Never Go Back

[Whickerman]

Has anyone else noticed that your favourite shows as a kid are rubbish when you see them again? HR Pufnstuf, A Team, Magnum...

Is there ever a case for going back?

[chimney]

I totally agree, the A-team was my life as a kid, I watch it now on Sky and I just feel a bit let down.

I think good memories should be left at that.

I still enjoy Quantum Leap though.

[Metz]

I used to love starsky and hutch,bionic man & woman ... very naff now!!

Not seen Quantum leap for ages! Ziggy says...

Saw an old Columbo film with Dean Stockwell in the other day :)

[whqttt]

Jon Nathan-Turner (who was responsible for some of the most appalling Doctor Who stories ever) once noted that "The memory decieves", meaning that when you see a show as a child (pick anything, Blake's 7, The Tomorrow People, The Avengers) you are mainly enjoying it, and ignore the dodgy acting, wobbly sets, predictable story lines) but when you look back on the shows at 30 or whatever, you think "I used to really love them."

You approach them with a real sense of anticipation and it comes as a bit of a shock to then get to see these things and realise that they were always bad.

They haven't become bad through time, but by simply growing up and tastes changing, we can look on these things and go "oh dear".

I still enjoy watching the TV version of Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but I can't see it with the wonder I did at 11. I see wobbly sets, dodgy effects, continuity errors and so on.

There aren't many shows I enjoyed as a kid that I can't at least tolerate with my own children. They'll happily sit and watch Tom Baker as the Doctor with the sense of joy I once had.

[lionelhutz]

i'm afraid i have to disagree, some are infact rubbish, ie - streethawk and knight rider, but magnum pi is as great as ever as is hart to hart. CHiPs is still great but even more cheasier than i first remembered.

great stuff just a bit of tongue in cheek whilst watching it... and although this is a bit sexist... wilma from buck rogers and wonder women still rate highly on the phwoooar factor lol

[Shire]

I wouldn't say that they necessarily become rubbish, you just see them in a different light. I recently bought a DVD of the A-Team, and enjoyed every minute of the 3 episodes on it, you do tend to notice the cheapness of some of the sets and some dodgy acting, but I think you have to suspend cynicism and realism and just enjoy them as they were meant to be enjoyed. These shows are all very much products of their time, and should be viewed as such - think how different these programmes would be if they were made today, if they were even allowed to be made!