They Said You’ll Never Be Miss America

It’s been so many years since the Miss America Pageant was broadcast on television for the first time. I was seven years old, it was a Saturday night, and my siblings and I were going to be allowed to stay up to see the whole show. It was Miss America, for goodness sake, and no […]

Spying, My Mission Impossible

Among my many and varied ambitions, I always thought it would be exciting and fulfilling to serve my country as a spy. That’s right. A spy. The plethora of spy shows on television during my formative years had an enormous influence on me; and what more exhilarating career could a young girl from a dusty, […]

American Bandstand, We Got Lost In Your Rock And Roll

Oh happy day! August 5, 1957 was pivotal in music and Baby Boomer history. Making its national debut, broadcast on ABC-TV, live from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 3:30 in the afternoon; fifty-seven years ago, American Bandstand launched our youth culture movement. Hosted and led by perennial teenager Dick Clark, Philadelphia’s high school kids stepped off the […]

Toonytown, Mayor Art, And Me – Live TV In The 50’s

Growing up during the Golden Age of Television provided benefits and experiences that ranged from amazing to that’s not quite what I expected. In the 1950’s, TV broadcasting was relatively new, and much of the programming was experimental; success measured and achieved by trial and error. As I look back, what possibly could have been a braver […]

Never Shoot At A Hippo On An “E” Ticket Ride

This past week, my thoughts have turned to Orange County, California, and my first visit to Disneyland. Reason is simple; family is there enjoying a much deserved vacation. The sun still is shining, temperatures are in the 60’s, and Mr. Disney’s magic kingdom remains the happiest place on Earth. I appreciate fifty-eight years of continuity. […]

TV And Me: Pals Stick Together

I seem to be particularly good at finding TV shows which have been on the air for a long time, and never had or took the opportunity to watch, or have been on the air, and now are cancelled; and I absolutely love and cannot watch them enough. Recently, I stumbled upon a spy show […]

Ring-Tailed Lemur On Your Birthday Cake

We celebrated a birthday this past weekend, and it was spectacular. I watched a little girl move with ease throughout the day, knowing she unapologetically was the complete focus and center of attention. This small person knows who she is, and with a keen sense of herself, gracefully shared the bounty of her birthday with […]