The Sixties from CNN Brings Back Memories
Last night with a football game that was out of control and the Flyers game over, I was looking for so etching to watch.i stumbled upon The Sixties Produced by CNN. I watched the first episode titled Television Comes of Age. And that’s one thing television certainly did in the 60s. TV went from a novelty in the 50s to an intricate part of our culture in the Sixties.
Early Sixties Sports Memories
Two of my earliest memories watching sports on TV came in 1960. The first happened on the first day of the season when the Phillies manager quit! He was 59 years old and wanted to live to see 60! The second was getting home from school just In time to see Bill Mazeroskli’s series winning home run! I thought about that moment the other night, when I watched Jose Altuve’s home run send his team to the World Series.As I went to bed I thought of all the kids who missed having that be a memory for them, because it happened after 12 am,!
Anyway the whole show brought back a lot of memories from watching JFK’s funeral to the rlots during the Democratic National Convention and hearing the chant of “the whole world is watching”
The Variety Shows
I particularly liked the section in the show about variety shows. Those shows including: Ed Sullivan, The Hollywood Place, Carol Burnett, Flip Wilson, Dean Martin and many others.
What was said about the Ed Sullivan Show was spot on. It was a show that the whole family could watch, because there was literally something for everyone.
It was one of the few shows that my father watched. He particularly liked the comedians and Topo GIGO. I, of course, liked the emerging rock bands and the edgy comedians like George Carlin and Mort Sahl.
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
The show gave a lot time to one of my favorite shows The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. It was relevant, funny and supported my points of view. A few years ago I read a great book about the show Dangerously Funny. The author David Bunnicelli was included in the show. Here’s what I wrote about the book.
One of the clips they used on the episode was the Brothers performing Phil Ochs’s song “Draft Dodger Rag”. Phil wrote many great songs, but he is best know for his political songs. And since his politics and mine aligned I was a fan.
Overall, I really thought the episode was well done and look forward to watching the other episodes in the series. I’m sure they will also take me back to those troubling yet wonderful Sixties.
Here are the Smothers Brothers and George Segal performing “Draft Dodger Rag” by Phil Ochs. You can check out Phil’s version here. While I check out the rest of CNN’s The Sixites.
