Of Networks, Nutworks and Notworks…

Johnny-on-the-Spot … by John Foster …

When I was a youngster, things were a lot easier.

We only had 3 major television networks.

ABC.

CBS.

NBC.

ABC had the sports.

CBS had Walter Cronkite.

NBC had the “Today Show” with J. Fred Muggs, Frankl Blair, Jack Lescoulie and Dave Garraway.

Fewer choices but better product in this man’s opinion.

We had some low-power local television stations that gave local “stars” a chance a chance to shine on the “boob tube”.

Remember when we used to call it that?

We has Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Green Jeans, Grandfather Clock and Mr. Bunny Rabbit to amuse our younger selves.

We also had afterschool shows like “Barnaby” and his amazingly bad “Long John, the Invisible Parrot”, “Woodrow the Woodsman” and a seemingly endless supply of old Three Stooges” shorts.

Barnaby would always remind us that we’d never actually hit our sister with a hammer like the Stooges always did.

I would conveniently feign memory lapses in his moments.

Captain Penney toted his big oil can and kept us on track as we feasted on more cheap comedy.

Then, as our teenaged hormones began to rage, we had “Ghoulardi” to introduce us to the word “fink” and poke fun at ancient local newscaster Dorothy Fuldheim and actually blew up fire crackers and cherry bombs on the tv set./

More low-power local tv came on and then we had cable.

“57 Channels and Nothing On” was Bruce Springsteen’s hit that bemoaned more variety but fewer real choices.

Remember when MTV actually used to play music videos?

The Weather Channel forecast meteorological events instead of politics.

There are times that I think “Less is more” might be a way to re-direct this country.

Quality over quantity.

What do you think?

I encountered a new “network” recently while fighting bronchitis.

In my usual