1982: Some Good TV

Because I have that kind of time on my hands, I got to watch today a few blasts from the 1982 past.

First, Police Squad! by messrs. Abrahams, Zucker, and Zucker. I vaguely remember the show, but as I was only ten years old when it came out, it wasn't sufficiently on my television radar to capture my interest. I do remember, however, that my older brothers and sisters rather liked it, so I was present in the room (shag carpeting, paneling, fake plastic bulls on the walls; we were stuck in the 1970s) when it was aired. It's interesting to see how entertaining the jokes are even in "censored" television form -- ZAZ really dirtied up the director's cut of Airplane! the movie that started it all.

Best joke from the show:

Suspect: Who are you? And how did you get in here?

Drebin: I am a locksmith. And I am a locksmith.



The other blast, Remington Steele. The show was soooo cool when I was a kid. I mean, they had car phones and everything. Didn't matter that they had DIALS on their car phones, that they were as large as suitcases and such. They had CAR PHONES. Also, when Remington Steele was taking his stealthy pix of the delivery guy, he he actually had to DEVELOP THE FILM himself. No digital camera for him. So wonderfully anachronistic.

Note I said I enjoyed the shows. Not cultish about either one in any way. They're fun to watch, yes, but there's no obsession here. It's just too bad, however, that Police Squad! didn't fare as well as it did. I'd like to see someone try to do it again. And still keep it clean.