Suddenly I remember what my Economics professor told us in class about the modern nannies in Dallas, Texas are televisions. I couldn't helped laugh at the thought that I was a TVholic at a very young age and it's true that televisions are as indispensable tool just like human beings. TELEVISION is simply irresistible with so many magnets in it that your eyes wont even blink in minutes because of its informative, educational and entertaining shows.
What to watch on TV? I know that I have watched all the episodes of TARZAN on TV starring the Olympic and world champ swimmer Johnny Weismuller.
Aside from all the cartoon characters that I used to watch in my early age such as: The Flinstones, Tweety and his grandma, the ACME's Beep, beep and Wally Coyote, Johnny Quest, Zendor, Shazzam. Roger rabbit.
Then the many TV shows that are very popular during the 70's such as: Jack Lord's HAWAII FIVE-O, RAT PATROL, COMBAT (Vic Marrow and Rick Jason), UFO, Bionic Man (Lee Majors), Bionic Woman, Nancy Drew Mysteries and The Hardy Boys, Voltes 5 and Mazinger Z, SHOGUN and Daigoro, Shintaro and Kobe \\\\\\\ Watanabe. Roof over your head first. These two famous Japanese actors whom the new generation of Japanese do not recognized nor heard of. Shocking! These are the many shows I mentioned above, that my siblings and I watched for entertainment. My Father used to watch news most of the time and of course his favorite COMBAT and Rat Patrol show on TV.
There are only few Filipino movie channels such as: Channel 5, 7, 9, and 12. There's no remote control yet or channel changer because our first TV was the old second hand Sylvania worth 500 pesos that my grandmother Honorata bought from a radio-television repair man. That amount of money is a lot of money in the 70's before the Martial Law was proclaimed. In 6th District where we lived it was the Barangay Captain and our family who was fortunate enough to have TV sets. So everyday, we have our neighbors in our home watching the TV shows we used to watch. Our home became the "cinema." It would be nice if they are paying right? But no. Free viewing. If at the time we are having merienda we include them to have snacks for free. However I have bags of ice and ice candy in different flavors: buco or young coconut with milk, orange Tang juice, grape juice flavor that I sell and that's how we make money. However electricity, with our second hand fridge? Dunno really if we are making profit because the electric bill is high. Little bit of money just enough for my school allowance that makes sense for me because well it's not me paying for the electric bill but my father. Whatever! I can't be lazy doing nothing and when I move to do something there is an expense to be made. Do nothing and still there is that expense to make. What to do? For every action there is that equal and opposite reaction and direction. A scientific theory long time ago had it in formula, however that's not the case in our generation because almost everything is unequal.
There were few Filipino shows to watch. Re-runs of many old movies starring: Delia Razon, Marlene Dauden, Gloria Romero, Carmen Rosales (my grandmother's favorite star) , Dolphy, Chiquito, Joseph Estrada, Vic Vargas, Susan Roces, Rosemary Sonora, Fernando Poe Jr. Bella Flores, Jose Marie Gonzales, Tony Ferrer, Verna Gaston, Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos, Tirso Cruz III, Edgar Mortiz, etc. Too many old movies and re-runs.
Noontime shows that time in the 70's were: Student Canteen (Tina Revilla and the Revilla sisters), then Eat Bulaga became a noontime show only at the time when I was a student in High School. Then "Tawag ng Tanghalan" became popular evening show; first it was hosted by Bert Marcelo then Rod Navarro. The show "Tawag Ng Tanghalan" is similar to American Idol or Canadian Idol show, a singing contest.
Only then, when I was in College that Philippine television's channels have tripled in numbers. We changed and replaced our television set so many times. From old Sylvania black and white TV set with the antennae on the roof top to National Panasonic that has a lock and key cabinet style, wider and rectangular in shape unlike the square-shaped Sylvania with the dial channel changer on the right side of the box square TV. During that time period, it was the most popular "V" high tech sci-fi mini-television series that's sweeping Philippine television like crazy and the teen shows: That's Entertainment, Eat Bulaga, Beverly Hills 90210, Annaliza * the best dramatic night time show starring Julie Vega > became instant celebrity and the most watched on TV non-stop until her death in 1985. RIP Julie Vega.
My parents were able to buy colored TV only before Year 1990...I think or after year 1990. Shocking eh? It seems like TV is unaffordable during that period of time, nah actually every household has their own television set after Year 1990. That's after Desert Storm era. When the demand is high, the price is low and televisions became affordable and by that time, we had two television sets.
When I arrived here in Canada in 1992, my husband bought two colored television sets, one for the living room and one TV set for the bedroom. What to do in a city with only 12,000 population and the weather is really cold even at summer time. In that period of time the most watched television shows are: Saved By The Bell, Dream On, Knight Rider, Baywatch, CBC News, CNN News. California's televised court debate almost detailed story of the accused OJ Simpson who allegedly killed Nicole Simpson, then the Pres. Clinton era at the White House. The long and winding twisted story of lying ? Or bullying at the WH? TV and computers became in demand! Because the long script of fact-finding is only available through the internet. So people everywhere wants to know the whole scope of what happened in the White House. Everyone bought computers with Windows 98. All of a sudden BILL GATES became the richest man on earth. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Surprise! Surprise! %%%%%%% I also watched detective stories and argumentative law debate at the courthouse starring Matlock. I know my life is pretty boring there's always TV in my mind. LOL. Well it's not all TV that I'm watching or making myself busy anyway I keep record of anything that I found interesting. Yeah! makes me a practising sociologist and psychiatrist at the same time to the many depressed people in that area. (?)
Let there'll be light and there you have it...COMPUTERS become the fad and pad of the century. TV will still be a part of our household. However computer is now becoming the black monolith and there's more magnets in it. Oh gheez what an odyssey.
I know life in Canada is very depressing! I think anywhere you live, life is sooooooooo boring! Only few people TALK nowadays. Oh what a boring, boring life! And they keep singing and dancing to feel alive.
