I grew up in the 1960s, and we had a black-and-white TV. It had rabbit ears on top that constantly had to be adjusted for good reception.
Family members would take turns getting up to change the channel or adjust the sound. We only had three channels to choose from, but even with this limitation, it seemed there was always something interesting to watch.
We’d gather around the TV after the dishes were washed and our homework was done.
Mom and Dad watched the news, then we children watched shows that were on from 7 until 8:30 in the evening. After that, we had to get ready for bed.
The TV wasn’t on during the day, except on Saturday mornings, when we children watched cartoons.
After school, we watched a local program called The Captain Jinks Show.
My favorite program was Gunsmoke, and Bonanza was a family favorite.
Mom never missed The Lawrence Welk Show on Saturday night, and since we only had one TV, the rest of us watched it, too. I grew up watching the Lennon Sisters, Jo Ann Castle, and Bobby and Barbara gliding across the dance floor.
I was in sixth grade when we got our first color TV, and I thought it was very cool. We could see how beautiful the ladies’ gowns were on The Lawrence Welk Show and the other variety shows. Even the commercials were fun to watch. We were all glued to the TV.
After my husband and I were married, we got our first TV with a remote control. What a luxury!
Through the years, we’ve had several TV sets, each one better than the previous one.
Now our VCR and DVD players bring movies into our home whenever we want.
Technology has come a long way. My husband and I plan to go digital soon.
However, with all the modern technology, you’d think we’d have better programming. We get more than 400 channels, and yet we often complain to each other that there’s nothing good on.
I still like to watch Westerns, including reruns of Gunsmoke and Bonanza. Watching those programs takes me back to the days when we watched those and other shows on our black-and-white TV set with the rabbit ears on top.
Lincoln, Ill.