Early memories of TV where you can't identify the program

[roadman]

It wasn't animated, but I remember the PBS "Stay Curious" blurb where someone put a running HDD recorder in a plastic bag, put it in a dishwasher, and turned the dishwasher on.  They then showed the recorded footage of the dishwasher operating.

[In_Correct]

One night I was staying at my grandmother's. When I stayed at her place back then I slept on a pull-out sofa bed. Anyway we were watching TV on an old console TV and just before it was time to go to bed she turned it off and there was some show coming on that was color but looked really old even back then (early 90s). I think it was probably Barney Miller, although I never discovered that show until recent years. It looked like some tall buildings and an ocean with funky theme playing which fits the intro of that show.

Oh, also on a PBS channel I used to watch when I was growing up (WUSF which is now defunct), they used to show an animated segment between shows sometimes. There was one about this house that had a robotic dog, and another about a dishwasher. Probably just some things the graphic design department at USF came up with.

The reason why Barney Miller looks very old is be cause of the very low quality cameras that they used. The music is by Jack Elliott and Allyn Ferguson. They also did music for The Rookies and Charlies Angels. Both of these programmes have much higher budget and better cameras.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II71tmVsKrE

It wasn't animated, but I remember the PBS "Stay Curious" blurb where someone put a running HDD recorder in a plastic bag, put it in a dishwasher, and turned the dishwasher on.  They then showed the recorded footage of the dishwasher operating.

Of course. I remember it also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut3Zx4mUZAk

[bandit957]

The reason why Barney Miller looks very old is be cause of the very low quality cameras that they used.

Every time I stumble upon 'Barney Miller' on YouTube, I always think it was filmed just yesterday. It seems like the filming techniques had pretty good quality.

I was shocked to discover that an episode I found was from 1976!

[bandit957]

The reason why Barney Miller looks very old is be cause of the very low quality cameras that they used.

Every time I stumble upon 'Barney Miller' on YouTube, I always think it was filmed just yesterday. It seems like the filming techniques had pretty good quality.

I was shocked to discover that an episode I found was from 1976!

'Emergency', on the other hand. A few years ago, one of the rerun networks on one of the digital subchannels had 'Emergency', and each episode looked like the film was ripped to shreds. Did this show really look this bad when it first aired? I was too young to remember seeing it when it was new.

[roadman65]

The Archie's TV Funnies on Saturday Morning Cartoons I think had a Dick Tracy Cartoon as part of it.

[bandit957]

I could have sworn there was a Saturday morning cartoon in the '70s that featured Johnny Appleseed as a character. For years, I thought Johnny Appleseed was just a cartoon character.

[Terry]

The Archie's TV Funnies on Saturday Morning Cartoons I think had a Dick Tracy Cartoon as part of it.

Never saw the cartoon but the writeup says the gang did variations of comic strips. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066629/

[crt08]

During the non-news commercial breaks when I was a kid, what used to be called WTVT "Eyewitness News" (in 1997 they became a FOX affiliate so are now FOX 13 news) used to show the radar for a few seconds with a voiceover "here's a current view of Skytower Doppler Radar." Remember when stations used to do that? Anyway there would be a little image of the Skytower building at the bottom, and I couldn't read at the time but I knew it looked like a lowercase "i" which I never understood the purpose of. For some reason I remember thinking it must have had something to do with Howard Shapiro who was a meteorologist at that station. For some reason the little "i" also used to scare me during those segments. Recently I saw YouTube clips of that segment and now I finally realized what it was after all these years.

[PHLBOS]

The reason why Barney Miller looks very old is be cause of the very low quality cameras that they used.

Every time I stumble upon 'Barney Miller' on YouTube, I always think it was filmed just yesterday. It seems like the filming techniques had pretty good quality.

I was shocked to discover that an episode I found was from 1976!

The show first came out in early 1975.  I believe a couple early episodes featured a 1974 copyright date (corresponding to when such was filmed).  The imagery during its first season, which was actually a half-season*, did appear a bit grainy even when it originally aired.

*This half-season's credits featured the NYC skyline w/the Empire State Building (opening only) with a darker blue background.

The Archie's TV Funnies on Saturday Morning Cartoons I think had a Dick Tracy Cartoon as part of it.

Never saw the cartoon but the writeup says the gang did variations of comic strips. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066629/

I remember that show very well.  Such usually aired later on Saturday mornings.  Many of the comic strips the show presented were indeed still in the Sunday newspapers at the show's original airings.

[In_Correct]

The reason why Barney Miller looks very old is be cause of the very low quality cameras that they used.

Every time I stumble upon 'Barney Miller' on YouTube, I always think it was filmed just yesterday. It seems like the filming techniques had pretty good quality.

I was shocked to discover that an episode I found was from 1976!

The show first came out in early 1975.  I believe a couple early episodes featured a 1974 copyright date (corresponding to when such was filmed).  The imagery during its first season, which was actually a half-season*, did appear a bit grainy even when it originally aired.

*This half-season's credits featured the NYC skyline w/the Empire State Building (opening only) with a darker blue background.

The Archie's TV Funnies on Saturday Morning Cartoons I think had a Dick Tracy Cartoon as part of it.

Never saw the cartoon but the writeup says the gang did variations of comic strips. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066629/

I remember that show very well.  Such usually aired later on Saturday mornings.  Many of the comic strips the show presented were indeed still in the Sunday newspapers at the show's original airings.

That is be cause Barney Miller did not use Film. They used Magnetic Tape. Just look at the difference from Taxi. It was filmed, but the opening and closing is other wise not that different from Barney Miller's opening and closing. They shot them outdoors, both in New York City, and Taxi's usual opening segment is looped.

[bandit957]

I notice that music videos seemed to have switched from one kind of filming to another sometime in 1982.

[PHLBOS]

The reason why Barney Miller looks very old is be cause of the very low quality cameras that they used.

Every time I stumble upon 'Barney Miller' on YouTube, I always think it was filmed just yesterday. It seems like the filming techniques had pretty good quality.

I was shocked to discover that an episode I found was from 1976!

The show first came out in early 1975.  I believe a couple early episodes featured a 1974 copyright date (corresponding to when such was filmed).  The imagery during its first season, which was actually a half-season*, did appear a bit grainy even when it originally aired.

*This half-season's credits featured the NYC skyline w/the Empire State Building (opening only) with a darker blue background.
...

That is be cause Barney Miller did not use Film. They used Magnetic Tape. Just look at the difference from Taxi. It was filmed, but the opening and closing is other wise not that different from Barney Miller's opening and closing. They shot them outdoors, both in New York City, and Taxi's usual opening segment is looped.

The first season of the Newhart series was videotaped whereas the 2nd and subsequent seasons of the show were filmed.  One can clearly see the difference between the two mediums with that show.

[mgk920]

That's why really old black and white movies and TV shows come over in full modern high-def - the film itself is high-def.



Those shows really did lose a lot when they started recording them on old style low-def NTSC videotape.



Mike

[bandit957]

Anyone remember the "CBS Special Presentation" logo that swirled around and had this "clankity-clank" music?

[roadman65]

In 1974 on CBS on Fridays a family sitcom aired.  Do not remember the name, but the theme song was sung by a kid and an older man.  I remember some of the lines were "Working together to be a family isn't easy." and it was on up against Sanford and Son at the time.

[GenExpwy]

The reason why Barney Miller looks very old is be cause of the very low quality cameras that they used.

Every time I stumble upon 'Barney Miller' on YouTube, I always think it was filmed just yesterday. It seems like the filming techniques had pretty good quality.

I was shocked to discover that an episode I found was from 1976!

The show first came out in early 1975.  I believe a couple early episodes featured a 1974 copyright date (corresponding to when such was filmed).  The imagery during its first season, which was actually a half-season*, did appear a bit grainy even when it originally aired.

*This half-season's credits featured the NYC skyline w/the Empire State Building (opening only) with a darker blue background.
...

That is be cause Barney Miller did not use Film. They used Magnetic Tape. Just look at the difference from Taxi. It was filmed, but the opening and closing is other wise not that different from Barney Miller's opening and closing. They shot them outdoors, both in New York City, and Taxi's usual opening segment is looped.

The first season of the Newhart series was videotaped whereas the 2nd and subsequent seasons of the show were filmed.  One can clearly see the difference between the two mediums with that show.

Even more jarring is Doctor Who (and other British shows) from the 1960s and '70s. Outdoor scenes were always on film, while videotape was always used in the studio, so it would go back and forth in a single scene.

[kphoger]

In 1974 on CBS on Fridays a family sitcom aired.  Do not remember the name, but the theme song was sung by a kid and an older man.  I remember some of the lines were "Working together to be a family isn't easy." and it was on up against Sanford and Son at the time.

It was called We'll Get By, and the line you're thinking of from the theme song is actually "learning to be a family isn't easy".  It only lasted one season and aired immediately after Sanford and Son.  During the 1974-5 TV season, Sanford and Son aired on NBC from 8:00 to 8:30 on Fridays, and We'll Get By aired on CBS from 8:30 PM to 9:00 PM on Fridays.

[bandit957]

People on the Internet say the NBC affiliate in Des Moines always delayed 'Sanford & Son' to some ungodly hour by using a tape delay. Most of the time, the tape would break, and they'd end up showing 'Mutual Of Omaha's Wild Kingdom' anyway.

[kphoger]

Most of the time, the tape would break

highly doubtful

[In_Correct]

Anyone remember the "CBS Special Presentation" logo that swirled around and had this "clankity-clank" music?

Yes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4_d_6A8nE0

[PHLBOS]

In 1974 on CBS on Fridays a family sitcom aired.  Do not remember the name, but the theme song was sung by a kid and an older man.  I remember some of the lines were "Working together to be a family isn't easy." and it was on up against Sanford and Son at the time.

It was called We'll Get By, and the line you're thinking of from the theme song is actually "learning to be a family isn't easy".  It only lasted one season and aired immediately after Sanford and Son.  During the 1974-5 TV season, Sanford and Son aired on NBC from 8:00 to 8:30 on Fridays, and We'll Get By aired on CBS from 8:30 PM to 9:00 PM on Fridays.

I do somewhat remember watching that show as a kid when it aired.  I didn't realize that it was created by Alan Alda.

[cwf1701]

Anyone remember the "CBS Special Presentation" logo that swirled around and had this "clankity-clank" music?

Yes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4_d_6A8nE0

And the theme came from the 1968 Hawaii Five-0 soundtrack (this is the full track "Call to Danger")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-zi3texPEE

[In_Correct]

The reason why Barney Miller looks very old is be cause of the very low quality cameras that they used.

Every time I stumble upon 'Barney Miller' on YouTube, I always think it was filmed just yesterday. It seems like the filming techniques had pretty good quality.

I was shocked to discover that an episode I found was from 1976!

The show first came out in early 1975.  I believe a couple early episodes featured a 1974 copyright date (corresponding to when such was filmed).  The imagery during its first season, which was actually a half-season*, did appear a bit grainy even when it originally aired.

*This half-season's credits featured the NYC skyline w/the Empire State Building (opening only) with a darker blue background.
...

That is be cause Barney Miller did not use Film. They used Magnetic Tape. Just look at the difference from Taxi. It was filmed, but the opening and closing is other wise not that different from Barney Miller's opening and closing. They shot them outdoors, both in New York City, and Taxi's usual opening segment is looped.

The first season of the Newhart series was videotaped whereas the 2nd and subsequent seasons of the show were filmed.  One can clearly see the difference between the two mediums with that show.

Even more jarring is Doctor Who (and other British shows) from the 1960s and '70s. Outdoor scenes were always on film, while videotape was always used in the studio, so it would go back and forth in a single scene.

Several of 'Allo 'Allo! credits have a Film Editor and a Video Tape Editor in the same episode.

Most of the time Keeping Up Appearances, not much newer than 'Allo 'Allo! was Magnetic Taped.

They Filmed Missing Persons and also Filmed Hetty Wainthropp Investigates.

[roadman65]

In 1974 on CBS on Fridays a family sitcom aired.  Do not remember the name, but the theme song was sung by a kid and an older man.  I remember some of the lines were "Working together to be a family isn't easy." and it was on up against Sanford and Son at the time.

It was called We'll Get By, and the line you're thinking of from the theme song is actually "learning to be a family isn't easy".  It only lasted one season and aired immediately after Sanford and Son.  During the 1974-5 TV season, Sanford and Son aired on NBC from 8:00 to 8:30 on Fridays, and We'll Get By aired on CBS from 8:30 PM to 9:00 PM on Fridays.

Thanks.  And did not realize Paul Sorvino was the star of the show.  Yes, I remember it ran for one season only.  There were many over time that did and CBS had its share like with Doc starring Bernard Hughes, which could have lasted longer if CBS let the producers do their jobs as the production staff was asked by the network to fire the supporting cast of the show and hire a new support.  That proved bad and loyal viewers did not adapt to the program and it lasted only a few episodes beyond the first season.

Then Joe & Sons (another NJ family) was another one season show, but had two actors that lasted in their careers.  Florence Stanley, who went on to be Berniece on Barney Miller, and the Judge on My Two Dads; and Jerry Stiller who made many supporting roles and a bunch of different sitcoms since leading up to Seinfeld and King of Queens.  Richard Costalano, was famous from the Godfather, but do not remember any other roles that he had anywhere else.

[In_Correct]

Most of the time, the tape would break

highly doubtful

I find it highly likely. It is Magnetic Tape after all. Hopefully they had a backup copy.