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Why I Miss the 4:30 Movie.... (AKA McMillan & Wife Makes Me Smile)
Posted on Nov 6, 2009 11:01:00 AM  |  By Corynne Corbett

I do quite a bit of my writing at night and often I watch campy old movies to keep me company. I can tell you that "In Like Flint" has come on more than a couple of times in the last year so has "Salt & Pepper". I watch these movies as well as things like "Columbo", "McCloud" and "McMillan & Wife" because they actually remind of when we only had one television in the house. So the whole family watched a whole bunch of campy spy flicks, whodunnits and the like (whether we wanted to or not). The same thing happened at Aunt Etta's house (our babysitter) when the 4:30 movie came on—-us kids had no choice but to watch it together. (The only exception: the vampire-based soap,"Dark Shadows", which I was forbidden to partake in because it gave me nightmares.) Yeah, I was a lightweight.



Now we're living in an age of individualized entertainment. We can order whatever genre our hearts desire on our computers, phones and televisions. And sharing a set? I'd venture to say there are a couple of generations that consider it a foreign concept. But there is something about the shared experience that cannot be replicated when you're on your own. You won't remember who cracked a joke or the side conversations that took place during the long commercial breaks. Or the strategies that had to be employed to get a good spot in the bedroom, den or wherever. I got my love of screwball comedies from watching them with my mother. And those traditions are continued in their own ways. My niece watched some many Judy Garland movies when she was young that  when she spied a VCR or DVD case for any old movie she point at it and say "Judy".

Now I've got to say that when I say I'm watching "In Like Flint" my friend Melissa is bound to comment (since her Dad was in it). But it's not the same as if we were watching it together (kinda hard since we're on opposite coasts). But back to my point, although it wasn't my choice to watch "The Sunday Mystery Movie" or "The Blob" on the 4:30 movie it reminds me of people and times that continue to have importance in my life. So now I can say I'm glad that I had no choice but to watch them.

What shows/movies did you watch with your family that you find yourself smiling about today? Or what activity did you dread that you're now sharing with your own loved ones?


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I watched all the comedy-variety Shows (like Carol Brunett), talk shows (like Merv Griffin) and the evening news with my family.

Posted by: Debra Turner| Saturday, November 07, 2009 at 11:22 AM




What a great question! When I was little I remember my parents watching All in the Family (I hated it - couldn't figure out why everyone was laughing when Archie was so mean), Star Trek, and tons of baseball. I still get a comfy feeling when I hear the sound of a baseball game is in the background while I go about my evening. Reminds me of many summer evenings of my youth!

Posted by: Lain| Saturday, November 07, 2009 at 03:21 PM






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