Do I smell... cheese?

[rj_anderson]

I blame lizzy_lyn for posting a link to the first video on this list, and starting me on a quest for all my other geeky childhood favorites. And apparently some guys named Norm Prescott and Lou Scheimer are to blame for most of them -- who knew?

First, allow me to present to you my favorite half of the Shazam/Isis Power Hour. And for completeness' sake, the other half, although I really couldn't get past Billy Batson's awful hairdo even then.

On the other hand, what could be better than two girls in dorky costumes rushing around to a funky disco theme? ElectroWoman and Dyna Girl thrilled my tiny soul. Yes, I ran around in my bathing suit and pigtails pretending to be Dyna Girl, so WHAT OF IT???

A couple of years later I had my very first crush on Jason of Star Command. Who was totally not a Han Solo clone. *cough*

Getting away from the Prescott/Scheimer horror show, I thought I was the only person on earth who remembered The Gemini Man. I still think it's a kick-butt show premise, even if the execution (like, well, everything else on TV in the 70's) was camp and cheesy.

Moving into the 80's, I would say that I am embarrassed to admit how much I loved Manimal but... okay, I am kind of embarrassed. Never mind.

Embarrassed of Airwolf, on the other hand -- never. Vex me not with talk of Jan-Michael Vincent being a scumball in real life. Stringfellow Hawke was so romantic that when he was finished blowing stuff up for the day he liked to go out and play his cello on a boat in the middle of a lake. Swoon!

Okay, I'll stop now.

And I am totally not watching dubbed episodes of Gatchaman (a.k.a. Battle of the Planets sans the stupid 7-Zark-7 bits) instead of working on my novel. Absolutely not. I don't know why you would even think such a thing.

Comments

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

I'd laugh, but I spent a pleasant afternoon once watching whole episodes of Lady Lovely Locks on YouTube.

[lydaclunas.livejournal.com]

And Jem. That was a good day...

[zakhad.livejournal.com]

ElectroWoman and Dyna Girl thrilled my tiny soul.

I'll see your disco theme and raise you Dr. Shrinker (http://youtube.com/watch?v=rOuVzJznPqs) and his proto-mini-me.

Dierdre Hall shortly shed her tights and went on to Days of Our Lives, for like, 20 years of playing the same character, who I'll bet she's glad has not worn a satin cape or neon yellow hose. But I hear she was kidnapped numerous times, by UFOs even.

[ljrags.livejournal.com]

LOL!! Ok, I felt about 9 watching the Isis promo!

[cryptile.livejournal.com]

*watches Electrowoman and Dyna Girl intro, forever losing power of speech and coherent thought*

[drmm.livejournal.com]

Glad you're not embarassed about Airwolf. :) How could a girl not love a cello-playing, nature-loving guy who just so happens to blow stuff up on a regular basis. ;)

[chrisleeoctaves.livejournal.com]

I had an 8 x 10 glossy of Jan-Michael Vincent in my locker in high school. I wasn't a huge Airwolf fan, but he made a TV movie in the 70s called Sandcastles which I adored (and which broke my heart) as did the movie Buster and Billie. And from there came my undying love despite the later train wreck.

[firebird-82.livejournal.com]

Oh now that takes me back to my teen years of Saturday afternoons watching Airwolf with my brother - heaven :-) Thanks for the reminder!

[lydaclunas.livejournal.com]

The 70s were a strange and scary time.

The villain with the green afro in the ElectraWoman and DynaGirl intro scares me in ways only Elton John can.

[malabud.livejournal.com]

I must admit that I'd never watched Airwolf until my roommate bought the first season on DVD last year. Apparently, she remembers it quite fondly from her childhood. I don't recall watching it, but the theme music seems familiar.

Anyway, I sat and watched the first two-hour episode with her, but she complained that I was ruining it for her. For instance, I knew that Stringfellow Hawke's love interest in the pilot was going to die, die, die, and I told my roommate as much. I knew she was done for because they couldn't keep her as a character, and Hawke needed an angsty reason to hide Airwolf and not return it to the government (and to keep playing his cello on the lake; don't get me wrong, I like the cello, but the music was not remotely corresponding to his movements).

My roommate was rather upset when all my predictions -- down to the villain not actually being dead so he can come back to menace our heroes in the future -- came true. Thus, I have been banished from watching Airwolf with my roommate. I guess all the fic and books I've read have jaded me to such storytelling devices. *g*

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Well, to be fair, 80's television was pretty predictable. After a recent encounter with a particularly awful episode of Remington Steele, I have refrained from re-watching any more of my old favorites lest my happy memories be spoiled...