My Top Ten List That DIDN'T Make The List

I'm late. I'm always late.

I saw a post last night on facebook that my Olivia had posted her top ten favorite TV shows of all time. I thought to myself (and said out loud to myself) “I will definitely read that tomorrow!” I was trying to make myself turn off the computer and make myself go to sleep.

So today, yesterday's tomorrow, I logged into find Olivia's blog, and it is not just a list, it is a blogfest. I do not participate in many of these, but this one was certainly intriguing. First, I love love love television! I have loved it for my whole big entire life. Second, I love retro television. In part, because Ted Turner ran reruns when I was little and living in Nebraska and baby, it's COLD outside for about five months a year. Third, television is now something of a novelty. There is little to be proud of anymore, little to say “I have to get home! (Blank) is on and I must see it!” Reality shows and drunken sex parties (not that there's anything wrong with that!) have taken over. It's like all the writers decided they didn't want to be writers anymore and just found the most ignorant representation of Americans they could find, and said, “Hey, would you like to be on TV?”

As I was reading Olivia's list, I found myself making my own. So I clicked over to the blogfest, and sadly, it ended yesterday.

But I've decided to make a list anyway. I can't help it.

You will see many of these shows are above my age, but you can take that up with Ted Turner. Also, a lot of this is past tense. It doesn't matter. It's of all time.

10. One Day at a Time

I don't really know what this show is, other than another single mom in the 70s who needs the help and antics of a man with a tool belt (Schneider). I had dreams of being tall and skinny with great big teeth like Mackenzie Phillips. Alas, still 4'10”. But my teeth are very nice.
I also loved The Mamas and The Papas, so it was fascinating to me that she was Papa John's daughter.  That was really cool, until her recent revelation.  Crap.  I just threw up in my mouth a little.  Must. Change. Subject.

9. The Partridge Family

Oh, how I love love love David Cassidy! I have loved him since I was a wee little girl! That flowing hair, that beautiful voice. I watched the Partridge Family every time I could find it on television. I could not get enough! I even checked out the Partridge Family books at the library when I was little! Even today, if I come across it, I stop and sigh.

8. Sisters

This was my must-record-show. I loved everything about it. “...friends come and go, parents die, but you'll always have your sisters.”

7. The Brady Bunch

As with everyone my age and about five years older, I have been watching this show for as long as I can remember. Corny, cheesy, undeniably out-of-touch with the reality of the seventies (sans the hair and clothes), this show is good fun! (sans cousin Oliver)

6. The West Wing

I have every season of this show on DVD. The writing is brilliant, the actors too perfect for the characters they play, and very realistic, even idealistic, of a great government.

5. Big Love

OBSESSION! I officially love Mormons because of this show. My only wish is that HBO would get its crap together and make more episodes for a season.  Home Plus is Us+Us+Us.

4. Glee

Yep. I'm a GLEEK. This show is amazing, and the talent in these actors is unprecedented. New season starts tonight! YAY! Sorry, back to the topic. I was a bit embarrassed to watch this show the first time, but my choices are running slim for scripted-television. I was so excited when it was over! It blew me away!  "This show is my I have to get home!  BLANK GLEE IS ON!"

3. All in the Family

Life doesn't get much better than Archie Bunker spitting instead of swearing, insulting everyone and everything around him, and Edith's annoying little voice!  And, of course, any show that can use the word meathead over and over and it still be funny has my vote!

2. The Golden Girls

As I've mentioned before, I have a slight obsession with Betty White. This show is the reason. I still watch the reruns.

1. Family Ties

I don't know if you are aware, but I was going to marry Michael J. Fox. We were going to be so happy together. We are both short, have brown hair, and he was my density, I mean, my destiny. Unfortunately, Ellen, um, Tracy Pollen stepped in front of me and made him forget all about me. Regardless, I still love this show, the contrast between the hippie parents and conservative 80s kids.

 
 
There's my list.  I'm late, I won't be part of the blogfest.  But man!  That was fun!

65 years later, and the hair is the same!

I am obsessed with a lot of things that people my age are generally not obsessed with. You are probably starting to get that. I love game shows, retro television, classic rock music. I love Betty White.


When I say I love her, I don't mean that I started loving her when she was thrown to the ground in a commercial for this year's Super Bowl. Don't get me wrong, I laughed my tookus off when I saw that commercial, and it is definitely my bet for the best commercial of this Super Bowl. And best commercial of any Super Bowl. Ever.

I loved her when I was little watching reruns of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (again, thank you, Ted Turner, for reruns weekday afternoons!). I remember laughing, even though I didn't know then that Sue Ellen was a nympho supremo. In my child-mind, I thought she was much more entertaining than Mary, and couldn't understand why it wasn't the Sue Ellen Nivens Show.

Then came Mama's Family, my first run-in with Betty-Rue. Although I knew Rue McClanahan from Maude (Oh, Bea-Rue, how I love that combo! But more on that later!), I was intrigued by the constant banter and love between the characters of Ellen and Fran. They seemed like they could be sisters. I might add that I was completely horrified when I found out one day that Vicki Lawrence was the same age as my mother but looked like my grandmother! Could this be the same Vicki Lawrence from The Carol Burnett Show? Oh my god, yes it was!

Oh, Rose Nylund. Golden Girls (and a year, two?, of Golden Palace) brought you into my home once again. I could write for pages and pages about Rose Nylund. I loved that show. The combination of Bea-Betty-Rue-Estelle made me laugh every week. Once again, my young mind was all confused when I learned that the youngest cast member of all was Estelle! The deception of Hollywood...

I love The Golden Girls to this day. I watch reruns now, as an adult, and get the jokes I didn't get when it was originally on the air, in my lifetime, ages 9-16. I think I stopped watching it around age 13 or 14, and am now happy to say I have caught up on all the good stuff I gave up on.

Each of these women have impacted my life in some way or another. I would like to say that I am a little more fearless because of Blanche. Her honesty about who she was and her love of men and dating made me less shy around people. I believe Dorothy's brains made me want to be smart. And she taught English, which has always been my favorite subject. She was not afraid to speak her mind and it made me want to be strong like that, too. Sophia was funny and sarcastic, much like myself (and short - me too!), as well as kind. Those two traits are rarely found in a single character.

Then there is Rose. Simple, funny, innocent, small-town Rose. I am from a small town, and Rose's memories of St. Olaf made me reminiscent of my own small town. Her humor was impeccable. But most of all, she had the kindest heart of anyone on television. Rose wanted peace in a world where there was so little of it. Her simpleton nature made it seem like anything was possible. And to her, it was.

Then there is the real Betty White. The one from game shows. I was obsessed with game shows as a kid. (I still am - I love to watch the game show network!) As a result, I have a lot of trivial knowledge in this head of mine. My favorites were Match Game (still my favorite! Oh, how I love Richard Dawson!), Password, and Press Your Luck. Ms. Betty White was a frequent guest on two of these. Match Game is my favorite game show of all time. I get a little giddy when it is on, even to this day.

So, why all this talk of Betty White? Well, today it was announced that the Facebook campaigning to get her to host Saturday Night Live worked. Who knew? Although I think it will be amazing to watch Betty White on SNL, I did not join that group because I thought it was like every other Facebook group, frivolous. So when I opened up my computer today and read that it actually worked, that Lorne Michaels himself said he could not possibly ignore the response! In addition to responding as millions want, he is putting Betty White on the show on Mother's Day, and bringing back several former female cast members, including another woman I love and admire, Tina Fey!

I love dogs. Betty loves dogs. Need I say more?

It is also interesting to note that Betty White has had basically the same hair style since, I think, birth.
Oh Betty, I can't wait to see you on Saturday Night Live! And congrats on your Lifetime Achievement Award. You deserve it!  You've got spunk, girl!  I love that!

I guess dreams really do come true.