Temporary layouts, easy credit ripoffs

While in Fargo last weekend I stumbled across the TVLAND Good Times weekend marathon. (If you're too young to know about this old TV show, hit the link to learn more.)

I was amazed to find myself watching these shows at every chance I could get. Yes, some of it was an aging Gen X nostalgia, the same fuel that seems to drive all these TVshow to movie remakes. (see Dukes of Hazard). But on closer inspection, there was MORE to that show. All the episodes I managed to catch had the same basic premise, to rise above their situation and "get out of Ghetto!" All of them ended on a sour note, the schemes not panning out, the MAN keeping them down, or worse.

But the overwhelming sentiment was that they still had each other, the family was intact and it all revolved around the undying resolve and love of the matriarch, Flo. You couldn't watch this show and NOT have a soft spot for her, with her huge gap tooth grin and hearty laugh, coupled with her strong will, she represented all motherhood. I still recall the episode where the father is killed in a car accident as one my first lessons on grief. Several other episodes tackled other weighty issues, but with just enough humour to keep you interested. Now keep in mind I was in grade 5-6 when this show was at its peak so these things may have effected me more than they should have, but it was a HIT show and we all watched it! I wasn't the only one with a Kid Dynomite t-Shirt that September.

But then I got thinking about where the show came from. It was a spin of Maude which was a spin off of All In the Family. All three shows tackled the issues of the day, didn't always offer solutions but informed and entertained. The episode of Maude where the daughter is unwed and pregant, the episode of All in The Family where Sammy Davis Jr comes to the house, I remember these clearly as they awaken me to issues I didn't even know about it.
So is Norman Lear, creator of all these shows, the patriarchal influence of my generation? That's for some university student to write about. All I know is that the 70's were a golden period of television, where a few great shows used the full potential of the medium and created a lasting impression on my generation. After that, how could you seriously expect me to watch Friends?