The Friday Five

As a kid I loved watching television. Ma worked and as a latch key child (only we didn't have a name back then) I spent a lot of time in front of the electronic babysitter. The television was controlled by The Brother, sixe years my senior, but I loved most of the shows he watched. Shows I watched when I was around 8 or 10 years old.

1. Lost in Space. A family of space explorers knocked off their course to Alpha Centauri. Too bad they didn't have a GPS. Hokey even back then with monsters made from plastic garbage bags and giant artificial palm fronds, I loved this show. Starred Guy Williams from Zorro fame.  Loved the Robot the best. Family Network is now showing this chestnut at 5p and 6 p EDT. I sometimes tune in while making supper. Still hokey, but lots of fun especially seeing some big name actors guest starring: Albert Salmi, Michael Rennie.

2. Before Guy Williams starred in Lost in Space, he was Zorro righting wrongs in Spanish California. I loved the way he slashed a Z on poor Sgt. Garcia's ample girth.  As an adult I watched the movie starring Tyrone Power. Wonderful movie, but Guy Williams is still Zorro to me.

3.  From Irwin Allen, the same producer as Lost in Space came Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Following the adventures of the submarine Seaview and her crew. One of the first shows produced in color (second season on) Monsters from Lost in Space were recycled for this show. My favorite character is the Exec, Chip Morton. What can I say, hard to resist a blond fella in uniform. 20th Century Fox has been releasing the series to DVD. Happy to say the 2nd half of season 4 the final season is scheduled to release just before Christmas.  The show is as outlandish as ever but wonderfully entertaining.

4. The Outer Limits a sci-fi show was good for producing heebie-geebies. The show opened with a voice announcing "We have control of your television...." One episdode especially gave me the shivers. Something about a group traveling to Mars. Everyone was sitting in the space ship all excited. The pilot was wearing a helmet with the sun visor down. He lifted his visor and his eyes!  Oh my gawd! They looked like fried eggs! At that scene, I buried my face in the carpet. Later, The Brother thought it was hilarious to circle his thumb and forefinger and place his hands over his eyes and chase me around the house, the fried egg-eyed pilot chasing me. I was not amused.

5. One of our favorite shows came from England, The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Richard Greene. This show was broadcast on WMUR TV channel 9 from Manchester, New Hampshire. The only way we could see this show was for me to hold onto the television rabbit ears and dance around until the static snow cleared to a grainy image. Didn't matter I loved the handsome and dashing Richard Greene.  I even got to wear the Robin Hood hat I coveted from The Brother's Halloween costume. It wasn't until I was a young adult that I saw the movie starring Errol Flynn as the outlaw hero. The fencing scenes in the television show aren't nearly as well choreographed as the movie, but Richard Greene cuts a fine figure and makes a very believable Robin of Locksley  fighting for good and justice. I also fell in love with the book adventures of Robin Hood illustrated by Howard Pyle. Most likely this was the seed that led to my studies of Middle English Literature in college.

 A year or so ago, I found the entire first season of the show in the bargain bin at Wal-Mart. I couldn't resist. I still love the show. Last week, The Young One pulled out the DVDs and became totally engrossed in the story.  Made me proud. Good to edumucate the younger generation.

So what "modern" novel does the character of Robin Hood first appear? Cue the Jeopardy music...