAG and serials like those. They were pretty neat too.
Nostalgic post. I started writing about this very topic long time back but figured it was not publish-worthy (Largely because of the way I wrote it). A job well done, mate. Now, I think I can go and delete my attempt with relief :-)
WWF/WWE simply rock and all the D/C/B/A will too !!!
thanks beta.
however knowing the way you write - when you say not publish worthy - i sincerely doubt that point. anyways. ive been wanting to write bout brands. so lets see what i can come up with.
Loved M.A.S.H! This was more during college days. Also remember Picket Fences and the other legal series, and pretty much all of the sitcoms shown by Star World. And yeah, had a bit of a crush on Mulder too. Missed catching the new X-files movie though.
On brands eh? Still pissed about how you didn't go with those excellent, fantastic options I sent you! Anyway, do write - hv a lot of theories of my own too and will enjoy the discussion.
Btw, another entrepreneur i know adopted one of my names for his imported product.
Hey the twist in the spelling is intentional - when i started on wordpress, 'anonymously' the id i wanted was taken so changed it to "annoy"mously.
Meant to drop in a line about this earlier but forgot. You wrestling fans need to read the bit about sumo wrestling in Freakonomics. Quite interesting.
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