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What was the last TV show you watched?

Dixon Cannon

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,157
Location
Sonoran Desert Hideaway
Hee-Haw-Cast.jpg

I sure loved Barbi Benton and Misty Rowe!!! -dixon cannon
 

rjb1

Practically Family
Messages
561
Location
Nashville
"They were urbanites with pretentions to being psuedo-intellectuals, and they felt that the country shows just weren't for us: they were silly, and obviously directed at heartland folks who could relate to those farms, little towns, eccentric characters, country music, and rural humor. So... I never watched any of those shows as a kid. And there was no way that I could get into them later on when I was on my own: they were just totally alien to my experiences (and not in a fascinating way like science fiction, westerns, war stories, period costume dramas, etc.)"

Let me take a stab at a semi-serious defense of the "country" comedy shows and how people may have missed part of what was really going on. "The Beverly Hillbillies", in particular, was an almost pure example of the use of the conventions of Shakespearean comedies.
One of the first conventions, setting the scene, was a sudden and unexpected change in location or circumstance: Ex.: The Duke being banished to the Forest of Arden in "As You like It" and the shipwreck of the twins in "Twelfth Night". Jed of course, "...was shootin' at some food, and up from the ground came a'bubblin' crude"... "and then they Moved to Beverly, Hills, that is..."
Convention: Interaction of the upper and lower social classes, for comic effect: Ex.: Bottom and his friends interacting with the royal court in "Midsummer Night's Dream". Jed and the Clampetts interacting with Banker Drysdale and especially Mrs. Drysdale.
Convention: Animal/Human combinations: Bottom with the head of an ass in "Midsummer Night's Dream". Ellie May's "frogman" boyfriend with the lower half of his wetsuit on, as witnessed by Granny.
Convention: Puns and wordplay - Numerous examples. Jethro, in a turban with a crystal ball, announcing to Miss Jane Hathaway that he was going to communicate with the dead. Miss Jane: "Oh Jethro, I didn't know you were a medium." Jethro: "No, Miss Jane, I'm a "Large"! "
Convention: Cross Dressing (and not just that boys played the female parts): Rosalind wearing men's clothes and going by the name Ganymede in "As You Like It" and same for Olivia dressed as Cesario in "Twelfth Night" Jethro dressed as his female cousin Jethrine.
Convention: Wise/witty court jester/"fool": Touchstone as jester/fool for the Duke in "As You Like It" who comments on and explains things in the play. Miss Jane Hathaway as wise/witty secretary/jester/fool for Banker Drysdale. (same tasks)
Convention: Disguises/Mistaken Identities: Rosalind/Ganymede and Olivia/Cesario, above. Miss Jane dressed as Queen Elizabeth I, in the "Beverly Hillbillies" episode named "War of the Roses". (It's not a Shakespearean convention, but having an episode named "War of the Roses", assumes that the audience has some familiarity with the real "War of the Roses" otherwise there is no "joke". Most TV sit-coms today don't assume the audience is familiar with the war for royal succession in England between the Houses of York and Lancaster in the 1400's.)
There is likely more, but this gets the idea across that watching "The Beverly Hillbillies" is a significant intellectual exercise.
As Rod Serling used to say, "Submitted for your approval..."
 

rjb1

Practically Family
Messages
561
Location
Nashville
"They were urbanites with pretentions to being psuedo-intellectuals, and they felt that the country shows just weren't for us: they were silly, and obviously directed at heartland folks who could relate to those farms, little towns, eccentric characters, country music, and rural humor. So... I never watched any of those shows as a kid. And there was no way that I could get into them later on when I was on my own: they were just totally alien to my experiences (and not in a fascinating way like science fiction, westerns, war stories, period costume dramas, etc.)"

Let me take a stab at a semi-serious defense of the "country" comedy shows and how people may have missed part of what was really going on. "The Beverly Hillbillies", in particular, was an almost pure example of the use of the conventions of Shakespearean comedies.
One of the first conventions, setting the scene, was a sudden and unexpected change in location or circumstance: Ex.: The Duke being banished to the Forest of Arden in "As You like It" and the shipwreck of the twins in "Twelfth Night". Jed of course, "...was shootin' at some food, and up from the ground came a'bubblin' crude"... "and then they Moved to Beverly, Hills, that is..."
Convention: Interaction of the upper and lower social classes, for comic effect: Ex.: Bottom and his friends interacting with the royal court in "Midsummer Night's Dream". Jed and the Clampetts interacting with Banker Drysdale and especially Mrs. Drysdale.
Convention: Animal/Human combinations: Bottom with the head of an ass in "Midsummer Night's Dream". Ellie May's "frogman" boyfriend with the lower half of his wetsuit on, as witnessed by Granny.
Convention: Puns and wordplay - Numerous examples. Jethro, in a turban with a crystal ball, announcing to Miss Jane Hathaway that he was going to communicate with the dead. Miss Jane: "Oh Jethro, I didn't know you were a medium." Jethro: "No, Miss Jane, I'm a "Large"! "
Convention: Cross Dressing (and not just that boys played the female parts): Rosalind wearing men's clothes and going by the name Ganymede in "As You Like It" and same for Olivia dressed as Cesario in "Twelfth Night" Jethro dressed as his female cousin Jethrine.
Convention: Wise/witty court jester/"fool": Touchstone as jester/fool for the Duke in "As You Like It" who comments on and explains things in the play. Miss Jane Hathaway as wise/witty secretary/jester/fool for Banker Drysdale. (same tasks)
Convention: Disguises/Mistaken Identities: Rosalind/Ganymede and Olivia/Cesario, above. Miss Jane dressed as Queen Elizabeth I, in the "Beverly Hillbillies" episode named "War of the Roses". (It's not a Shakespearean convention, but having an episode named "War of the Roses", assumes that the audience has some familiarity with the real "War of the Roses" otherwise there is no "joke". Most TV sit-coms today don't assume the audience is familiar with the war for royal succession in England between the Houses of York and Lancaster in the 1400's.)
There is likely more, but this gets the idea across that watching "The Beverly Hillbillies" is a significant intellectual exercise.
As Rod Serling used to say, "Submitted for your approval..."
 

Feraud

Bartender
Messages
17,190
Location
Hardlucksville, NY
The Governor's obsession with Michonne and this episode with Andrea convinced me he doesn't know squat about tactics...or common sense. Everything about last night's chase was ridiculous. It is obvious the Governor's survived on charm and luck. Rick's group of 8(?) should have no problem luring this dope to his end, regardless of whatever firepower he amassed from the national guard ambush.
 
The Governor's obsession with Michonne and this episode with Andrea convinced me he doesn't know squat about tactics...or common sense. Everything about last night's chase was ridiculous. It is obvious the Governor's survived on charm and luck. Rick's group of 8(?) should have no problem luring this dope to his end, regardless of whatever firepower he amassed from the national guard ambush.

He is indeed insane so anything he does makes no sense.
I loved how his Biter Farm got torched. Oh well. lol lol
 

Worf

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,206
Location
Troy, New York, USA
As a Black kid growing up in the housing projects of NY City... I saw most of those country bumpkin shows because my parents were both born in the rural south. We only had one, old B&W portable with tin-foil on the antennae so we watched what they wanted. Some I thought were funny, Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, till they jumped the shark. "Hee Haw" was cool because I got to watch people play... and play well. I usually turned the dial when there became more rhinestone than jacket but I grew to respect some of those cats as fellow musicians. When we went South in the summers, all my relatives watched those shows... but they never called em by their proper names. "The Beverly Hillbillies" was called "Granny", "The Dukes of Hazard" was called "Boss Hogg" and so on. "Boy it's 9:00 turn on "Boss Hogg", or whatever. So I've an appreciation of them and can watch some of them in a pinch. The only one I really never "felt" was "The Andy Griffith Show" or "Mayberry". I was in rural North Caorlina most summers and nothing looked like that!

Worf
 

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