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Ashikaga

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>I also remember seeing in the late 60's or early 70's a drunk driving PSA that I only saw once, but I swear I didn't dream it. It had a guy dressed like the Grim Reaper in a series of still B&W >pictures -

I remember back in the 60's I was staying at my grandparents in AR..

One night they showed a grisly show about drunk drivers.."Little Rock TV"

I'm talking spare no details.. Grisly... They showed scraping what was

left of a girl off the highway using a snow shovel.. Kid you not..

Lots of other grisly mangled people pix..

I'd never seen anything like it before, or since..

My TV memory goes back to the late 50's.. I can remember when

Ike was prez, and him and his bald head were one of my first TV

memories.. We watched all the usual shows.. Gunsmoke, 77 sunset

strip, Perry Mason, Lucy, etc... I have also watched the space program

since day one.. I remember the mercury missions quite well, even now.

MK

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Yes, I also remember Night Gallery. Are you talking about Steven Spielburg's first movie called "Dual" which starred Dennis Weaver? I've never heard of Killdozer?

I remember many shows from back in the early/mid 1960s on an old black & white TV set. I liked The Patty Duke Show. Do any of you remember that show?

Yep, Duel was Spielberg's first...starred Dennis Weaver...holds up well even today...

Oooh... Night Gallery was one scary show. I remember watching one (A Fear of Spiders) where spiders kept coming out of a guy's sink. Some real nightmares there.

I used to watch it as a kid whenever my parents would let me. Then around 1980 or so, Channel 39 would show reruns late at night and my mom would always be coming into the living room asking when I was going to bed. Unfortunately, no one shows it anymore.

My favorite is one from 1971 called A Big Surprise. A bunch of kids playing hooky from school happen across this eccentric old man who promises them "a big surprise" if they dig for it under a old tree in a field. The kids, all thinking he is talking about buried treasure rush for the tree and start digging away. Eventually they all give up, save one, who keeps digging as daylight turns to dusk. Finally he hits something. He uncovers a large box and when he opens it... there's the old man inside, laughing away. "I told you you'd get a surprise!" he cackles. LOL!

My other favorite Night Gallery episodes, in no particular order:

Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay

A Fear of Spiders

The Devil Is Not Mocked

Hell's Bells

Cool Air (a excellent episode)

Green Fingers

Lindemann's Catch

The Catepillar (another excellent episode)

Man, I sure wish they'd show Night Gallery again.

Yeah, Big Surprise with John Carradine...weird stuff!

Man! You are probably as big a fan of that show as I am...you can name episode titles too! LOL I remember it during its original run on NBC and then, as you say, late nights during the summer on Ch. 39. I used to stay up for those too and they'd really creep me out. Especially since I was staying at my grandmother's place in the Heights...an old house...kind of creepy to me when I was a kid.

Those are all great! They did release some of them on DVD, but the entire series is still not available. You can get Season 1 with a few other episodes thrown in the set at places like Best Buy....

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Man! You are probably as big a fan of that show as I am...you can name episode titles too! LOL

Well, while I love compliments as much as the next person, I'm not that good! I only knew the titles because I looked them up at TV.com. LOL!

It's a great site to learn about old TV shows. TV.com gives the title, airdate, a brief synopsis and guest stars. If you've ever used the Internet Movie Database (imdb.com) it's pretty similar.

I may be one of the few, but I liked Night Gallery better than Twilight Zone.

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Well, while I love compliments as much as the next person, I'm not that good! I only knew the titles because I looked them up at TV.com. LOL!

It's a great site to learn about old TV shows. TV.com gives the title, airdate, a brief synopsis and guest stars. If you've ever used the Internet Movie Database (imdb.com) it's pretty similar.

I may be one of the few, but I liked Night Gallery better than Twilight Zone.

HEHEHEHEH!!! CHEATER!!!

Well, I happen to agree with you on Twilight Zone. I enjoyed it, but I think it's kind of overhyped and over-rated....

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HEHEHEHEH!!! CHEATER!!!

Well, I happen to agree with you on Twilight Zone. I enjoyed it, but I think it's kind of overhyped and over-rated....

I agree it probably was over-rated but it did have some classics like "Nightmare at 20000 Feet" with William Shatner.

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I agree it probably was over-rated but it did have some classics like "Nightmare at 20000 Feet" with William Shatner.

I saw it when I was a kid and I'm still scared of flying. :D

I like both shows...it's just that Night Gallery doesn't get as much credit as it should for being a very good series...

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Guest Marty

The closer you live to Missouri City the better your reception will be. But remember that the local channels VHF/UHF are going to stop transmitting on those frequencies in several years, If you like the 1970's-80's stuff like Mamas Family, Magnum pi, Alice, The A Team, Hawaii 5-0 and Northern Exposure you will like channel's 49 and 55.

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The closer you live to Missouri City the better your reception will be. But remember that the local channels VHF/UHF are going to stop transmitting on those frequencies in several years, If you like the 1970's-80's stuff like Mamas Family, Magnum pi, Alice, The A Team, Hawaii 5-0 and Northern Exposure you will like channel's 49 and 55.

So if you want UHF channels, you'll have to get one of those round antennas?

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So if you want UHF channels, you'll have to get one of those round antennas?

Usually, though these days antenna makers are working harder to make them look better. Mine is actually a black plastic square. I opened it up and inside is the metal loop.

Remember in the old days when your TV antenna would break and you'd use an old coat hangar for a TV antenna? Works just as well with HDTV.

When I told some of my TV engineer friends that I was planning to spend $30 on an antenna, they all thought I was crazy. They all just use random bits of wire strung up in the attic in the right directions.

Hint for those shopping for a new TV antenna:

There is no such thing as an "HDTV" antenna. They're all the same.

There is no such thing as a "stereo" or "color" antenna. They're all the same.

The only difference between an expensive antenna and a coat hangar is the shape, and the fact that the expensive antenna might have a powered amplifier built in to it that you have to plug into the wall.

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The closer you live to Missouri City the better your reception will be. But remember that the local channels VHF/UHF are going to stop transmitting on those frequencies in several years, If you like the 1970's-80's stuff like Mamas Family, Magnum pi, Alice, The A Team, Hawaii 5-0 and Northern Exposure you will like channel's 49 and 55.

Looking at the TV section of the Chronicle, I counted 16 station that I assume are regular network (free) reception. Tell me if I'm right or wrong. Up to channel 13, you would watch VHS, and those other channels (14 through 67) you would watch on UHF? I'm thinking that's the way that it works because doesn't the UHF dial go up to channel 80-something?

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VHF is 2-13

UHF is 14- 69

I remember the older TV's went up to 83

I still don't fully understand exactly what I read is going to happen in February 2009 about TVs becoming high definition. Does it mean that the TVs that I now have won't work at all unless I buy one of those boxes that I heard that everyone will have to have?

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I still don't fully understand exactly what I read is going to happen in February 2009 about TVs becoming high definition. Does it mean that the TVs that I now have won't work at all unless I buy one of those boxes that I heard that everyone will have to have?

The FCC is going to auction off the old frequencies for money.

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I don't think it's all HDTV.. The main deal is the VHF/UHF analog broadcasts will cease, and all broadcasts

after that time will be digital. So you would need a digi to analog converter. Those should be fairly cheap they

say.. But not all digital is HD.. I think most of the TV's sold now should already include a digital tuner.

I'll probably get a digi tuner for my computer before too long. HD capable too I imagine. My computer is my

TV.. I'm semi HD capable now.. My puter as TV is about as good as all the HD sets I've seen in stores so far.

But I'd need a new tuner to use the highest res they offer. I can only run 720i I think as it is... Still way

better than any standard TV. I think the longer you wait before the cutoff, the less the stuff will cost.

MK

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I still don't fully understand exactly what I read is going to happen in February 2009 about TVs becoming high definition. Does it mean that the TVs that I now have won't work at all unless I buy one of those boxes that I heard that everyone will have to have?

Only if you don't have cable or satellite.

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Only if you don't have cable or satellite.

I don't have cable or a dish. I just turn the TV on and adjust the antenna. So, you're saying that I'll have to buy some kind of a box and connect it to my TV? When that goes into effect, what will happens if I turn my TV on? Will it have no picture or no sound or none of either?

But are you saying that if, at that time, I buy cable or a dish, I won't have to get one of those boxes?

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I don't have cable or a dish. I just turn the TV on and adjust the antenna. So, you're saying that I'll have to buy some kind of a box and connect it to my TV? When that goes into effect, what will happens if I turn my TV on? Will it have no picture or no sound or none of either?

But are you saying that if, at that time, I buy cable or a dish, I won't have to get one of those boxes?

That's my understanding.

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I don't have cable or a dish. I just turn the TV on and adjust the antenna. So, you're saying that I'll have to buy some kind of a box and connect it to my TV? When that goes into effect, what will happens if I turn my TV on? Will it have no picture or no sound or none of either?

Yea, you just buy a digital tuner which connects to the TV..

If you have no digital tuner/converter, than yes, your TV will be as dead as a 1955 Admiral at 4 AM.. :(

But are you saying that if, at that time, I buy cable or a dish, I won't have to get one of those boxes?

Yep.. You won't need anything else, if you are on cable, dish, etc..

MK

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40, 50 years ago was a much simpler time. Most people had black & white TVs. They would simply turn them on then sit down and watch. No programming, color adjusting, etc. Yes, someone had to get up to change the channel, which caused arguing. But the remote control causes just as much bickering today.

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NB you might remember this. Around the mid 1960's if you stayed up late like after the 10 o'clock news they always had The Late Show - (movies). Not TV shows. This one in particular always had a chorus of singers singing lyrics like this:

"The Late Show...first come the new's, the weather then ...The Late Show, right on your own TV". It repeated in mostly female vocals & sounded very 50's ish. Kind of cool now that I think about it.

We kids could only stay up with dad to see something extremely exciting like King Kong or Godzilla movies this late. It seemed nocturnal to a 6 yr old. :blush: Of course we all fell asleep mid part of the movie or curled up in a ball from fright.

The song is what I still wonder what station and when it ended. Guess it seemed dated by the late 60's.

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40, 50 years ago was a much simpler time. Most people had black & white TVs. They would simply turn them on then sit down and watch. No programming, color adjusting, etc. Yes, someone had to get up to change the channel, which caused arguing. But the remote control causes just as much bickering today.

I remember the TV in the kitchen's knob was always broken so we would fight over the pliers that we'd jam in the hole to change the channel. And the antenna would always get caught in the cabinets and eventually broke off so it was replaced by a coat hangar, which eventually also got caught in the cabinet, so it got replaced by aluminum foil.

It was always the VHF knob that would break. No one ever bothered to watch UHF. Just flip around VHF and get programs on 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 13. The UHF stations were all in Spanish.

What more did we need? We were kids, so we spent time outside chasing the ice cream man, carving our names in the hot summer asphalt with a butter knife, throwing rocks at rats in abandoned buildings, picking wild strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Tying the dog to our bikes so he could pull us down the street. Seeing how high we could climb in a tree. Making rock forts. Chasing frogs and fireflies at dusk...

Then one day my father brought home an Atari 2600, and the world changed forever.

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The reason that channels 2 and 3 bit the big one everywhere was that they were guard channels for the Civil Defence. The FCC limited their transmit power and checker-boarded the coverage all across the United States. Tis was done so that these two channels could be used for emergency communications. Not only was Channel 2 (NBC) lower power, it was 54 Mhz the exact double harmonic of CB radio which was(is) 27 Mhz. No more analog after 2009, but don't throw away your antenna. They make great yard art or clothesline since most are aluminum. You can get a converter that will pick up analog along with the analog version of digital broadcast that is being broadcast now. Pick all of it up 'til 09 on the the analog sets. Sounds like camping heaven for two years....

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I remember the TV in the kitchen's knob was always broken so we would fight over the pliers that we'd jam in the hole to change the channel. And the antenna would always get caught in the cabinets and eventually broke off so it was replaced by a coat hangar, which eventually also got caught in the cabinet, so it got replaced by aluminum foil.

It was always the VHF knob that would break. No one ever bothered to watch UHF. Just flip around VHF and get programs on 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 13. The UHF stations were all in Spanish.

What more did we need? We were kids, so we spent time outside chasing the ice cream man, carving our names in the hot summer asphalt with a butter knife, throwing rocks at rats in abandoned buildings, picking wild strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Tying the dog to our bikes so he could pull us down the street. Seeing how high we could climb in a tree. Making rock forts. Chasing frogs and fireflies at dusk...

Then one day my father brought home an Atari 2600, and the world changed forever.

Oh, yes, I remember well the coat hangers and the aluminum foil, trying to get the "snow" off of the screen. I also remember the adjustment knob we had to use the most was "verticle," because many times the screen would go haywire. We seldom used "contrast" and "brightness."

Yes, my 67-year-old mother complains about kids saying inside playing video games and staying on the Internet. She always says that she and her siblings were always outside playing with the other kids in the neighborhood. I told her to be honest. It's because not only were there no video games back then, but she was 12 when her family got their first TV. She lived in Port Arthur, and the only TV stations were 90 miles west in Houston. She said that they had to watch a lot of "snow."

She reluctantly admitted that if TV and Atari had existed back then that she and the others would have been inside, eating junk food and becoming obese.

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NB you might remember this. Around the mid 1960's if you stayed up late like after the 10 o'clock news they always had The Late Show - (movies). Not TV shows. This one in particular always had a chorus of singers singing lyrics like this:

"The Late Show...first come the new's, the weather then ...The Late Show, right on your own TV". It repeated in mostly female vocals & sounded very 50's ish. Kind of cool now that I think about it.

The song is what I still wonder what station and when it ended. Guess it seemed dated by the late 60's.

That was Channel 11, they also had The Early Show at 3:00 pm.

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That was Channel 11, they also had The Early Show at 3:00 pm.

Unreal! Thank You for solving that mystery that has haunted me for decades. So it was KHOUTV!

I clearly remember when my dad & mom always watched Perry Mason and the theme song used to scare the wits out of us kids! Now as an adult I sort of like it though, really dramatic, especially the piano part.

Seemed like everthing was in black N white on TV until about as I mentioned way up above that I clearly remember NBC with the color peacock slogan "Brought to you In living Color". This was like giving the impression to the viewer that you were in for one hell-uva-treat. Wow! :wacko:

Dad also used to pound the side of the big TV so much (for a clearer Picture) that is finally caved in. There was also a hole on the bottom from aging I guess.

One evening a stray cat snuck in our house and we had just arrived from the store when we saw it run past us to the living room. We kids tried to catch it and guess where it ran? Right inside the big old TV (from underneath). Serious! It eventually came out and flew out the front door. Just like a comedy skit. I have to remind everyone at the next family gathering.

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"The Late Show...first come the news, the weather then ...The Late Show.

The greatest get-together place for movies you'll see - right on your own TV!"

Can't remember all of the closing song:"...no matter what night - you're never alone; we'll be waiting for you - here on the great Late Shooooow!"

Then we had the Late Late Show with a voiceover announcing the movie & stars with the "From Russia With Love" theme in the background. ^_^

And also on KHOU at 1 PM on Saturdays - "Science.....Fiction.....Theater!" My dad and I never missed that. The Post TV guide would sometimes make a comment after the movie description, and his favorite was the one for Women of the Prehistoric Planet - "Forget it!"

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"The Late Show...first come the news, the weather then ...The Late Show.

The greatest get-together place for movies you'll see - right on your own TV!"

Can't remember all of the closing song:"...no matter what night - you're never alone; we'll be waiting for you - here on the great Late Shooooow!"

Then we had the Late Late Show with a voiceover announcing the movie & stars with the "From Russia With Love" theme in the background. ^_^

And also on KHOU at 1 PM on Saturdays - "Science.....Fiction.....Theater!" My dad and I never missed that. The Post TV guide would sometimes make a comment after the movie description, and his favorite was the one for Women of the Prehistoric Planet - "Forget it!"

Many years ago there was a TV talk show in Houston called Morris Frank. Does anyone remember it?

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"The Late Show...first come the news, the weather then ...The Late Show.

The greatest get-together place for movies you'll see - right on your own TV!"

Can't remember all of the closing song:"...no matter what night - you're never alone; we'll be waiting for you - here on the great Late Shooooow!"

Then we had the Late Late Show with a voiceover announcing the movie & stars with the "From Russia With Love" theme in the background. ^_^

And also on KHOU at 1 PM on Saturdays - "Science.....Fiction.....Theater!" My dad and I never missed that. The Post TV guide would sometimes make a comment after the movie description, and his favorite was the one for Women of the Prehistoric Planet - "Forget it!"

There was a line in the Late Show theme "seven nights a week you are invited to The Late Show". Something like a bridge between the first part and the second part. There was also one line which stated that channel 11's proud to bring you the LAte Show I believe.

There was also Jungle Theater on Saturday mornings channel 13 I believe. Played mostly Jungle Jim and Tarzan movies.

And who could forget Wierd on Saturday nights.

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There was also one line which stated that channel 11's proud to bring you the LAte Show I believe.

That's ringing a vague bell - spoken before announcing the movie for that night, maybe?

I LOVED Weird!! I remember the running-paint intro - that was on KTRK. My older sister had to sneak me into her room to watch it when I was 6 because something on Dark Shadows had spooked me out of sleeping, so my mom forbade any scary stuff for me. :lol: Saw Mario Bava's Black Sunday on Weird - that movie creeps me to this day.

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