Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Visiting Old Friends

Lately, I've been frequenting my local library a lot. Libraries have been my friends ever since first grade when my then best friend, Stevie Jo (Stephanie Joyce) asked me to go with her after school to the library branch after school. Since we tended to dawdle on our way home, our mothers didn't worry too much if we (Imagine two six-year-olds walking fourteen blocks alone today!) were a bit late so I said okay because I wanted to see what it was all about.

Stevie Jo turned in her books and began choosing books to take home. I wanted books, too, and she told me I had to have library card and should go ask the lady at the desk for the application and she would tell me what I needed to do. So I did and then we walked home and I couldn't wait to get to my house to ask my folks if I could have a library card.

It wasn't a problem -- they knew I liked to read and that I read well and they liked it that I did. They didn't know that it created a monster. I would take the allowed three books and be back a couple days later for more and quickly was allowed to take out 2nd and 3rd grade books. My sister, age 3, liked it, too, because I read my books to her and sometimes brought home picture books for her.

Libraries today are a lot different. In addition to books and reference material, they truly are media centers with everything from books to computers. When I was first separated, I didn't have a computer and I would stop by to check my email from the Internet friends in those pre-blog days.

Lately, I'm haunting the video department for DVDs of old movies and television programs. My latest find is "The Fugitive" -- not the Harrison Ford/Tommy Lee Jones movie but the television series starring David Janssen, who for my money, was one of the finest-looking specimens of masculinity ever to grace the tube. The show was on for four seasons (1963-1967) and three of them so far are on DVD. It was one of the most popular shows on television and the finale still ranks is in the top 20 of most watched episodes!

We loved it at our house and I have been having a blast watching them and marvel that each season had THIRTY episodes!!!! And seeing the list guest stars is a delight. Imagine a young Ed Asner, Tuesday Weld, and Telly Savalas and many, many more!!! The one that really gave me a giggle was Betty Garrett who most of us remember best from "All in the Family" and "LaVerne and Shirley" and is my blogging friend TheOldOldLadyoftheHills's best friend. By the way, Betty is still working at age 90!!! What a gal!

I'm a tad irritated that season 4 isn't available yet but I guess I can wait but as soon as they have it, my name will be on the reserve list! And yeah, I still think David Janssen is my kind of hero.

Remember the opening?



Is there favorite program/series you would like to see again? Check your local library for a blast back to simpler times and enjoy your favorite shows.

It's nice to visit old friends, isn't it?

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!

Kay

17 comments:

  1. That was a very very good show...! I know so many people who "Guest Starred" on it and I remember the episode that Betty did, very well...!
    When they talk about a 'season' now and it might be--at the most, 12 episodes, it is laughable...and when it is only 6 episodes---well, they should be ashamed to call it a "season"....Once, before "The Fugitive" a season was 32 episodes or 34 and sometimes even 36....
    I agree with you about David Janssen---he was a very very Handsome man and had a wonderful quizzical smile...He WAS 'The Fugitive' and in my book---the only one who ever was....!
    Do you remember him on "Richard Diamond: Private Eye"? Not sure that is available on DVD, but it should be....He was terrific in that series, too....! It preceded "The Fugitive"......

    There were some good shows 'back in the day'....! All the Quinn Martin shows were terrific---"Barnaby Jones", etc., etc. I actually did a "Barnaby"....back in 1975!!! Good Lord, that was a long time ago.....Lee Meriwether was a regular on that and Jacquie Scott, ("Ladies Who Lunch") was the "Guest Star" in the one I did....It was great to be in the scene woth Buddy Ebson, Lee & Jacquie....

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous5:34 AM

    I used to check out books from the library regularly. But now, I buy my books on Amazon. com or at Borders. David prefers to rent movies from Netflix -- always blu ray. He shuns black and white and low def movies.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, Libraries were my home away from home. I had all the kids books and Juveniles read by the time I got to Jr. High. I still read anything printed. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Naomi: Yes it was and Betty was great as the social worker. Amd yeah, those were the glory day of television and actors in a series worked harder than they do today. It seems like everything is reruns these day. Even my mother thought David Janssen was awesome. "Richard Diamond" was a favorite and I'm going to write about it in a future "Old TV" post.

    I always watched Barnaby Jones -- I liked Buddy Ebsen ever since he play Fess Parker's sidekick in the Davy Crockett series when I was a wee lass. I probably saw your episode -- and I bet you had fun!!!! Lee is an excellent actress and for my money one of the few Miss Americas to really fill that role well.

    And don't forget -- I left you an award on Sunday!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gigi: I'm sorry you didn't like this post.

    Maggie: Me, too! Hell! I read the cereal box while I'm crunching my cornflakes or Special K!! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  6. Isn't it wonderful the masses now have the ability to enjoy these media options and not just a few.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ooooh yes, you are so right. Visiting old friends is the best! This is a really great post, I enjoyed reading it.

    Thanks for stopping in the other day and for the nice comment.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Linda: Indeed!!!! I can't afford to buy "The Fugitive" videos -- their quie expensive but I so like it that I can see them courtesy of the library. And it was such a great series.

    DG: You're welcome, my friend!!! Thank you!!! I'm always happy to see a new post from you! (That's a hint! LOL)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like writing so much I rarely read. But I belong to a Book Club so I do at least read one book a month. This month it's 'Shatter' by Michael Rowbotham.

    ReplyDelete
  10. My favorite series never seemed to last long. One that stuck in my mind and I wanted to see again was Shane with David Carradine and Jill Ireland. It didn't even last a full season but that had the advantage of the last episode tying it all neatly up. A few years ago I found it was for sale, all the episodes and I took the chance to buy it. It was uneven for how good it was as they were recorded when it ran again on some of the cable shows. Not ideal but I did get it. He was so cute back then. Oh yeah, her too :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I adore libraries....have since I was old enough to carry a book.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I think I watched every episode of The Fugitive - I liked David J. quite a bit!

    ReplyDelete
  13. This was a blast from the past, and a huge kudo for all of our public libraries. As you know from my blog, I volunteer a lot at the Palos Verdes Library and my own childhood library memories are very similar to yours.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This was a blast from the past, and a huge kudo for all of our public libraries. As you know from my blog, I volunteer a lot at the Palos Verdes Library and my own childhood library memories are very similar to yours.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Because of my english background, I have a fondness for British TV. Fawlty Towers is so good' I can only watch one episode per day---otherwise someone has to slap me and pick me up off the floor.

    Anoother British series I loved was a period piece set in the 20s: House of Elliott---I could watch it for the costumes alone, but the story line was pretty good too.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous12:24 PM

    Libraries have always appealed to me. I've worked in one part-time as a 14-year-old, I was on the board of directors of one when in my 30s, and I frequent one, now (latest visit...this morning.)

    As one (in my 70s, now) who has only begun to watch much TV, recently, I don't go back far. Some of the series that come to mind that I really have enjoyed: Golden Girls, West Wing, Becker, The Cosby Show, the original Star Trek, Ben Casey (not sure that was the name of the show, but Dr Casey was the main character), The Lucille Ball Show, Rosanne, I Spy....
    Cop Car

    ReplyDelete
  17. The Fugitive & David Janssen were my absolute favorites! Betty Garrett was in the "Escape into Black" episode, and another good friend of OldOldLady Of The Hills, Lee Meriwether, was in The Fugitive episode, "Not with a Whimper," and another good friend, Jacqueline Scott, was simply wonderful in 5 episodes of The Fugitive, playing Donna Taft, the sister of Richard Kimble.

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments!!! If you wish to post as Anonymous, please leave a name in your comment otherwise your comment will not appear.